Thrill of the Hunt MTG Card

Time Spiral (TSP)
2006-10-06 - Number 229

Thrill of the Hunt - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)

Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)
2021-03-19 - Number 241

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Abilities	Flashback

Key Takeaways

Card provides dual utility with its flashback ability, enabling twice the combat impact per game.
Its instant nature allows for flexible response to battlefield changes and unexpected combat scenarios.
Despite its benefits, the card demands strategic hand and mana management to maximize its potential.

Text of card

Target creature gets +1/+2 until end of turn. Flashback (You may play this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then remove it from the game.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Thrill of the Hunt not only permits a significant boost in your creature’s strength during combat but is designed with flashback. This capability gives you the chance to cast it again from your graveyard. This dual utility effect ensures that you can maximize value out of a single card, essentially using it twice to possibly protect two different creatures or enhance the same creature during different stages of the game.

Resource Acceleration: Although Thrill of the Hunt doesn’t directly produce additional mana or tokens, its low casting cost makes it an efficient tool in strategies looking to utilize mana effectively. It allows you to advance your board presence while still keeping mana available for other tactics, thereby indirectly speeding up your resource allocation through its economy.

Instant Speed: The versatility provided by Thrill of the Hunt being an instant cannot be overstated. It lets you adapt to battlefield changes dynamically, using it to augment a creature either during your own turn or in response to an opponent’s actions. This flexibility makes it a potent choice for protecting your creatures or ensuring their survival during surprise blocks or unexpected spells.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Thrill of the Hunt requires you to discard another card to fully capitalize on its flashback ability. This demand can strain your hand, especially if you’re trying to maintain card advantage against your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: The card’s mana cost must be paid with one green mana, which can potentially restrict its inclusion to mainly green decks or those that are capable of generating multiple colors of mana effectively.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Thrill of the Hunt is inexpensive for its initial casting, using its flashback feature comes at a higher mana price. In situations where mana efficiency is critical, using this card’s flashback might present a less appealing choice compared to other low-cost spells.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Thrill of the Hunt demonstrates great flexibility for different deck builds. Its ability to increase creature toughness during combat not only serves as an excellent defensive maneuver but also synergizes with strategies aiming to exploit toughness-based card effects.

Combo Potential: This card shines when combined with effects that benefit from casting spells or using instant spells to surprise an opponent, making it a fundamental piece in decks that capitalize on such synergies.

Meta-Relevance: Given the prevalence of aggressive strategies in certain play environments, Thrill of the Hunt offers a cost-effective way to bolster your creatures’ survivability which can turn the tide in crucial combats, proving its relevance in competitive play.

How to beat Thrill of the Hunt

Thrill of the Hunt is known for its resilience and flexibility in Magic: The Gathering, often giving players an edge by boosting creature toughness during combat. This can yield unexpected obstacles for opponents, particularly in matchups where combat trickery can turn the tides of battle. However, to effectively counter Thrill of the Hunt, players should consider strategic options that sidestep combat altogether.

Removal spells that can take out creatures regardless of their toughness levels are a smart choice. This includes options like Path to Exile or Fatal Push, both capable of dealing with creatures before Thrill of the Hunt even has a chance to be used. Another tactic involves employing counterspells to prevent Thrill of the Hunt from resolving, such as Mana Leak or Negate, which are particularly effective against it due to its low mana cost.

Ultimately, focusing on non-combat strategies or having instant-speed removal at hand can help navigate the challenges posed by Thrill of the Hunt, minimizing its impact on the game and keeping the advantage in your favor.

Cards like Thrill of the Hunt

Thrill of the Hunt is an intriguing instant card with a unique twist in the realm of buff spells in MTG. It’s reminiscent of cards like Giant Growth, granting a significant power and toughness boost to a creature. Giant Growth provides a +3/+3 bonus, which outmatches Thrill of the Hunt’s immediate +1/+1 boost. However, Thrill of the Hunt shines with its flashback ability, allowing a second use from the graveyard and therefore offering more versatility over the course of a game.

Another card with a similar function is Vines of Vastwood, which also provides a quick boost and can be used to protect a creature from targeted spells. Though it doesn’t have the reusability of Thrill of the Hunt, it counters interruptions effectively, creating strategic depth. Mutagenic Growth is also worth mentioning, as it can be played for no mana at the cost of some life points, providing an instantaneous and unexpected +2/+2 boost in critical moments of the match.

Assessing these comparisons, Thrill of the Hunt demonstrates a strategic layer not found in many other buff spells, granting players the opportunity to reuse the card and maintain pressure on opponents across multiple turns in MTG.

Giant Growth - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Cards similar to Thrill of the Hunt by color, type and mana cost

Strength of the Coalition - MTG Card versions

Strength of the Coalition - Dominaria United (DMU)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Thrill of the Hunt MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral and Time Spiral Remastered, 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 Thrill of the Hunt and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Thrill of the Hunt Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2006-10-06 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by Stephen Tappin.

#	Release	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2006-10-06	Time Spiral	TSP		229	2003	normal	black	Stephen Tappin
2	2021-03-19	Time Spiral Remastered	TSR		241	2015	normal	black	Stephen Tappin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Thrill of the Hunt has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2021-03-19	A spell cast using flashback will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack in some other way.
2021-03-19	If a card with flashback is put into your graveyard during your turn, you can cast it if it’s legal to do so before any other player can take any actions.
2021-03-19	To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a flashback cost) you’re paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was.
2021-03-19	You can cast a spell using flashback even if it was somehow put into your graveyard without having been cast.
2021-03-19	You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions, including those based on the card’s type. For instance, you can cast a sorcery using flashback only when you could normally cast a sorcery.
2021-03-19	“Flashback -ost]” means “You may cast this card from your graveyard by paying -ost] rather than paying its mana cost” and “If the flashback cost was paid, exile this card instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack.”