Hell-Bent Raider MTG Card


Hell-Bent Raider - Torment
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Barbarian
Abilities First strike,Haste
Released2002-02-04
Set symbol
Set nameTorment
Set codeTOR
Power 2
Toughness 2
Number101
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byMike Ploog

Key Takeaways

  1. Hell-Bent Raider offers card advantage through strategic discards, keeping your gameplay dynamic.
  2. Its instant-speed impact demands immediate reactions, setting the pace of the match.
  3. The card’s downsides include a specific mana cost and potentially high casting cost.

Text of card

First strike, haste Discard a card at random from your hand: Hell-Bent Raider gains protection from white until end of turn.

He doesn't slow until his spear is weighted with corpses.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Hell-Bent Raider facilitates card draw by enabling you to discard and potentially draw back into the action, keeping your hand refreshed and your options open.

Resource Acceleration: While the Hell-Bent Raider itself doesn’t produce additional mana or treasure, it effectively sifts through your deck at an aggressive pace, allowing you to access your resources more swiftly and keep the pressure up.

Instant Speed: Although Hell-Bent Raider operates at sorcery speed, its impact on the board creates immediate threats that require instant-speed responses from your adversaries, ensuring that your aggressive plays pay off promptly.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Hell-Bent Raider requires a player to discard another card. This is a significant drawback if your hand is already depleted or if the cards you hold are crucial for your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: This card has a mana cost that includes red mana. This requirement can restrict its inclusion in decks, especially those that aren’t focused on red mana or multi-colored setups that have a balanced mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that is on the higher end for its abilities, this card can be less appealing compared to others. Players often look for lower-cost cards that deliver similar or better value to preserve mana for more impactful plays in the game.


Reasons to Include Hell-Bent Raider in Your Collection

Versatility: Hell-Bent Raider offers a robust suite of abilities, making it a solid choice for aggressive and midrange decks alike. Its capacity to discard cards also synergizes well with strategies that gain advantages from the graveyard.

Combo Potential: This card’s discard effect can be leveraged to strategically place key cards into your graveyard, setting the stage for powerful combos with reanimation or flashback abilities.

Meta-Relevance: Considering how prevalent graveyard interaction has become in the current meta, Hell-Bent Raider’s discard ability allows you to stay ahead by filling your graveyard with fuel for later spells or creature abilities.


How to beat

Hell-Bent Raider is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering that can be a real challenge on the battlefield with its first strike and discard abilities. When dealing with this red card, it’s essential to understand its strengths to efficiently navigate around it. One effective method is by using removal spells that can target creatures before they declare attackers, such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile. This pre-emptive strategy will prevent the first strike advantage from coming into play.

Another tactic is to utilize creatures that can block and survive the first strike, like those with high toughness or indestructible abilities. If Hell-Bent Raider’s discard ability becomes a threat, consider using cards with madness or graveyard synergy to turn a potential setback into an advantage for your own strategy. Cards with flash can also be valuable, as they allow you to keep mana open and respond more flexibly during your opponent’s turn.

Ultimately, understanding your deck and having the right answers prepped when Hell-Bent Raider hits the board can swing the game back in your favor. With careful planning and a well-constructed deck, overcoming Hell-Bent Raider is more than possible, it’s expected.


Cards like Hell-Bent Raider

Hell-Bent Raider is an aggressive creature card that brings a distinct dynamic to Magic: The Gathering battlefields. It draws parallels with other red creatures such as Goblin Heelcutter. Both cards hamper the opponent’s defenses, but Hell-Bent Raider takes a unique position with its first strike ability and the choice between gaining haste or the threat of discard with its hellbent mechanic. Goblin Heelcutter, however, temporarily removes a potential blocker without offering these additional choices.

Comparing with Alesha, Who Smiles at Death, another aggressive creature, we see a contrast in utility. Alesha can reanimate smaller creatures from the graveyard, thus potentially offering more long-term value. In contrast, Hell-Bent Raider provides immediate pressure and demands an answer from the opponent due to its on-board threats. Then there’s Keldon Marauders, which guarantees damage through its vanishing ability but lacks the sustain or the control over combat that Hell-Bent Raider provides.

Each of these creatures offers something unique for players looking to employ a red-centric, aggressive strategy in their games. Hell-Bent Raider stands out with its dual nature, providing flexibility and tactical advantages that can be crucial during the heat of battle.

Goblin Heelcutter - MTG Card versions
Alesha, Who Smiles at Death - MTG Card versions
Keldon Marauders - MTG Card versions
Goblin Heelcutter - Fate Reforged (FRF)
Alesha, Who Smiles at Death - Fate Reforged Promos (PFRF)
Keldon Marauders - Planar Chaos (PLC)

Cards similar to Hell-Bent Raider by color, type and mana cost

Dwarven Warriors - MTG Card versions
Raging Bull - MTG Card versions
Wall of Lava - MTG Card versions
Brassclaw Orcs - MTG Card versions
Sabretooth Tiger - MTG Card versions
Imperial Recruiter - MTG Card versions
Uthden Troll - MTG Card versions
Hobgoblin Bandit Lord - MTG Card versions
Goblin Rabblemaster - MTG Card versions
Nosy Goblin - MTG Card versions
Goblin Sky Raider - MTG Card versions
Skirk Commando - MTG Card versions
Cosmic Larva - MTG Card versions
Mannichi, the Fevered Dream - MTG Card versions
Cunning Bandit // Azamuki, Treachery Incarnate - MTG Card versions
Ghost-Lit Raider - MTG Card versions
Goblin Chariot - MTG Card versions
Balduvian Barbarians - MTG Card versions
Shinen of Fury's Fire - MTG Card versions
Basalt Gargoyle - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Warriors - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Raging Bull - Legends (LEG)
Wall of Lava - Ice Age (ICE)
Brassclaw Orcs - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Sabretooth Tiger - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Imperial Recruiter - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Uthden Troll - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Hobgoblin Bandit Lord - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos (PAFR)
Goblin Rabblemaster - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Nosy Goblin - Onslaught (ONS)
Goblin Sky Raider - Onslaught (ONS)
Skirk Commando - Archenemy (ARC)
Cosmic Larva - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Mannichi, the Fevered Dream - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Cunning Bandit // Azamuki, Treachery Incarnate - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Ghost-Lit Raider - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Goblin Chariot - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Balduvian Barbarians - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Shinen of Fury's Fire - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Basalt Gargoyle - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hell-Bent Raider MTG card by a specific set like Torment, 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 Hell-Bent Raider and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hell-Bent Raider has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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