Hundred-Handed One MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Giant
Abilities Monstrosity, Vigilance
Power 3
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Its ability to block nearly limitless attackers can be pivotal against token strategies or massive onslaughts.
  2. Activating monstrous at instant speed adds surprise and strategic depth to the Hundred-Handed One’s defense.
  3. Despite its power, the card’s high mana cost and requirement for discarding can be a significant drawback.
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 : Monstrosity 3. (If this creature isn't monstrous, put three +1/+1 counters on it and it becomes monstrous.) As long as Hundred-Handed One is monstrous, it has reach and can block an additional ninety-nine creatures each combat.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Hundred-Handed One offers unique versatility, with its monstrous ability allowing you to block an additional ninety-nine creatures, potentially turning the tide in a battle by neutralizing swarms of enemy tokens or overwhelming attacks.

Resource Acceleration: While not a direct source of resource acceleration, its solid defensive capabilities can effectively buy time for you to deploy your mana resources and develop your board presence.

Instant Speed: The activation of the monstrous ability can be done at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to surprise your opponent during combat, thus enhancing the strategic depth of your gameplay.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While the Hundred-Handed One can be a strong defender, it requires a discard to reach its full potential. This card demands you to discard another card in order to utilize its monstrous ability. When playing games where your hand is already strained, committing to this extra cost could set you back if not timed correctly.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Hundred-Handed One is demanding, specific to white mana. Comprising of three white mana and one colorless, it may be challenging to summon in a multi-color deck, limiting its versatility. The dependency on primarily white mana means that it fits a narrower range of strategies and can slow you down if your mana base isn’t perfectly tuned.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Even though its initial cost is on a higher end for a creature of its stats, what makes it more prohibitive is the monstrous ability’s steep cost. To activate it, you must pay a substantial amount of six mana – three of which are white. In many scenarios, other cards at this mana range could potentially provide more immediate impacts on the game or fit more seamlessly into various strategies.


Reasons to Include Hundred-Handed One in Your Collection

Versatility: Hundred-Handed One offers a unique flexibility to your defense, capable of blocking multiple attackers which can significantly deter offensive strategies.

Combo Potential: With its ability to hold numerous equipment and auras, Hundred-Handed One serves as an ideal base for combinations that exploit the volume of permanents it can be outfitted with.

Meta-Relevance: In a format where creature-based aggro decks are prevalent, the presence of Hundred-Handed One on the board can be a game-changer, making it a relevant choice for many metagames.


How to beat

Hundred-Handed One is a unique creature card with the ability to block an additional ninety-nine creatures once it’s monstrous. For players engaged in a battle against this card, it can feel like an impenetrable wall. However, every card has its Achilles’ heel. In this case, evasion tactics such as flying or trample can sidestep the creature’s literal hundred hands. Cards that grant these abilities or creatures that naturally possess them confound Hundred-Handed One’s defensive capabilities.

Moreover, spells that do not target, such as Supreme Verdict or Day of Judgment can sweep the board clean, including the usually formidable Hundred-Handed One. Enchantment removals like Detention Sphere are also effective since they can remove the creature without triggering its monstrous ability. Direct removal spells such as Doom Blade or Path to Exile can bypass the need to deal combat damage altogether. Pressure-based strategies can force an opponent to activate the monstrous ability prematurely, leaving them vulnerable to a well-timed removal or board wipe.

Ultimately, while the Hundred-Handed One can be daunting, incorporating a mix of evasion, board wipes, and direct removal into your strategy will enable you to overcome this mythological sentinel with strategic ease.


Cards like Hundred-Handed One

When delving into the mythic realm of creature cards within Magic: The Gathering, Hundred-Handed One stands tall. Its key feature is vigilance, along with the ability to block an additional ninety-nine creatures once monstrous. This card shares design space with Guardians of Meletis, which also boasts high toughness, offering a formidable defensive front. While Guardians of Meletis is more cost-efficient for a sturdy blocker, it lacks the sheer blocking potential and dynamic monstrous ability that characterizes Hundred-Handed One.

Wall of Frost is another defender with a chilling effect, freezing any attackers it blocks. Yet, again, it does not match the extraordinary blocking capacity provided by Hundred-Handed One’s monstrous upgrade. Fortress Cyclops, swinging between offense and defense, also competes for a spot. Although it offers versatility in its changing power and toughness, it doesn’t provide the reliable, ongoing defense that the Hundred-Handed One does when it becomes monstrous.

Evaluating these creatures side by side, Hundred-Handed One emerges as a unique option for players seeking a supreme blocker that can transform the battlefield and hold off an army of opponents single-handedly—well, hundred-handedly—in MTG.

Guardians of Meletis - MTG Card versions
Wall of Frost - MTG Card versions
Fortress Cyclops - MTG Card versions
Guardians of Meletis - Theros (THS)
Wall of Frost - Magic 2010 (M10)
Fortress Cyclops - Gatecrash (GTC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hundred-Handed One MTG card by a specific set like Theros and Conspiracy: Take the Crown, 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 Hundred-Handed One and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Hundred-Handed One Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2013-09-27 and 2016-08-26. Illustrated by Brad Rigney.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-09-27TherosTHS 202003normalblackBrad Rigney
22016-08-26Conspiracy: Take the CrownCN2 932015normalblackBrad Rigney
32020-09-26The ListPLST THS-202003normalblackBrad Rigney

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hundred-Handed One has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2013-09-15 An ability that triggers when a creature becomes monstrous won't trigger if that creature isn't on the battlefield when its monstrosity ability resolves.
2013-09-15 Monstrous isn't an ability that a creature has. It's just something true about that creature. If the creature stops being a creature or loses its abilities, it will continue to be monstrous.
2013-09-15 Once a creature becomes monstrous, it can't become monstrous again. If the creature is already monstrous when the monstrosity ability resolves, nothing happens.

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