Pir, Imaginative Rascal MTG Card
2018-06-08 - Number 11s
2018-06-08 - Number 11
2019-12-02 - Number 1050
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Human |
| Abilities | Partner,Partner with |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Key Takeaways
- Pir enhances card advantage by intensifying effects of counter-triggering abilities in MTG games.
- Resource acceleration is achievable with Pir’s synergy with proliferate and +1/+1 counter strategies.
- The card’s ability to bolster instant-speed interactions makes it a formidable MTG ally.
Text of card
Partner with Toothy, Imaginary Friend (When this creature enters the battlefield, target player may put Toothy into their hand from their library, then shuffle.) If one or more counters would be put on a permanent your team controls, that many plus one of each of those kinds of counters are put on that permanent instead.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Pir, Imaginative Rascal is an ally in the quest for card advantage, particularly in synergy with effects that place additional counters on permanents, ensuring you squeeze out more value from each of your spells. Every counter-triggering ability you control becomes implicitly stronger, leading to an uptick in the quantity and quality of your card interactions.
Resource Acceleration: By enhancing the effectiveness of proliferate mechanics or any +1/+1 counter strategies, Pir paves the way for resource acceleration. The beauty of this boost lies in the opportunity to grow your creatures more rapidly or accumulate more counters on other permanents, which translates into a formidable position on the battlefield or the capability to execute your strategic plans sooner.
Instant Speed: While Pir himself does not function at instant speed, his unique ability to magnify the value of instant-speed interaction cards with counter placing abilities cannot be understated. Pir ensures that your instant-speed moves are not just reactive but strategically advantageous, allowing you to outpace opponents by developing your board state even during their turns.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Though Pir Imaginative Rascal doesn’t itself require discarding, it’s pivotal to bear in mind that synergizing with other cards may inadvertently lead to this downside. In decks designed to exploit Pir’s ability to enhance counters, you could be forced into discarding as a means to trigger proliferate or similar mechanics.
Specific Mana Cost: Pir has a precise mana cost, demanding one green and two generic mana which can be restrictive. If your mana base is not well-tuned, you might struggle to cast him on curve, therefore hindering your strategy especially in a multicolored deck where mana flexibility is key.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While two colorless and one green mana isn’t excessively high, it is considerable for a 1/1 creature. There are alternatives that could provide more immediate board presence or value without the condition of playing additional counters-oriented cards to extract maximum benefit from Pir.
Reasons to Include Pir, Imaginative Rascal in Your Collection
Versatility: Pir, Imaginative Rascal seamlessly integrates into various green and creature-centric strategies. Its ability to augment +1/+1 counters makes it a flexible addition to decks that capitalize on these mechanics.
Combo Potential: Pir’s ability pairs exceptionally well with planeswalkers and other cards that utilize counters. It can turn already powerful cards into overwhelming threats, as it effectively doubles the value gained from counter-related effects.
Meta-Relevance: With the ever-shifting landscape of the game, Pir, Imaginative Rascal can adapt to various metagames, especially in formats like Commander where its unique effect can exploit the synergies within a deck, maintaining long-term relevance.
How to beat
Pir, Imaginative Rascal is a unique card in MTG known for boosting the potency of +1/+1 counters and proliferate mechanics. This creature stands out by making any kind of counter placing more impactful, whether on creatures, players, or permanents. Dealing with Pir effectively requires a strategy to disrupt its synergy before it gets out of hand.
One effective approach is to use removal spells swiftly to keep Pir off the battlefield. For those who can’t, preventing counters from accumulating in the first place or neutralizing the benefits they provide can also work. Cards that specifically thwart counters, such as Solemnity, can render Pir’s ability moot. Similarly, applying board control tactics through sweepers like Damnation or Wrath of God ensures that accumulating counters becomes a non-issue. Another angle is to target the player’s hand and resources, using disruption spells like Thoughtseize or Mind Rot to weaken the overall strategy supporting Pir. As always, timing and understanding the specific MTG environment are crucial in executing these strategies efficiently.
Pir may be a formidable puzzle to solve, but with the right removal or preventative cards, dominating the game despite Pir’s presence is entirely attainable, allowing savvy players to emerge victorious in MTG matches.
BurnMana Recommendations
Dive deeper into the world of MTG with Pir, Imaginative Rascal—a card that promises to upgrade your gameplay and card interactions. Embracing this card can significantly tip the scales in your favor, allowing for a more rapid development of your board and the ability to execute strategic plays with precision. Whether you’re looking to enhance your Commander deck, power up your planeswalkers, or just appreciate the art of accumulating value through counters, Pir is an asset worth considering. Discover more strategies, optimize your plays, and find the best tactics to counter your opponents—join us for a comprehensive understanding of how Pir can become a cornerstone in your MTG endeavors.
