The Harvester MTG Card

Rarity	Common
Type	Hero
Released	2013-09-27
Set symbol
Set name	Theros Hero's Path
Set code	THP1
Number	2
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Chuck Lukacs

Key Takeaways

Recovers key cards from the graveyard, enabling repeated usage and potential game swings.
Instant speed activation of The Harvester creates strategic flexibility and surprise tactics.
The Harvester demands careful hand management to maximize its game-changing abilities.

Text of card

: Draw a card, then discard a card.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Harvester enables you to retrieve a key card from your graveyard, giving you the opportunity to reutilize influential spells or creatures, potentially tipping the scales back in your favor during a match.

Resource Acceleration: By converting creatures into additional mana at instant speed, The Harvester can ramp up your resource pool, allowing for powerful plays earlier in the game than usual, or providing the necessary mana for a critical spell at a pivotal moment.

Instant Speed: The ability to activate The Harvester’s effects at instant speed offers significant strategic depth. This flexibility means you can adapt to in-game situations more fluidly and make decisions that could disrupt your opponent’s strategies during their turn, keeping them on their toes.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Harvester demands a card sacrifice for activation, diminishing your hand and potentially causing a strategic setback if your options are already limited.

Specific Mana Cost: It siphons a set mana combination to summon, which can clash with the fluid mana requirements of various deck architectures, possibly hindering deck versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a substantial mana investment needed to bring The Harvester into play, players may find themselves at a tempo loss, as other cards could provide similar or greater value at a lower cost.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Harvester offers flexibility for decks looking to control the field through life gain or creature sacrifice mechanics, making it a fitting choice for a variety of strategies.

Combo Potential: With its ability to gain life and influence the board, The Harvester sets the stage for powerful combos, especially in decks focused on life manipulation, or where sacrificing creatures can trigger key effects.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where creature-based strategies are prevalent, The Harvester becomes an essential tool, providing a recurring advantage that can dominate over time, especially in longer, grindy matchups.

How to beat

The Harvester presents a unique challenge on the battlefield and understanding its strengths and weaknesses is key to overcoming it in Magic: The Gathering. Notably, The Harvester’s abilities can provide its controller with a substantial advantage, making it essential to implement effective strategies against it. One effective method is to use removal spells before The Harvester’s lifelink ability can be activated. Cards like Murder or Path to Exile can swiftly eliminate it from play, negating its potential gains.

Furthermore, since The Harvester may sometimes rely on equipment or auras to enhance its power, consider employing artifact or enchantment removal options. Naturalize or Disenchant are excellent choices, offering you a way to dismantle the components that make The Harvester a formidable threat. These spells’ low mana cost also ensures that you can keep up the pace of the game without falling behind.

In summary, the key to beating The Harvester lies in prompt removal and disrupting synergy based strategies. By carefully planning your removal suite to address The Harvester and its supporting cards, you can maintain control of the game and diminish the threat it poses.

Cards like The Harvester

The Harvester has garnered attention amongst MTG aficionados, inviting comparisons with other life gain and creature deterrent spells. Its ability to thwart an opponent’s attack by granting you life points shadows that of Sun Droplet, another card that is savored for its life-giving prowess. However, The Harvester stands out by providing an immediate life boost rather than Sun Droplet’s incremental gains.

Examining further, Alabaster Potion offers a resemblance with its flexibility in choosing between life gain or damaging creatures. Both choices hinge on the amount of mana invested. Unlike The Harvester, Alabaster Potion lacks the creature-tapping facet, focusing solely on the lifeline aspect. Conversely, The Harvester presents a dual function, blocking creature onslaught while simultaneously reinforcing your life total.

Finally, The Harvester’s similarity with Riot Control is noteworthy. Riot Control not only provides a significant life increase but also prevents all damage that would be dealt to you during a turn. While lacking direct creature interaction, it’s an umbrella of protection contributing to your defense strategy. In essence, The Harvester is a valued addition that competently amalgamates creature control with life gain, staking its claim in the MTG card hierarchy.

Cards similar to The Harvester by color, type and mana cost

Axe of the Warmonger - MTG Card versions

Spear of the General - MTG Card versions

Cloak of the Philosopher - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase The Harvester MTG card by a specific set like Theros Hero's Path, 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 The Harvester and other MTG cards:

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