Storm Herd MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost10
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Storm Herd turns high life totals into a formidable army, offering significant board control and presence.
  2. Demands thoughtful play—works best with life gain and ramp strategies to maximize token generation.
  3. Despite its power, the high mana cost and color specificity can limit its inclusion in some decks.

Text of card

Put X 1/1 white Pegasus creature tokens with flying into play, where X is your life total.

"When you hear thunder on a cloudless day, take cover and brace for the coming of the storm herd." —Skotov, Tin Street basket vendor


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Storm Herd brings a unique dimension to card advantage in MTG by potentially flooding the board with a massive number of Pegasus tokens, equivalent to your life total. This not only increases your creature count significantly but also creates a wide array of blockers or attackers to control the game’s flow.

Resource Acceleration: While Storm Herd itself doesn’t provide direct mana acceleration, if played in a deck designed around life gain and ramp, it harnesses those resources to create an overwhelming board presence. Moreover, the tokens generated can be used in conjunction with other cards that benefit from having numerous creatures on the battlefield, effectively converting your life total into a game-changing advantage.

Instant Speed: Although Storm Herd is played at sorcery speed, its impact on the game is often as abrupt and decisive as that of an instant speed spell. It’s the culmination of building your resources throughout the match, then unleashing a storm of tokens that can quickly turn the tide in your favor.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Storm Herd has a stringent mana necessity, demanding an investment of ten mana, including two that must be white. This limits its flexibility and makes it challenging to cast in multicolor decks that may not prioritize mana generation for white spells.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its lofty requirement of ten mana to summon, Storm Herd’s cost is notably higher compared to other finishers or mass creature spells. This can make it less appealing in faster-paced games where lower-cost spells could be more impactful within the pivotal early to mid-game stages.

Discard Requirement: While Storm Herd itself doesn’t have a discard requirement, its significant mana cost can indirectly force players into discarding cards due to hand size limits if they are unable to cast it promptly. Managing a hand with this card means planning several turns ahead, which can lead to fewer options and potential card disadvantage over time.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Storm Herd taps into white’s core strategy of populating the battlefield with creatures, making it a natural fit for token-based decks. Its flexible nature allows it to serve as a win condition in both aggressive and controlling strategies alike.

Combo Potential: With the right setup, such as doubling effects or life-gain synergies, Storm Herd’s potential skyrockets. It has the ability to quickly turn a stable board state into a dominant one, overwhelming opponents with a swarm of Pegasus tokens.

Meta-Relevance: In a format where big, game-ending plays are crucial, Storm Herd possesses the power to shift the tide of a game. It holds particular importance in metagames that favor longer matches, ensuring you have a trump card against grindy opponents.


How to Beat Storm Herd

Storm Herd is a powerful card that can flood the battlefield with an impressive array of flying Pegasus tokens. The card’s strength lies in its potential to create a token for each life point you have, making it a game-ender in the right circumstances. To effectively counter this spell, players should consider focusing on life total manipulation, preemptive board control, and removal spells.

Maintaining board control with sweepers like Supreme Verdict or Wrath of God can clear out all tokens after they have landed, rendering the Storm Herd’s advantage negligible. Spot removal isn’t as effective given the number of tokens generated. Having a game plan that includes sacrificing life points strategically can also lessen the impact of Storm Herd, as it directly correlates the number of tokens to your life total. Erebos, God of the Dead or Spellskite can help control your life points and offer additional benefits. Additionally, countermagic is crucial; countering Storm Herd itself with a Dissipate or Negate can save you from an otherwise overwhelming situation. A well-timed counter can turn the tide of the game, as the card’s high mana cost can set back the opponent significantly if it fails to resolve.

Tackling a card like Storm Herd requires a blend of strategy and timing, and players must be vigilant, preserving countermeasures for this potential threat. Forethought and control are key to overcoming the shear Storm Herd can unleash upon the battlefield.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the ebb and flow of MTG is a continuous quest for perfection, whether you’re shaping a deck or refining tactics for the next bout. Storm Herd is a testament to this journey, bringing a surge of strategic depth and exhilaration to the battlefield. Knowing its pros and cons, as well as how to counter this formidable spell, positions you a step ahead in the art of deck assembly. Embrace the challenge; study the nuances of Storm Herd, enrich your collection with cards that complement or counter it, and witness your gameplay ascend to new heights. Dive deeper with us and unlock the full potential of your MTG experience.


Cards like Storm Herd

Storm Herd is a powerful game ender in Magic: The Gathering that creates a vast army of flying tokens. When we look to White’s spell arsenal, we can evaluate how Storm Herd stands among spells that also generate tokens. Take Secure the Wastes, for example; it allows you to create a variable number of Warrior tokens at instant speed, offering flexibility in your play strategy compared to the sorcery speed of Storm Herd.

Martial Coup is another spell that resonates with Storm Herd’s approach to overwhelming opponents with tokens. It scales with your mana investment and wipes the board clean as a bonus when you invest a lot, potentially turning the game in your favor. Unlike Storm Herd’s guaranteed token yield based on your life total, Martial Coup’s effectiveness hinges on available mana.

Lastly, Nomads’ Assembly doubles the number of tokens you control, which can be a turnaround in a token-based deck. While it does not inherently produce tokens, the doubling capability can equate to or exceed Storm Herd’s impact without the life total limitation.

To sum up, Storm Herd, with its life-total synergy, invites strategic deck builds and can be a formidable force in MTG. However, its alternatives, ranging from flexible instant spells to mass token generators, provide various tactical advantages depending on the game situation.

Secure the Wastes - MTG Card versions
Martial Coup - MTG Card versions
Nomads' Assembly - MTG Card versions
Secure the Wastes - Dragons of Tarkir (DTK)
Martial Coup - Conflux (CON)
Nomads' Assembly - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)

Cards similar to Storm Herd by color, type and mana cost

Organic Extinction - MTG Card versions
Soulscour - MTG Card versions
Everything Comes to Dust - MTG Card versions
Organic Extinction - Murders at Karlov Manor Commander (MKC)
Soulscour - Darksteel (DST)
Everything Comes to Dust - Doctor Who (WHO)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Storm Herd MTG card by a specific set like Guildpact and Commander 2011, 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 Storm Herd and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Storm Herd Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2006-02-03 and 2021-02-05. Illustrated by Jim Nelson.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12006-02-03GuildpactGPT 192003normalblackJim Nelson
22011-06-17Commander 2011CMD 342003normalblackJim Nelson
32019-08-23Commander 2019C19 752015normalblackJim Nelson
42020-09-26The ListPLST GPT-192003normalblackJim Nelson
52021-02-05Kaldheim CommanderKHC 332015normalblackJim Nelson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Storm Herd has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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