Cards like Pir, Imaginative Rascal
Pir Imaginative Rascal is a noteworthy creature in Magic: The Gathering, bearing a unique ability to bolster your counter strategies. It draws parallels to Hardened Scales, a one-mana enchantment that likewise adds an additional counter on a creature you control. However, Pir’s advantage lies in its creature status, allowing it to contribute to the board presence while providing a similar benefit.
Moving on to Winding Constrictor, we see a creature that offers a comparable effect, intensifying both +1/+1 and other kinds of counters placed on your permanents. Though the Constrictor enhances a wider range of counters, Pir’s advantage includes partnering with planeswalkers, amplifying their loyalty counters as well. In addition, the comparison extends to Doubling Season, a powerful card known for doubling counters and tokens. While Doubling Season has a broader effect, it comes at a higher mana cost compared to Pir, emphasizing the latter’s early game utility.
To summarize, Pir Imaginative Rascal may not be as sweepingly influential as Doubling Season or as versatile as Winding Constrictor, its specificity to +1/+1 and loyalty counters, coupled with its creature type, positions it distinctively for decks that aim to capitalize on these particular interactions early on.
Cards similar to Pir, Imaginative Rascal by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Pir, Imaginative Rascal MTG card by a specific set like Battlebond Promos and Battlebond, 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 Pir, Imaginative Rascal and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
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Printings
The Pir, Imaginative Rascal Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2018-06-08 and 2019-12-02. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-06-08 | Battlebond Promos | PBBD | 11s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zoltan Boros | |
| 2 | 2018-06-08 | Battlebond | BBD | 11 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zoltan Boros | |
| 3 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 1050 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Jeannie L Paske |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Pir, Imaginative Rascal has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Pir, Imaginative Rascal card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-06-08 | An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders. |
| 2018-06-08 | Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards of your deck are shuffled to become your library. |
| 2018-06-08 | If a permanent your team controls would enter the battlefield with one or more counters of any kind on it, it enters with that many plus one instead. |
| 2018-06-08 | If a spell or ability causes you to put cards in your hand without specifically using the word “draw,” Toothy’s middle ability won’t trigger. |
| 2018-06-08 | If an effect includes multiple instructions to put one or more counters on a permanent, such as Lifecrafter’s Gift does, Pir’s effect applies to each of those instructions. |
| 2018-06-08 | If enough -1/-1 counters are put on Toothy at the same time to make its toughness 0 or less, the number of +1/+1 counters on it before it got any -1/-1 counters will be used to determine how many cards you draw. For example, if there are two +1/+1 counters on Toothy and it gets three -1/-1 counters, you’ll draw two cards. |
| 2018-06-08 | If you draw multiple cards, Toothy’s middle ability triggers that many times. If your team also controls Pir, each of those resolving triggered abilities puts two +1/+1 counters on Toothy. |
| 2018-06-08 | If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can only include cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders’ combined color identities. If Khorvath and Sylvia are your commanders, your deck may contain cards with red and/or white in their color identity, but not blue, black, or green. |
| 2018-06-08 | Note that the target player searches their library (which may be affected by effects such as that of Stranglehold) and that the card they find is revealed, even though these words aren’t included in the ability’s reminder text. |
| 2018-06-08 | Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won’t have to pay an additional the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 damage from one of them, not from both of them combined. Command Beacon’s effect puts one into your hand from the command zone, not both. |
| 2018-06-08 | Pir’s effect can’t apply to itself as it’s entering the battlefield or to any other permanent entering the battlefield at the same time as it. |
| 2018-06-08 | The second ability represented by the “partner with -ame]” keyword modifies the rules for deck construction in the Commander variant and has no function outside of that variant. If a legendary creature card with “partner with -ame]” is designated as your commander, the named legendary creature card can also be designated as your commander. For more information on the Commander variant, please visit Wizards.com/Commander. |
| 2018-06-08 | The triggered ability of the “partner with” keyword still triggers in a Commander game. If your other commander has somehow ended up in your library, you can find it. You can also target another player who might have that card in their library. |
| 2018-06-08 | To have two commanders, both must have the partner ability (featured in the Magic: The Gathering—Commander™ (2016 Edition) set) or corresponding “partner with” abilities as the game begins. A creature with a “partner with” ability can’t partner with any creature other than its designated partner. Losing a partner ability during the game doesn’t cause either to cease to be your commander. |
| 2018-06-08 | “Partner with -ame]” represents two abilities. The first is a triggered ability: “When this permanent enters the battlefield, target player may search their library for a card named -ame], reveal it, put it into their hand, then shuffle their library.” |
