Tireless Hauler // Dire-Strain Brawler MTG Card


The card’s dual form provides adaptability, functioning as both an attrition asset and an offensive threat. Instant transformation and ward ability make it a disruptive force during the dynamic day-night cycle. However, specific mana requirements and discard cost can pose challenges in resource management.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Werewolf
Abilities Daybound, Vigilance
Power 4
Toughness 5

Text of card

Vigilance Daybound (If a player casts no spells during their own turn, it becomes night next turn.)


Cards like Tireless Hauler // Dire-Strain Brawler

In considering the broad spectrum of creatures within MTG, Tireless Hauler // Dire-Strain Brawler holds an intriguing position. This creature mirrors the flexibility found in werewolf archetypes such as Grizzled Outcasts // Krallenhorde Wantons. While Tireless Hauler shares the transformative ability inherent in werewolves, it brings the draw of being a workhorse both in its base state and when it flips into Dire-Strain Brawler, especially for decks that capitalize on permanents flipping.

Moreover, the Brawler side offers a formidable combination of trample and ward, providing both offensive power and defensive resilience. This is somewhat akin to the likes of Afflicted Deserter // Werewolf Ransacker, though Tireless Hauler // Dire-Strain Brawler doesn’t directly impact artifacts. The comparison extends to Breakneck Rider // Neck Breaker, which also flips to offer an aggressive advantage, but does not offer protection like ward, making the Hauler/Brawler a more durable option in combat.

Deciphering the dynamics and value of various creature cards in MTG reveals that Tireless Hauler // Dire-Strain Brawler carves out a niche with its ability to toggle between a solid blocker and an aggressive threat, a duality that is hard to match in similar cost categories, thereby enhancing its appeal in gameplay.

Grizzled Outcasts // Krallenhorde Wantons - MTG Card versions
Afflicted Deserter // Werewolf Ransacker - MTG Card versions
Breakneck Rider // Neck Breaker - MTG Card versions
Grizzled Outcasts // Krallenhorde Wantons - MTG Card versions
Afflicted Deserter // Werewolf Ransacker - MTG Card versions
Breakneck Rider // Neck Breaker - MTG Card versions

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Cockatrice - MTG Card versions
Ironroot Treefolk - MTG Card versions
Elvish Bard - MTG Card versions
Durkwood Boars - MTG Card versions
Elven Riders - MTG Card versions
Redwood Treefolk - MTG Card versions
Spined Wurm - MTG Card versions
Rabid Wolverines - MTG Card versions
Deadly Insect - MTG Card versions
Vintara Elephant - MTG Card versions
Crashing Boars - MTG Card versions
Kavu Chameleon - MTG Card versions
Spring-Leaf Avenger - MTG Card versions
Okina Nightwatch - MTG Card versions
Consuming Blob - MTG Card versions
Primeval Force - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Tireless Hauler // Dire-Strain Brawler, you’re looking at a flip card that provides a dual benefit. In its Dire-Strain Brawler form, this card becomes a creature with ward—pay 3 life, deterring opponents from targeting it and potentially granting you a sustained board presence, which translates into ongoing advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Upon transforming into Tireless Hauler, you get a massive creature that can be a significant threat to your opponent. Although this card itself does not directly provide resource acceleration, its sheer presence can accelerate your game plan by having a formidable creature on the board that can pressure your opponent’s resources and demand answers.

Instant Speed: This MTG card transforms at instant speed once night becomes day or vice versa, allowing you to adapt to shifting game states flexibly. Instant-speed transformation can catch an opponent off guard, possibly swinging the momentum in your favor. The daytime/nighttime system in MTG can also be manipulated to ensure your Dire-Strain Brawler becomes a Tireless Hauler right when the situation becomes most advantageous for you.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To transform Tireless Hauler into Dire-Strain Brawler, you must discard a card. This mandatory requirement could be taxing when your hand is already running low, potentially stripping away your strategic options.

