Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Vampire Rogue
Abilities Deathtouch,Flying,Haste
Power 4
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Zagras offers card advantage by removing creatures without using extra cards, due to its effective deathtouch ability.
  2. Resource smart, Zagras’ mana cost lowers with more creatures, permitting early high-impact play.
  3. Zagras’ given deathtouch to creatures turns them into instant-speed removal tools, changing the game flow.

Text of card

This spell costs less to cast for each creature in your party. Flying, deathtouch, haste Other creatures you control have deathtouch. Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a planeswalker, destroy that planeswalker.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats on board, players can significantly tip the scales in their favor. This powerful card gives you an advantage by potentially removing opponents’ creatures without having to expend additional cards from your hand, thanks to its deathtouch ability, which pairs nicely with other creatures you control.

Resource Acceleration: Zagras offers a unique form of resource acceleration. Its casting cost can be reduced for each creature in your party, allowing you to deploy this impactful threat much earlier than its six-mana cost would suggest. This effectively speeds up your game plan by putting a high-value creature into play without exhausting your mana resources.

Instant Speed: Although Zagras itself does not operate at instant speed, its ability to give your other creatures deathtouch can create instant-speed interactions. Any creature you control with a tap ability that deals damage becomes a potential instant removal tool, decisively altering the board state to your favor during any phase of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats, a key condition is the party mechanic which requires a varied squad of creatures on the battlefield to discount the mana cost. If you’re unable to maintain a diverse lineup, you may end up paying more than initially planned, reducing your tactical flexibility.

Specific Mana Cost: Zagras demands a precise blend of colored mana, specifically Black and Red. This dual demand can complicate your mana base, particularly in a deck that strays beyond two colors. Striking the right balance can be challenging and may impact the consistency of your plays.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At an original casting cost of six mana, Zagras, even with cost reductions through the party mechanic, can still be deemed expensive. In faster-paced games where efficiency is vital, this could lead to him being a less favorable option when speed is of the essence. Other creatures or spells might provide comparable benefits without such a steep investment, making them potentially more versatile in a wider array of deck strategies.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats, offers adaptability across numerous deck archetypes because of its ability to grant your other creatures deathtouch. This makes it a valuable asset in decks that emphasize controlling the board and ensuring your creatures can be a constant threat, no matter their size.

Combo Potential: With Zagras in play, any form of ping or damage dealt by your creatures can become a removal tool, creating synergies with cards that deal damage across the board. This opens up combo opportunities that can dismantle your opponent’s strategies efficiently.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that is creature-heavy, Zagras can significantly shift the tide of battle in your favor. By potentially turning every creature you control into a lethal threat, it can alter the way opponents have to play and deal with your threats on the board.


How to beat

Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats poses a unique challenge on the battlefield with its ability to give your creatures deathtatouch, making it a pivotal asset in MTG. This dastardly rogue also comes with the added boon of reducing its casting cost for every creature in your party, allowing for an aggressive playstyle. To tackle Zagras effectively, one must disrupt this synergistic mechanic. This can be done by controlling the number of creatures on the board with removal spells or board wipe effects, thwarting the potential for a discounted Zagras.

Moreover, with flying and haste, Zagras can catch unprepared players off guard. Ensuring you have instant-speed removal or creatures with reach can prevent Zagras from dealing its treacherous blows. Counterspells are also highly effective, as they can stop this thief in its tracks before it ever touches the battlefield. Lastly, minimizing the impact of its party mechanic by strategically picking off key creatures can diminish Zagras’s influence, making it more manageable to handle during the course of the game.

In essence, the key to besting Zagras hinges on early disruption, strategic removals, and maintaining a clear battlefield to prevent this card from leveraging its full potential and dominating the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the nuances of MTG is a continuous challenge that tantalizes both the mind and the spirit of competition. With Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats as a focal point in your deck, you leverage not only its power to shift the board in your favor but also the intricate dance of deck building and strategy it demands. Harnessing Zagras’s full potential requires finesse in mana management and party composition. We invite you to dive deeper into crafting the ultimate deck with Zagras at the helm. Learn more about optimizing your gameplay, engaging with the community, and turning each match into a memorable story. Join us and unlock the true power of your MTG collection.


