Huatli's Raptor MTG Card


Huatli's Raptor - War of the Spark
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Dinosaur
Abilities Proliferate, Vigilance
Released2019-05-03
Set symbol
Set nameWar of the Spark
Set codeWAR
Power 2
Toughness 3
Number200
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byRandy Vargas

Key Takeaways

  1. Huatli’s Raptor synergizes with creature-heavy decks, indirectly promoting card advantage and board presence.
  2. The Raptor’s Proliferate ability accelerates resources, enhancing planeswalkers and creatures swiftly.
  3. Its Vigilance and counter manipulation make it a strong early play, impacting the game’s pace significantly.
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.

Text of card

Vigilance When Huatli's Raptor enters the battlefield, proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)

The essence of Ixalan was never far from Huatli's heart.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Huatli’s Raptor itself doesn’t directly draw cards, it does synergize with mechanics that reward you for having more creatures on the battlefield. By bolstering your field presence, it can indirectly lead to more draws with certain cards.

Resource Acceleration: Huatli’s Raptor can accelerate your resources through its Proliferate ability. This allows you to add more counters to permanents you control, potentially ramping up your planeswalkers or growing your creatures to end the game quickly.

Instant Speed: Although not an instant itself, Huatli’s Raptor can capitalize on the instant speed of other spells. Play your instants on the opponent’s turn, then follow up with Huatli’s Raptor for a significant board presence shift and counter manipulation when it’s your turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Huatli’s Raptor doesn’t require you to discard cards, it does demand a creature presence to fully utilize its Proliferate ability. This can be challenging in situations where you’re struggling to maintain a board presence.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost necessitates both green and white mana, which may complicate its inclusion in multicolored decks that might not support such a strict mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring two mana might not seem demanding, but in a meta where efficiency is key, there are alternative creatures or spells that could provide greater immediate impact or value. In aggressive strategies, other two-drops may offer more pressure, while control decks might favor different forms of board stabilization or card advantage.


Reasons to Include Huatli’s Raptor in Your Collection

Versatility: Huatli’s Raptor’s ability to bolster your creatures adds value to a wide variety of decks. Its inexpensive mana cost and the Vigilance trait make it easy to fit into Selesnya tokens or counter-based strategies, enhancing your board state every time it lands.

Combo Potential: This creature’s Proliferate mechanic works wonders with +1/+1 counters, Planeswalker loyalty counters, and other counter-centric themes. It’s the glue that can bring together synergistic parts of a deck for powerful combinations, making it a must-have for decks exploiting these mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: In a gameplay environment that appreciates low-cost, high-impact creatures, Huatli’s Raptor holds its ground. It’s particularly adept at competing against aggro strategies, where maintaining board presence without sacrificing tempo is crucial. It offers a meaningful play as early as turn two, which can significantly influence the pace of the match.


How to beat

Huatli’s Raptor presents a unique challenge on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. Its Vigilance and the ability to bolster itself and others through Proliferate make it a persistent threat. However, overcoming this cunning creature requires strategic play. Efficient removal spells are key, as they can manage the Raptor before it gets out of hand. Cards such as Shock or Fatal Push work well here due to their low mana cost and instant speed, allowing you to respond quickly to its arrival. Additionally, since Huatli’s Raptor shines in counter-heavy decks, consider incorporating cards that negate or remove counters to weaken your opponent’s strategy.

Board wipes also serve as a robust answer, wiping the field clean of the Raptor alongside any other creatures that may have benefited from its Proliferate ability. Cards like Wrath of God or Damnation can reset the playing field, throwing a wrench into your opponent’s plans. Lastly, don’t overlook the importance of counter play. Counterspells can stop Huatli’s Raptor from ever hitting the board, bypassing its potential to support a counter-centric strategy altogether. By prioritizing these methods, you can effectively tackle the challenge that Huatli’s Raptor poses.


BurnMana Recommendations

Unlocking the full potential of Huatli’s Raptor in your MTG deck takes finesse and tactical awareness. Its ability to proliferate adds a dynamic edge to several game plans, from ramping up your planeswalkers’ loyalty to empowering your creature army. To maximize your decks’ efficacy, incorporate cards that mesh well with Huatli’s Raptor’s strengths, like counter-generating spells and creatures that thrive on synergies. Remember, balancing your deck while keeping an eye on the current meta can make all the difference. Dive deeper into strategic deck building and optimize your gameplay with us, enhancing your MTG experience one card at a time. Join us to learn more.


Cards like Huatli's Raptor

Huatli’s Raptor presents itself as a unique creature within the pantheon of MTG’s dino-fueled arsenal. Mirroring cards like Sunscape Familiar, both share the capacity to help you cast spells more efficiently; in Huatli’s Raptor’s case, by proliferating +1/+1 counters. Where the Raptor stands out is its ability to rapidly bolster other creatures on the battlefield, making it a valuable asset for any counter-centric deck.

Comparing it to Exemplar of Strength, we observe similar themes of counter manipulation. However, Exemplar trades the Raptor’s immediate board impact for a self-contained growth mechanism, serving as both a threat and a life-gaining tool. Conversely, Conclave Mentor is another card that enjoys a kinship with Huatli’s Raptor, with its boon of growing creatures but instead, it amplifies the strength of incoming counters rather than adding more.

Wrapping up, Huatli’s Raptor earns its plaudits in decks that crave for synergistic growth via counters. It excels in scenarios where multiple creatures can benefit from its proliferate trigger, making it more than just a creature; it’s a multiplicator of might, pivotal in swiftly escalating the power on your board in MTG.

Sunscape Familiar - MTG Card versions
Exemplar of Strength - MTG Card versions
Conclave Mentor - MTG Card versions
Sunscape Familiar - MTG Card versions
Exemplar of Strength - MTG Card versions
Conclave Mentor - MTG Card versions

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Park Heights Pegasus - MTG Card versions
Bronzehide Lion - MTG Card versions
Shanna, Sisay's Legacy - MTG Card versions
Selesnya Evangel - MTG Card versions
Transluminant - MTG Card versions
Saffi Eriksdotter - MTG Card versions
Medicine Runner - MTG Card versions
Valeron Outlander - MTG Card versions
Steward of Valeron - MTG Card versions
Selesnya Guildmage - MTG Card versions
Knight of the Skyward Eye - MTG Card versions
Knotvine Paladin - MTG Card versions
Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage - MTG Card versions
Voice of Resurgence - MTG Card versions
Fleecemane Lion - MTG Card versions
Victual Sliver - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Huatli's Raptor MTG card by a specific set like War of the Spark, 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 Huatli's Raptor and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Huatli's Raptor has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Huatli's Raptor card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2021-03-19 If a permanent has +1/+1 counters and -1/-1 counters on it, they’re removed in pairs as a state-based action so that the permanent has only one of those kinds of counters on it.
2021-03-19 Players can respond to a spell or ability whose effect includes proliferating. Once that spell or ability starts to resolve, however, and its controller chooses which permanents and players will get new counters, it’s too late for anyone to respond.
2021-03-19 To proliferate, you can choose any permanent that has a counter, including ones controlled by opponents. You can’t choose cards in any zone other than the battlefield, even if they have counters on them.
2021-03-19 You don’t have to choose every permanent or player that has a counter, only the ones you want to add another counter to. Since “any number” includes zero, you don’t have to choose any permanents at all, and you don’t have to choose any players at all.

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