Ramunap Hydra MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Snake Hydra
Abilities Reach,Trample, Vigilance
Power 3
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Functioning as a removal magnet, Ramunap Hydra indirectly offers card advantage by protecting other key creatures.
  2. Its synergy with Desert lands provides a unique advantage, but demands a specific mana base to be effective.
  3. Strategic use of instant speed removal is crucial when facing Ramunap Hydra, influencing opponent’s play choices.
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, reach, trample Ramunap Hydra gets +1/+1 as long as you control a Desert. Ramunap Hydra gets +1/+1 as long as there is a Desert card in your graveyard.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Though not immediately apparent, Ramunap Hydra’s ability to grow stronger with Desert cards in the graveyard indirectly contributes to card advantage. This is because it becomes a magnet for removal spells, potentially preserving your other impactful creatures on the board.

Resource Acceleration: Ramunap Hydra thrives in a land-heavy deck, especially ones that include various Desert lands. While it doesn’t accelerate resources in a traditional sense, its Vigilance and Reach make it an excellent defensive card that also allows you to be aggressive, effectively saving resources by not having to play additional creatures for defense.

Instant Speed: Instant speed isn’t a direct feature of Ramunap Hydra itself, but its presence in a deck can encourage an opponent to play at instant speed, attempting to address it before it becomes too much of a threat. Ramunap Hydra can make instant-speed removal a necessity for your opponent, indirectly affecting the tempo and decision-making in the match.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Ramunap Hydra does not directly require discarding cards, it can be part of strategies that might call for discarding as a mechanism to activate desert synergies, which could be a drawback for those not prepared to lose other valuable cards in hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Ramunap Hydra demands a specific green mana commitment in its cost, making it potentially less flexible for inclusion in multicolored decks that may not have a heavy green emphasis. This could limit its playability across various deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at four mana, with one being a double green requirement, its cost is significant, overshadowing other creatures or spells that could be more cost-effective. This high mana investment can make it a less than ideal play in fast-paced matches where lower cost creatures might provide more immediate board presence or effects.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Ramunap Hydra is an adaptable card that can be a powerful addition to various decks, especially those built around desert lands or land-based strategies. Its abilities scale with the number of deserts you have, making it more potent as the game progresses.

Combo Potential: With vigilance, reach, and trample, Ramunap Hydra synergizes well with cards that capitalize on these abilities. It can easily become a key piece in decks focused on power boosts or landfall mechanics, unlocking new ways to outmaneuver your opponents.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where flying creatures and land manipulation are prevalent, Ramunap Hydra becomes an essential tool. Its natural reach allows it to serve as a defensive linchpin, while its scaling power makes it a threat that must be dealt with swiftly by any adversary.


How to beat

Ramunap Hydra emerges as a robust option for green deck enthusiasts who appreciate creatures that can directly impact the board state in MTG. With features like vigilance and reach, it can stand as a formidable defender while remaining untapped and threatening to attack. Ramunap Hydra further benefits from having trample to deal excess damage through blockers. Its strength and versatility greatly increase in the presence of deserts, since it gets even bigger for each desert you control or in your graveyard.

To effectively counter Ramunap Hydra, spot removals such as Path to Exile or Rapid Hybridization can be beneficial as they bypass the hydra’s trample. Wrath effects, those that destroy or exile all creatures on the board like Wrath of God or Damnation, can also reset the battlefield by wiping out Ramunap Hydra regardless of its size. Additionally, controlling the number of deserts on the battlefield, through land destruction cards or graveyard hate spells, can reduce the creature’s effectiveness. Lastly, be mindful of your opponent’s ability to flash back deserts from the graveyard, which would inadvertently empower their hydra once again.

Overall, understanding and anticipating these strategies can be key to overcoming the challenges posed by Ramunap Hydra in your MTG matches.


Cards like Ramunap Hydra

Ramunap Hydra finds its niche in the vast desert of Magic: The Gathering as a creature card that thrives on land synergies. It draws a parallel with Territorial Allosaurus, sharing the same creature type and a knack for vigilance. Where Ramunap Hydra gains trample and +1/+1 as you control a Desert, or there is a Desert card in your graveyard, Territorial Allosaurus offers versatility with its kicker ability, though it doesn’t provide the consistent stat boost tied to land types.

Another comparable creature is Carnage Tyrant, hailed for its trample and hexproof abilities, ensuring it’s a resilient threat against control decks. While Carnage Tyrant doesn’t interact directly with lands, its uncomplicated demand for six mana for a 7/6 body contrasts with Ramunap Hydra’s conditional power boosts. Moreover, the Hydra’s potential to grow makes it a dynamic choice in land-focused decks.

In dissecting creature features and utility, Ramunap Hydra carves out its position, especially within decks that capitalize on lands. Its conditional abilities tied to Deserts can be a boon for those looking to exploit such synergies, giving it a unique angle against similar-size creatures.

Territorial Allosaurus - MTG Card versions
Carnage Tyrant - MTG Card versions
Territorial Allosaurus - MTG Card versions
Carnage Tyrant - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ramunap Hydra MTG card by a specific set like Hour of Devastation and Hour of Devastation 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 Ramunap Hydra and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ramunap Hydra Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-07-14 and 2017-07-15. Illustrated by Mike Burns.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-07-14Hour of DevastationHOU 1302015NormalBlackMike Burns
22017-07-15Hour of Devastation PromosPHOU 130s2015NormalBlackMike Burns

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ramunap Hydra has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2017-07-14 Unlike other cards in this set that care only whether you control a Desert or there is a Desert card in your graveyard, Ramunap Hydra’s abilities reward you for meeting both conditions. If you control one or more Deserts and have one or more Desert cards in your graveyard, it’ll get +2/+2.

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