Cards like Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats

Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats carves a unique position within the MTG rogue gallery boasting abilities that influence the board distinctly. Much like Olivia Voldaren, Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats commands a presence by impacting creature control, but Zagras has an edge with its ability to grant deathtouch to your other creatures. Olivia, conversely, offers the power to take control of other creatures, although at a potentially higher mana cost.

Another card to compare is Anowon, the Ruin Thief, which synergizes with rogues to optimize card advantage. However, unlike Zagras, Anowon does not provide a universal buff to other creatures’ combat capabilities. A more direct adversary is Nighthawk Scavenger, a card that can grow in power whilst offering lifelink, a trait not found in Zagras’s arsenal, despite both having deathtouch and flying.

Assessing the striking parallels and contrasting effects, it’s evident that Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats aligns well with decks that focus on creature-based strategies, offering both offensive and defensive advantages, thereby solidifying its role in the pantheon of MTG’s multifaceted creatures.

Olivia Voldaren - MTG Card versions
Anowon, the Ruin Thief - MTG Card versions
Nighthawk Scavenger - MTG Card versions
Olivia Voldaren - Innistrad (ISD)
Anowon, the Ruin Thief - Zendikar Rising Commander (ZNC)
Nighthawk Scavenger - Zendikar Rising Promos (PZNR)

Cards similar to Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats by color, type and mana cost

Pavel Maliki - MTG Card versions
Rohgahh of Kher Keep - MTG Card versions
Razing Snidd - MTG Card versions
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Pavel Maliki - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Rohgahh of Kher Keep - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Razing Snidd - Planeshift (PLS)
Carnival Hellsteed - RNA Guild Kit (GK2)
Malfegor - Iconic Masters (IMA)
Rakdos the Defiler - RNA Guild Kit (GK2)
Deepfire Elemental - Commander 2013 (C13)
Grief Tyrant - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Undead Leotau - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Vein Drinker - Commander 2017 (C17)
Deathbringer Thoctar - Commander 2013 (C13)
Defiler of Souls - Alara Reborn (ARB)
Igneous Pouncer - Duel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicol Bolas (DDH)
Rakdos Ringleader - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Sire of Insanity - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Dragonlord Kolaghan - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Swift Warkite - Dragons of Tarkir (DTK)
The Big Idea - The List (Unfinity Foil Edition) (ULST)
Mary O'Kill - The List (Unfinity Foil Edition) (ULST)
Rakdos, the Showstopper - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Zendikar Rising, 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 Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2020-09-25 and 2020-09-25. Illustrated by Anna Steinbauer.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 838162015normalblackAnna Steinbauer
22020-09-25Zendikar RisingZNR 3722015normalblackAnna Steinbauer
32020-09-25Zendikar Rising PromosPZNR 241s2015normalblackAnna Steinbauer
42020-09-25Zendikar RisingZNR 2412015normalblackAnna Steinbauer
52020-09-25Zendikar Rising PromosPZNR 241p2015normalblackAnna Steinbauer

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-09-25 An ability referring to the number of creatures in your party gets a number from zero to four. Such abilities never ask which creatures are in your party, and you never have to designate specific creatures as being in your party. You can’t choose to exclude creatures from this count to lower the number.
2020-09-25 If a creature has more than one party creature type, and there are multiple ways to count that creature that could result in a different number of creatures in your party, the highest such number is used. For example, if you control a Cleric and a Cleric Wizard, the number of creatures in your party is two. You can’t choose to have it be just one by counting the Cleric Wizard first as a Cleric.
2020-09-25 If a spell has a cost reduction based on the number of creatures in your party, no player may attempt to change that number after you begin to cast the spell but before you pay the cost.
2020-09-25 Several cards have a cost reduction based on the number of creatures in your party. To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you’re paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The converted mana cost of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was.
2020-09-25 To determine “the number of creatures in your party,” check whether you control a Cleric, whether you control a Rogue, whether you control a Warrior, and whether you control a Wizard. The number is the total number of those checks to which you answered yes. Each creature you control can be counted for only one of those checks.

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