Hag Hedge-Mage MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Hag Shaman
Released	2008-07-25
Set symbol
Set name	Eventide
Set code	EVE
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	123
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Scott Altmann

Key Takeaways

Hag Hedge-Mage offers card retrieval for strategic plays matched with Swamp and Forest control.
The card’s utility in graveyard and landfall decks makes it a versatile choice in MTG.
Despite mana requirements, its functionality justifies inclusion in multi-colored decks.

Text of card

When Hag Hedge-Mage comes into play, if you control two or more Swamps, you may have target player discard a card. When Hag Hedge-Mage comes into play, if you control two or more Forests, you may put target card in your graveyard on top of your library.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When playing Hag Hedge-Mage, it can be a strong enabler of card advantage in MTG. If you’re running a deck that easily meets the conditions of controlling a Swamp and a Forest, you can leverage this card’s ability to retrieve a creature or land card from your graveyard to your hand. This not only can replenish your resources but also allows for strategic planning for your subsequent turns.

Resource Acceleration: The utility of Hag Hedge-Mage can extend beyond simple retrieval; in decks focused on sacrifice or graveyard synergy, returning a crucial land can be the catalyst for multi-tiered strategies. This accelerates your resource development and positions you for a more robust mana base, thus enabling the execution of high-cost spells earlier in the game.

Instant Speed Interaction: Although Hag Hedge-Mage itself isn’t an instant, its enter-the-battlefield trigger can create instant speed-like interactions in your MTG game. Deploying this card pre-emptively can get back instant or flash spells in your graveyard, priming you for unexpected plays and keeping your opponents guessing. This can particularly swing the tide in control or midrange strategies that capitalize on timing their threats and answers optimally.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: A notable drawback of Hag Hedge-Mage stems from its conditional ability which hinges on having the required land types to gain value. Should you not meet these land-based prerequisites, you miss out on realizing the card’s potential benefits and are left with a simple creature on the board.

Specific Mana Cost: Equipped with a mana cost that necessitates both black and green mana, this card demands a commitment to a two-color deck. This could hinder its inclusion in more streamlined or mono-colored decks that can’t accommodate such specific mana requirements.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at three mana to cast, Hag Hedge-Mage may be seen as costly considering the impact of its abilities. With many other spells and creatures in the game that can provide similar or stronger effects at a lower cost, it could be a less efficient choice for deck building, especially in fast-paced games where every mana point is crucial.

Reasons to Include Hag Hedge-Mage in Your Collection

Versatility: Hag Hedge-Mage proves to be a flexible addition to decks, particularly those constructed around the graveyard or landfall mechanics, thanks to her dual utility in retrieving creatures or lands based on your board state.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks that manipulate the graveyard, enabling not only the return of key lands or creatures but also setting up for powerful plays with graveyard-centric cards like Living Death or Splendid Reclamation.

Meta-Relevance: As the game shifts and graveyard strategies come into favor, the value of Hag Hedge-Mage increases. This makes it well-suited for adapting to various meta environments, especially in formats like Commander where versatility is king.

How to Beat Hag Hedge-Mage

Hag Hedge-Mage is an intriguing creature card that thrives on synergies within a deck built around land types. With its ability hinging on controlling a Swamp and a Forest, it deliberately caters to multicolored decks. Players who understand the importance of these synergies are better equipped to disrupt its mechanics effectively.

Specifically, to counteract Hag Hedge-Mage, one strategy is to limit the number of lands your opponent controls. Cards like Ghost Quarter can target key lands, disrupting the balance and nullifying the Mage’s ability. Moreover, instant speed removal spells can be particularly potent. By waiting for the Mage to hit the board and attempting to trigger its ability, a well-timed Path to Exile or similar removal spell can ensure the ability never capitalizes on its potential.

Effective deck building also plays a role in countering creatures like Hag Hedge-Mage. Including cards that manage the graveyard can extinguish the hope of recurring value, effectively diminishing the recurring threats that the Mage presents. By crafting a strategy that anticipates and addresses the conditions of powerful synergistic cards, players can maintain control of the game, even in the presence of a formidable foe like Hag Hedge-Mage.

Cards like Hag Hedge-Mage

Hag Hedge-Mage shines uniquely in the realm of creature cards with built-in utility in Magic: The Gathering. It bears resemblance to cards such as Civic Wayfinder, which also lets players pull a land card from their library when it enters the battlefield. Yet, the Hag goes a step further, offering not just land tutoring but also the potential to discard an opponent’s card should you meet the swamp threshold.

Looking towards Baloth Null, we find another creature that provides a double whammy, although in grave-digging style. Baloth Null allows you to return two creature cards from your graveyard to your hand upon entry, similar to our mage’s revival feature when holding enough forests. However, its higher mana cost and lack of any forcing discard make it a slightly different beast. Finally, Witness of Tomorrows shares the Hag’s flexibility, permitting a scry upon arrival. Nevertheless, it leans on a higher mana cost and restricts utility to deck manipulation while missing out on the Hag’s capacity to impact the hand and the battlefield simultaneously.

Overall, while these cards offer analogous benefits, Hag Hedge-Mage manages to carve its niche effectively, presenting multiple, valuable tricks to exploit based on your land composition and thus well-positioned among MTG’s utility creatures.

Witness of Tomorrows - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Hag Hedge-Mage by color, type and mana cost

Harald, King of Skemfar - MTG Card versions

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Reyhan, Last of the Abzan - MTG Card versions

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Autumnal Gloom // Ancient of the Equinox - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hag Hedge-Mage MTG card by a specific set like Eventide, 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 Hag Hedge-Mage and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hag Hedge-Mage has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2008-08-01	Both abilities are optional; you choose whether to use them when they resolve. If an ability has a target, you must choose a target even if you don’t plan to use the ability.
2008-08-01	Both abilities trigger at the same time. You can put them on the stack in any order.
2008-08-01	Each of the triggered abilities has an “intervening ‘if’ clause.” That means (1) the ability won’t trigger at all unless you control two or more lands of the appropriate land type when the Hedge-Mage enters the battlefield, and (2) the ability will do nothing if you don’t control two or more lands of the appropriate land type by the time it resolves.
2008-08-01	Each of the triggered abilities look at your lands individually. This means that if you only control two dual-lands of the appropriate types, both of the abilities will trigger.