Pitiless Horde MTG Card
2015-03-27 - Number 112
2015-03-28 - Number 112s
2020-09-26 - Number DTK-112
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Orc Berserker |
| Abilities | Dash |
| Power | 5 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Strategic dash ability drives card advantage by pressuring opponents and depleting their resources quickly.
- Instant speed play adds surprise element, enabling Pitiless Horde to catch opponents off-guard.
- Mana cost limits playability, best suited for black-centric or aggressive strategies within MTG.
Text of card
At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 2 life. Dash (You may cast this spell for its dash cost. If you do, it gains haste, and it's returned from the battlefield to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Pitiless Horde’s dash ability can lead to repeated swings at your opponent, forcing them to deal with the creature each turn. This can potentially exhaust their resources as they attempt to keep up, giving you a strategic advantage.
Resource Acceleration: Although not a direct accelerant, the dash cost allows you to circumvent the need for a long-term mana commitment, enabling you to play other cards more freely. Pitiless Horde’s aggressive nature can also pressure your opponent into making suboptimal plays, which can be a form of indirect resource acceleration.
Instant Speed: The dash mechanism offers the flexibility to summon Pitiless Horde at instant speed at the beginning of the combat phase, sneaking in damage and catching your opponent off guard. This also allows you to maintain mana for other spells and decisions until the timing is perfect to swing in.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Being a formidable presence on the battlefield, Pitiless Horde carries a weighty burden that requires you to forgo a card turn after turn unless you opt for paying its upkeep cost. This can strain your hand, leaving you at a stark disadvantage when grappling with resource management.
Specific Mana Cost: Monoblack decks are the natural habitat for Pitiless Horde, as its mana cost is steeply tied to black mana. This makes its adaptability outside black-centric strategies somewhat limited, restricting its broad utility across the diverse deck archetypes flourishing in the realms of Magic.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a demanding cost of three and two black mana to summon Pitiless Horde, its presence on the battlefield comes at a premium. In the fast-paced cadence of the current MTG meta, alternatives that can be cast for less might offer similar offensive potential without the financial imposition on your mana pool.
Reasons to Include Pitiless Horde in Your Collection
Versatility: Pitiless Horde is adaptable across various aggressive deck types due to its swift and impactful presence on the battlefield. This card shines in decks that aim to deliver quick damage to opponents, fitting well within black-centric or multicolor aggressive strategies.
Combo Potential: The dash mechanic of Pitiless Horde offers unique interactions with cards that benefit from creatures entering or leaving the battlefield. Additionally, it pairs well with sacrifice effects or abilities that capitalize on losing life for gains, making it a strategic inclusion for combo-oriented players.
Meta-Relevance: With a shift towards mid-range and aggressive decks in many metagames, Pitiless Horde can be a game-changer by applying pressure and forcing opponents into unfavorable blocks or trades. Its ability to quickly reduce an opponent’s life total makes it a valuable asset when combat heavy tactics prevail.
How to beat
Pitiless Horde stands out in MTG as a formidable aggressor with its dash ability and high power. It is a force that demands an immediate answer, considering its ability to inflict significant damage early in the game. However, there are viable strategies to effectively counter this threat. One such method involves utilizing removal spells that can target the Horde before it can make a substantial impact. Spells like Doom Blade or Path to Exile offer efficient solutions by removing the creature from the game before the opponent can benefit from its attack.
Additionally, using blockers with high toughness can be an effective tactic. Creatures that can survive the initial onslaught and remove Pitiless Horde on defense are highly valuable. Furthermore, opting for life gain strategies can mitigate the damage perpetrated by the Horde, ensuring you maintain a healthy life total against aggressive decks that feature this card. By staying prepared with these tactics, you can navigate the challenge posed by Pitiless Horde and continue to assert control over the battlefield.
In sum, while Pitiless Horde can be a demanding card to face due to its dash costs and the upkeep life loss, there are numerous ways to preemptively handle this threat. Addressing it promptly with removal, strategic blocking, or life-gaining mechanisms can significantly minimize the impact of this aggressive card on your gameplay.
Cards like Pitiless Horde
Pitiless Horde holds a unique stance within the realm of aggressive creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Its attributes are somewhat mirrored by cards like Goblin Rabblemaster, which also presents a growing threat each turn, escalating the pressure on opponents. However, Pitiless Horde distinguishes itself with its formidable onslaught capability, due to its dash cost, allowing a sudden and unexpected strike.
Another card worth comparing it to is Bloodsoaked Champion, which shares the aggressive reanimation trait. Like Pitiless Horde, the Champion can come back from the graveyard, but it requires a prerequisite of another creature attacking this turn, while Pitiless Horde’s assault can be more direct with its dash feature. Conversely, its raid ability can be used multiple times each turn, unlike the single dash opportunity for Pitiless Horde.
Evaluating these cards offers insight into the potent strategies that black-aligned aggressive decks can utilize. While each card has its advantages, Pitiless Horde is a formidable force that can quickly turn the tides of battle in your favor with its high-risk, high-reward gameplay style.
Cards similar to Pitiless Horde by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Pitiless Horde MTG card by a specific set like Dragons of Tarkir and Dragons of Tarkir Promos, 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 Pitiless Horde 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Pitiless Horde Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2015-03-27 and 2015-03-28. Illustrated by Viktor Titov.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2015-03-27 | Dragons of Tarkir | DTK | 112 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Viktor Titov | |
| 2 | 2015-03-28 | Dragons of Tarkir Promos | PDTK | 112s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Viktor Titov | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | DTK-112 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Viktor Titov |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Pitiless Horde has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Pitiless Horde card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2015-02-25 | If a creature enters the battlefield as a copy of or becomes a copy of a creature whose dash cost was paid, the copy won’t have haste and won’t be returned to its owner’s hand. |
| 2015-02-25 | If you choose to pay the dash cost rather than the mana cost, you’re still casting the spell. It goes on the stack and can be responded to and countered. You can cast a creature spell for its dash cost only when you otherwise could cast that creature spell. Most of the time, this means during your main phase when the stack is empty. |
| 2015-02-25 | If you pay the dash cost to cast a creature spell, that card will be returned to its owner’s hand only if it’s still on the battlefield when its triggered ability resolves. If it dies or goes to another zone before then, it will stay where it is. |
| 2015-02-25 | You don’t have to attack with the creature with dash unless another ability says you do. |
