Trusty Packbeast MTG Card
2018-07-13 - Number 41
2020-11-20 - Number 53
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Beast |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
When Trusty Packbeast enters the battlefield, return target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand.
"Margaret has traveled with me to the end of the world and back." —Hewen Frit, merchant
Cards like Trusty Packbeast
Trusty Packbeast is a utility creature that has a straightforward yet valuable role in Magic: The Gathering decks, often being compared to cards like Salvager of Ruin or Auramancer. The Packbeast stands out by targeting artifacts, allowing players to retrieve key pieces from the graveyard to the hand. Salvager of Ruin, with a similar cost, focuses on safeguarding permanents that were on the field, offering a second chance to crucial components of your strategy.
Another card to consider is Auramancer, which is a creature that particularly retrieves enchantments instead of artifacts, making it a more specialized choice depending on one’s deck composition. While Trusty Packbeast’s broader artifact retrieval aspect allows for a wide range of utility in a deck, Auramancer’s targeted enchantment recovery could be more impactful in an enchantment-heavy deck. Treasure Hunter also falls in a similar category, albeit with a higher mana cost, it still provides artifact retrieval which is an essential tactical advantage for artifact-centric decks.
In essence, Trusty Packbeast brings a balanced blend of cost, versatility, and utility to the table, making it a reliable choice for many MTG players seeking to optimize artifact play strategies.
Cards similar to Trusty Packbeast by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Trusty Packbeast may not directly allow you to draw cards, but it definitely plays into card advantage. Its ability to return an artifact card from your graveyard to your hand ensures that you can reclaim key pieces of your strategy, effectively increasing the cards at your disposal without drawing.
Resource Acceleration: In decks that focus on artifacts, Trusty Packbeast serves as a form of resource acceleration. By recovering an artifact from your graveyard, you’re essentially tapping into an additional resource that can contribute to your board state and mana efficiency.
Instant Speed: While Trusty Packbeast itself isn’t an instant, it fits well into strategies that capitalize on playing at instant speed. It allows you to recoup value during your turn after holding up mana for instant-speed interactions, ensuring that you make the most of your resources each round.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: With Trusty Packbeast on the board, you are tasked with the deliberate choice of discarding another permanent card from your hand. This action can set you back, particularly if your current hand offers no spare artifacts or enchantments, or if those in your grip are essential for your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: Trusty Packbeast demands a precise two white mana alongside one other mana to be cast, which may not pose an issue in mono-white or two-color decks but could be a hurdle in more color-diverse or mana-restricted builds, thereby potentially affecting its inclusion in certain deck lists.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its ability to bring back an artifact or enchantment, Trusty Packbeast’s casting cost sits at three mana. When evaluating its place in your deck, consider the plethora of lower-cost creatures that can offer similar or more impactful effects, which could lead to the Trusty Packbeast being overlooked in favor of more mana-efficient options.
Reasons to Include Trusty Packbeast in Your Collection
Versatility: Trusty Packbeast serves as an excellent addition to various deck types, aiding in the retrieval of key artifacts from your graveyard. This capability allows for strategic replay of impactful cards that strengthen your board presence throughout the game.
Combo Potential: This card’s ability opens up combo possibilities, enabling recurring use of artifacts that may have powerful entrance effects or synergize well with other mechanics in your deck, enhancing your gameplay through continuous interactions.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment that’s rich with artifact strategies or prone to destroying your important artifact assets, Trusty Packbeast helps maintain your competitive edge by bringing these crucial pieces back into play, keeping you relevant in a shifting meta.
How to beat Trusty Packbeast
Trusty Packbeast embodies utility in Magic: The Gathering, allowing players to return artifacts from their graveyard to their hand when it enters the battlefield. Despite this advantage, overcoming this creature is attainable through strategic removal. Consider employing instant-speed removal spells to diminish your opponent’s ability to utilize the Packbeast’s ability effectively.
Applying graveyard hate spells like Grafdigger’s Cage can also render the Packbeast’s ability obsolete by preventing players from recovering artifacts from the graveyard. Board wipes are another solution, clearing the battlefield before the Packbeast can be used to its full potential. Keeping removal in hand for essential plays and denying graveyard access as a resource limits the Packbeast’s impact, making it manageable within the game’s broader strategy.
Ultimately, having a plan to address creatures like Trusty Packbeast is crucial. Whether it’s disrupting graveyard strategies or being preemptive with removal, maintaining control over the battlefield will weaken the impact of Trusty Packbeast and keep you one step ahead in the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Trusty Packbeast MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2019 and Commander Legends, 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 Trusty Packbeast 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Trusty Packbeast Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-07-13 and 2020-11-20. Illustrated by John Stanko.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-07-13 | Core Set 2019 | M19 | 41 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Stanko | |
| 2 | 2020-11-20 | Commander Legends | CMR | 53 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Stanko |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Trusty Packbeast has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |