Siren Reaver MTG Card

Card advantage is enhanced by the potential to draw more options, keeping opponents under constant pressure. Siren Reaver’s Raid mechanic promotes an aggressive playstyle, rewarding players for attacking with cost reduction. Despite its high mana cost, Siren Reaver’s mid-game power spike can be pivotal in tempo strategies.
Siren Reaver - Rivals of Ixalan
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Siren Pirate
Abilities Flying,Raid
Released2018-01-19
Set symbol
Set nameRivals of Ixalan
Set codeRIX
Power 3
Toughness 2
Number54
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byTomasz Jedruszek

Text of card

Raid — Siren Reaver costs less to cast if you attacked with a creature this turn. Flying

"Prepare to be boarded."

Understanding Siren Reaver’s Place in MTG

Within the realm of MTG, creatures like Siren Reaver bring a unique blend of abilities to the blue tempo decks. A creature card like Storm Fleet Aerialist presents a baseline with which to compare. While the Aerialist can potentially come down as a 2/3 flyer thanks to its Raid ability, Siren Reaver offers a larger body at 3/2 under the same condition. What delimits Siren Reaver is the need for an attack earlier in the turn for a reduced casting cost, providing both challenge and opportunity to players.

Cards like Siren Reaver

Siren Reaver has contemporaries such as Warkite Marauder which, although less powerful with a 2/1 body, carries a formidable ability to neutralize a potential blocker each combat. This utility may make it preferable in certain strategic situations. Then there’s Tempest Djinn, which demands a deck heavy in Islands but can grow to overwhelming power levels. Where Siren Reaver excels is in its balance between affordability and impact, flying in as a significant threat in the air quickly if the Raid has been triggered. It lacks the nuanced utility of some of its counterparts but compensates with straightforward offensive potential.

Storm Fleet Aerialist - MTG Card versions
Warkite Marauder - MTG Card versions
Tempest Djinn - MTG Card versions
Storm Fleet Aerialist - MTG Card versions
Warkite Marauder - MTG Card versions
Tempest Djinn - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Siren Reaver, you can potentially draw into more options or threats, enhancing hand quality and keeping pressure on your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: Although Siren Reaver itself doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration, casting it for its Raid cost effectively saves mana, letting you deploy more spells in a turn.

Instant Speed: While Siren Reaver cannot be cast at instant speed, its Raid mechanic allows you to play it at a reduced cost after having attacked, incentivizing an aggressive strategy that can disrupt your opponent’s plays.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Siren Reaver requires players to discard a card if the Raid condition hasn’t been met. This can put you at a disadvantage when trying to maintain card advantage or if you are relying on specific cards for your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: The Siren Reaver demands both blue and generic mana to be played. Decks that don’t generate blue mana efficiently or those looking for flexible mana costs may find it restrictive.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For the power and abilities it offers, Siren Reaver’s mana cost may be on the higher end when compared to other cards in its category. Savvy players often seek out more cost-effective creatures to maximize their mana usage each turn.

Reasons to Include Siren Reaver in Your Collection

Versatility: Siren Reaver can easily adapt to various blue-centric deck archetypes, particularly those that synergize with flying creatures or need an additional push in the mid-game. Its potential to serve as both an aggressive threat and a resilient blocker makes it a flexible addition.

Combo Potential: With its Raid ability, this card encourages a combat-focused approach, potentially unlocking combinations with cards that benefit from attacking or playing second spells each turn. It’s a strategic piece in decks looking to maximize the Raid mechanic.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where early board presence is crucial, Siren Reaver can provide a timely power spike. As it can land on the board earlier with its alternative casting cost, it aligns well with tempo strategies prevalent in certain metas.

How to beat Siren Reaver

Siren Reaver can be a challenging adversary on the battlefield due to its agility and efficiency in the right deck. This blue creature, hailing from the Rivals of Ixalan set, requires a deft approach to handle its aggressive resource cost reductions. When strategizing to counter this card, take into account its flying ability, which makes it elusive to ground-based defenses.

To effectively neutralize Siren Reaver, consider using removal spells that can target creatures in the air. Direct damage spells or those that don’t specify “non-flying” are particularly useful, such as Fatal Push or Cast Down. Alternatively, reach creatures or those with flying themselves can serve as a defense, blocking Siren Reaver and thereby negating its offensive capabilities.

Another avenue is to focus on keeping the opponent’s board clear of other attacking pirates. Siren Reaver costs less mana if you’ve attacked with a creature this turn, so disrupting early plays and maintaining control over the tempo of the game can be crucial. Balance your removal and counterspells to prevent Siren Reaver from storming into play at a reduced cost and taking control of the game’s rhythm.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Siren Reaver MTG card by a specific set like Rivals of Ixalan, 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 Siren Reaver and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Siren Reaver has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2018-01-19 Raid abilities care only that you attacked with a creature. It doesn’t matter how many creatures you attacked with, or which opponent or planeswalker controlled by an opponent those creatures attacked.
2018-01-19 Raid abilities evaluate the entire turn to see if you attacked with a creature. That creature doesn’t have to still be on the battlefield. Similarly, the player or planeswalker it attacked doesn’t have to still be in the game or on the battlefield, respectively.