Specific Mana Cost: To cast Tireless Hauler, you need to have one green and one white mana available. This dual mana cost can sometimes be a barrier, especially early in the game or in multicolored decks struggling for the right mana fix.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana including two specific colors, Tireless Hauler might lag behind in terms of tempo against decks that put pressure on the board with lower-cost creatures or spells offering immediate value for less investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Tireless Hauler // Dire-Strain Brawler offers a dynamic presence on the battlefield that seamlessly adapts to varying game conditions. Once night falls, this werewolf transforms into a formidable force, making it a dual-threat in your deck lineup.

Combo Potential: In its Dire-Strain Brawler form, this card synergizes well with strategies that capitalize on high-power creatures. It can also work in tandem with effects that trigger upon attacking, fostering a variety of combo opportunities and board advantages.

Meta-Relevance: Given its robustness in creature-heavy and aggressive match-ups, the Tireless Hauler // Dire-Strain Brawler holds its ground in the current meta. It’s particularly adept at out-powering opponents in limited formats or in standard play where transforming creatures are key.


How to beat

Tireless Hauler // Dire-Strain Brawler is a versatile creature card that can prove difficult to handle in Magic: The Gathering. As a werewolf, it brings dual utility with its daybound and nightbound abilities, adding a layer of complexity to the game. In its Tireless Hauler form, it’s a capable blocker that transforms into an aggressive Dire-Strain Brawler under the nightbound condition, complete with trample to push through damage. To effectively counter this card, controlling the day and night cycle is crucial; ensuring it remains day will keep the creature in its less threatening Tireless Hauler state.

Removal spells are particularly effective against this dual-natured threat. Quick and efficient options like Murder or Path to Exile can dispatch Tireless Hauler before it flips or remove Dire-Strain Brawler immediately upon its transformation. Ensnaring spells or abilities that prevent creatures from attacking, such as Pacifism or Claustrophobia, can also mitigate the risks it poses. Utilizing your own creatures with abilities such as first strike or deathtouch can serve as potent deterrents, maintaining board control and ensuring this formidable werewolf doesn’t take a bite out of your game plan.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tireless Hauler // Dire-Strain Brawler MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, 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 Tireless Hauler // Dire-Strain Brawler and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Tireless Hauler // Dire-Strain Brawler Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-09-24 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight HuntMID 3052015TransformBlackSteve Ellis
22021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight HuntMID 2032015TransformBlackForrest Imel
32022-01-28Innistrad: Double FeatureDBL 2032015TransformBlackForrest Imel

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Tireless Hauler // Dire-Strain Brawler has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Tireless Hauler // Dire-Strain Brawler card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2021-09-24 Before a player untaps their permanents during the untap step, the game checks to see if the day/night designation should change.
2021-09-24 Day and night are designations that the game itself can have. The game starts as neither. Once the game becomes day (or less commonly, night), the game will be exactly one of them—day or night—going back and forth for the rest of the game.
2021-09-24 Double-faced permanents with daybound transform to their nightbound faces as it becomes night. Similarly, double-faced permanents with nightbound transform to their daybound faces as it becomes day. This happens immediately and is not a state-based action. It happens any time it becomes day or night, not just during the untap step.
2021-09-24 For more information about Day and Night and the Daybound and Nightbound abilities, please see the Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Mechanics atricle (https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/innistrad-midnight-hunt-mechanics-2021-09-02).
2021-09-24 If it is day, and the active player of the previous turn cast no spells during their turn, it becomes night.
2021-09-24 If it is night, and the active player of the previous turn cast two or more spells during their turn, it becomes day.
2021-09-24 If it is night, permanents with daybound that enter the battlefield without being cast will enter with their nightbound faces up.
2021-09-24 If it's neither day nor night, and a creature with daybound and a creature with nightbound somehow appear on the battlefield at the same time, it becomes day. The creature with nightbound will transform.
2021-09-24 If you cast a spell with daybound during night, that spell will be front face up (that is, daybound face up) on the stack. However, it will enter the battlefield with its back face up (that is, with its nightbound face up). It won't enter with its daybound face up and then transform.
2021-09-24 Permanents with daybound and nightbound can't transform via any means other than their daybound and nightbound abilities. Notably, older cards such as Moonmist that instruct a player to transform permanents don't affect permanents with daybound or nightbound.
Vigilance card art

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.