Seahunter MTG Card


Seahunter enables significant card advantage through its repeatable creature tutoring ability. This card accelerates your board presence by bypassing creature mana costs. Instant speed capability adds surprise and strategy to your plays with Seahunter.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Mercenary
Power 2
Toughness 2

Text of card

o3, oc T: Search your library for a Merfolk card and put that card into play. Then shuffle your library.

"They can't feel pain. They just wiggle 'cause they're scared."


Cards like Seahunter

In the realm of creature tutoring spells, Seahunter stands out for its unique role in Magic: The Gathering. Its closest relatives in function include cards like Fauna Shaman and Yisan, the Wanderer Bard, both of which offer the ability to search your library for creatures. Where Seahunter shines is in its ability to fetch any creature card at instant speed provided you can pay and tap it, bypassing summoning sickness with its ability’s wording.

On the flip side, Fauna Shaman demands a creature card discard as a cost, adding a selective filtration to its tutor process. Yisan, on another note, is a tad slower, incrementing verse counters which limit the creatures it can fetch based on their converted mana cost. In essence, Seahunter offers a broader, albeit higher costing, creature retrieval right from the depths of your deck.

Diving deeper into comparative analysis, Seahunter can be a key card for water themed decks, granting a strategic advantage due to its less restrictive nature. Although higher in casting cost, its flexibility in the heat of the match can be invaluable, outpacing the structured tutoring constraints of Yisan or the repeated resource requirements of Fauna Shaman.

Fauna Shaman - MTG Card versions
Yisan, the Wanderer Bard - MTG Card versions
Fauna Shaman - MTG Card versions
Yisan, the Wanderer Bard - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Seahunter by color, type and mana cost

Phantasmal Forces - MTG Card versions
Wall of Vapor - MTG Card versions
Tradewind Rider - MTG Card versions
Archivist - MTG Card versions
Thieving Magpie - MTG Card versions
Inga Rune-Eyes - MTG Card versions
Sakashima of a Thousand Faces - MTG Card versions
Laboratory Drudge - MTG Card versions
Johnny, Combo Player - MTG Card versions
Dream Prowler - MTG Card versions
Cytoplast Manipulator - MTG Card versions
Crookclaw Transmuter - MTG Card versions
Turtleshell Changeling - MTG Card versions
Glen Elendra Archmage - MTG Card versions
Fatestitcher - MTG Card versions
Argent Sphinx - MTG Card versions
Lumengrid Drake - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Infuser - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Dragon - MTG Card versions
Havengul Runebinder - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Forces - MTG Card versions
Wall of Vapor - MTG Card versions
Tradewind Rider - MTG Card versions
Archivist - MTG Card versions
Thieving Magpie - MTG Card versions
Inga Rune-Eyes - MTG Card versions
Sakashima of a Thousand Faces - MTG Card versions
Laboratory Drudge - MTG Card versions
Johnny, Combo Player - MTG Card versions
Dream Prowler - MTG Card versions
Cytoplast Manipulator - MTG Card versions
Crookclaw Transmuter - MTG Card versions
Turtleshell Changeling - MTG Card versions
Glen Elendra Archmage - MTG Card versions
Fatestitcher - MTG Card versions
Argent Sphinx - MTG Card versions
Lumengrid Drake - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Infuser - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Dragon - MTG Card versions
Havengul Runebinder - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Seahunter gives you the ability to repeatedly tutor for creature cards without expending additional cards from your hand. This consistent tutoring effect extracts value out of your deck directly onto the battlefield, outpacing your opponents by accumulating card advantage with each activation.

Resource Acceleration: Although Seahunter itself doesn’t provide traditional mana acceleration, it bypasses mana costs of the creatures it puts into play. This allows you to effectively exceed your available mana resources by deploying creatures without paying their mana costs, thereby accelerating your board presence.

Instant Speed: Seahunter’s activated ability can be used at instant speed, offering flexibility and strategic depth to your gameplay. You can wait until the end of your opponent’s turn to summon a creature, preserving the element of surprise and maintaining mana for counterspells or other instant-speed interactions within the turn cycle.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Seahunter necessitates a sacrifice of another creature to activate its ability, which can be a steep price if you’re not positioned to leverage the exchange, or if your board presence is already weak.

Specific Mana Cost: With a specific requirement of two blue mana as part of its casting cost, Seahunter can be restrictive to include in multicolored decks, often necessitating a heavy blue mana base or considerable mana fixing to cast it reliably.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a four mana value, Seahunter’s initial investment before utilizing its ability can be relatively high. This factor can slow down your game plan as you may forgo playing other impactful cards earlier in the game to accommodate this card’s inclusion in your strategy.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Seahunter can seamlessly adapt to various deck strategies, particularly those centered around creature-based synergies. Its ability to tutor for any creature card out of your deck promotes a wide range of tactical plays.

Combo Potential: This card opens doors for numerous combinations with other creatures in your arsenal. Whether you’re pulling out a perfect counter to your opponent’s move or setting up for a game-winning play, Seahunter’s combo potential is a force to be reckoned with.

Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to fetch creatures directly onto the battlefield, Seahunter maintains its relevance in many MTG metagames. Its strength lies in its capacity to adapt and exploit the weaknesses of prevalent decks, making it a timeless addition to your collection.


How to beat Seahunter

Seahunter, a unique creature from the “Nemesis” expansion, holds a place in the hearts of Magic: The Gathering players who favor nautical themes and creature-based strategies. This rare card allows you to search your library for a Mercenary creature and put it directly onto the battlefield. Although this tutor effect seems strong, especially in decks designed to exploit it, defeating Seahunter requires understanding and exploiting its weaknesses.

Disruptive strategies are effective against Seahunter. Since Seahunter needs to survive a turn or utilize haste to activate its ability, creature removal spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can neutralize it before it becomes a threat. Similarly, counter spells are your best defense when your opponent attempts to cast Seahunter. It’s also essential to disrupt the creature synergy it tries to establish, utilizing board wipes or spot removal for key combo pieces. Hand disruption spells, like Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek, can be crucial in removing Seahunter or other synergistic creatures before they are played.

Seahunter demands immediate attention and a strategic plan to disrupt its leveraging ability. With prompt and precise responses, Seahunter’s threat can be mitigated, maintaining the balance of the match in your favor.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the ebb and flow of MTG requires insight into each card’s benefits and challenges. Seahunter remains a potent force, facilitating creature retrieval and crafting the backbone of inventive strategies. As you advance in your MTG journey, reflecting on Seahunter within the context of your overall deck composition is crucial. Understand its synergies, gauge its potential against diverse metagames, and contemplate its fit in your collection. Keen to weave Seahunter into your winning formulas or eager to defend against its strategic tide? Dive deeper with us, where we unravel the intricacies of this cunning card and hoist your gameplay to new horizons.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Seahunter MTG card by a specific set like Nemesis and The List, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Seahunter and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Seahunter Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2000-02-14 and 2000-02-14. Illustrated by Heather Hudson.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12000-02-14NemesisNEM 411997NormalBlackHeather Hudson
22020-09-26The ListPLST NEM-411997NormalBlackHeather Hudson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Seahunter has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Seahunter card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2004-10-04 Because the “search” requires you to find a card with certain characteristics, you don’t have to find the card if you don’t want to.