Double Header MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Drake
Abilities	Flying
Released	2004-11-19
Set symbol
Set name	Unhinged
Set code	UNH
Power	2
Toughness	3
Number	31
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Silver
Illustred by	Richard Sardinha
Un-set :-)	This card is part of an Un-set

Key Takeaways

Double Header grants card advantage and mana acceleration, enhancing strategic depth and pacing in games.
Its instant speed capability allows for tactical surprises, albeit paired with a specific mana cost and discard requisite.
The card’s dual bounce effect makes it a formidable force against creature-heavy opponents and a worthy collection addition.

Text of card

Flying When Double Header comes into play, you may return target permanent with a two-word name to its owner's hand.

Players that don't read flavor text aren't too bright, sorta smell, and dress funny. But let's just keep this between us, okay? They can get kind of violent.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Double Header card enables drawing an additional card upon entering the battlefield, offering an edge by increasing the number of options in your hand.

Resource Acceleration: This card excels in ramping up your mana resources, providing dual land untapping which is key for playing high-cost spells sooner than expected.

Instant Speed: With the capability to be played at instant speed, Double Header can be utilized tactically, allowing for surprise plays and keeping your strategy flexible in response to opponent actions.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside of the Double Header card is the mandatory discard action it imposes on players. Having to discard a card can be a strategic setback, particularly when your hand is already dwindling and every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Double Header comes with a precise investment of mana, which includes not just one but two colors. This requirement can potentially restrict the card’s integration into decks that run on a more diverse or contrasting mana base, leading to potential difficulties in casting it on time.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its cost set higher than some might expect, Double Header faces stiff competition from a suite of other options. Players might find themselves choosing between this card and others that offer similar or greater impacts on the game at a lower mana expenditure, making the choice of including Double Header in a deck a ponderous one.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Double Header adds a flexible edge to your deck, capable of being played in scenarios requiring bounce effects or needing to thwart an opponent’s board presence.

Combo Potential: With the ability to return two target creatures to their owner’s hand, this card synergizes well with strategies that capitalize on casting creatures multiple times or benefit from opponents replaying their creatures.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves and creature-heavy decks become prevalent, Double Header’s tactical advantage can disrupt opponents’ tempo and is a solid inclusion for keeping up with the current competitive environment.

How to beat

The Double Header card brings a unique twist to the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering, challenging players with its ability to return to a player’s hand when it dies. What sets it apart is its Echo ability, which demands payment of its casting cost again at the beginning of your next upkeep. Strategies to best this peculiar creature hinge on preventing its return to the hand. One approach is to exile it from the game completely, bypassing the graveyard and its bounce-back ability. Cards like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares are perfect tools for this job, cleanly removing Double Header from play without triggering its Echo.

Another effective method is to employ counter spells to prevent Double Header from being played in the first place. By keeping up mana for counters like Counterspell or Mana Leak, you ensure that the creature never takes effect on the board. Alternatively, you could use instant speed removal in response to the Echo trigger, forcing the opponent to either pay the cost or let Double Header go to the graveyard from the stack. This ensures that your opponent’s resources are drained without the benefit of getting their creature back.

Mastering the timing of these strategies is key to overcoming the recursive nature of Double Header, keeping control of the game’s pace and preventing your opponent from gaining a foothold.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Double Header MTG card by a specific set like Unhinged, 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 Double Header and other MTG cards: