Thrull Retainer MTG Card
1994-11-01 - Number 45
1997-03-24 - Number 198
2007-09-10 - Number 84
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
Text of card
Target creature gets +1/+1. Sacrifice Thrull Retainer to regenerate the creature it enchants.
"Until the Rebellion, Thrulls served their masters faithfully—even at the cost of their own lives." —*Sarpadian Empires, vol. II*
Cards like Thrull Retainer
In the vast pool of Magic: The Gathering enchantment cards, Thrull Retainer offers a unique proposition. It shares some thematic similarities with cards like Kaya’s Ghostform which also focuses on creature protection. Thrull Retainer allows you to reanimate a key creature once it hits the graveyard by sacrificing Thrull Retainer, much like Kaya’s Ghostform brings the creature back to the battlefield when it dies. However, Thrull Retainer requires an additional mana to activate and is limited to regenerate black creatures.
Certain parallels can be drawn between Thrull Retainer and Supernatural Stamina. Both serve the purpose of creature recursion, but Supernatural Stamina gives the creature not only an opportunity to return to play but also a temporary power boost upon its revival. While Thrull Retainer maintains a persistent presence on the field, awaiting the opportune moment to be used, Supernatural Stamina is a single-use instant, requiring more precise timing.
Assessing the nuances and strategic potential of similar cards, Thrull Retainer emerges as a specialized tool. It’s particularly useful in black-creature-heavy decks that benefit from recurring high-value targets, ensuring a critical piece remains in play to drive your strategy forward.
Cards similar to Thrull Retainer by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Thrull Retainer can be a key piece in strategies aimed at recurring powerful creatures from the graveyard. By ensuring that key creatures can be brought back repeatedly, a player can maintain a continuous presence on the battlefield, often leading to sustained card advantage over an opponent.
Resource Acceleration: Although not providing direct mana acceleration, Thrull Retainer can indirectly contribute by effectively reducing the cost of keeping impactful creatures in play. This can free up mana each turn, which can be utilized for other spells and abilities, thereby optimizing resource use.
Instant Speed: Thrull Retainer operates at sorcery speed, but its utility comes from the strategy it enables rather than the speed of play. While not itself an instant, it can lead to strategic advantages when paired with creatures that have effects at instant speed or when it unexpectedly brings back creatures that affect the board at critical moments.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Thrull Retainer requires sacrificing a creature to activate its ability, which might set you back in terms of board presence. This cost becomes a considerable downside when you’re trying to maintain creature advantage on the battlefield.
Specific Mana Cost: The activation cost of Thrull Retainer demands black mana, making it less flexible for multi-colored decks that might not always have black mana readily available, thereby restricting its inclusion to certain archetypes, primarily those with a heavy black mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an ability that provides a potentially powerful effect, the card itself has a mana cost that could be deemed high when compared to other cards with similar functionalities. The need to invest mana in both casting Thrull Retainer and using its ability might prove too costly, especially in the fast-paced and resource-conscious games that define current metagames.
Reasons to Include Thrull Retainer in Your Collection
Versatility: Thrull Retainer offers flexible utility across a variety of deck builds. Its ability to regenerate target Thrull ensures that your key creatures remain a constant threat on the board. This card is particularly useful in decks that focus on creature longevity and attrition strategies.
Combo Potential: As an enabler for sacrificial strategies, Thrull Retainer synergizes well with effects that trigger upon a creature’s death. This can be instrumental in setting up powerful combos, particularly in decks that exploit such synergies for game-winning advantages.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based decks dominate, Thrull Retainer can maintain a prominent position. Its capacity to protect vital creatures from being removed makes it a valued asset, especially in metas where board control is crucial to victory.
How to beat
Overcoming Thrull Retainer as an enchantment on the battlefield requires understanding its unique mechanics within the Magic: The Gathering universe. This card can be challenging because it allows the resurrection of creatures from the graveyard at a minimal cost. To effectively counteract this ability, players should focus on strategies that remove or disable enchantments. Cards like Disenchant or Naturalize offer quick solutions to halt its effect. Planning a preemptive disruption with counterspells such as Negate when Thrull Retainer is cast can save a great deal of trouble.
Another angle is to manage the graveyard itself. Tools like Rest in Peace or Relic of Progenitus prevent the use of any graveyard-based strategy, turning Thrull Retainer into a useless addition to the battlefield. It’s beneficial to tackle cards like Thrull Retainer indirectly by undercutting the gameplan it supports rather than facing the resurrected creatures head-on. Additionally, players can leverage sacrifice effects to force their opponent to make difficult decisions about which creatures to save with Thrull Retainer, potentially creating an advantageous board state for themselves.
While Thrull Retainer might seem daunting, these methods highlight that it can be managed with proactive and reactive measures. Understanding how to respond to enchantment-based strategies enhances your MTG experience and increases your chance of coming out on top against cards like Thrull Retainer.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Thrull Retainer MTG card by a specific set like Fallen Empires and Fifth Edition, 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 Thrull Retainer and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Thrull Retainer Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1994-11-01 and 2007-09-10. Illustrated by Ron Spencer.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994-11-01 | Fallen Empires | FEM | 45 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Ron Spencer | |
| 2 | 1997-03-24 | Fifth Edition | 5ED | 198 | 1997 | Normal | White | Ron Spencer | |
| 3 | 2007-09-10 | Masters Edition | ME1 | 84 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Ron Spencer |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Thrull Retainer has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Thrull Retainer 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 | This leaves the battlefield when you activate its activated ability, but the enchanted creature won’t be regenerated until the ability resolves. In the intervening time, the creature will no longer have the bonus that this had been giving it. This may cause the creature to be destroyed before the regeneration shield is created. |