Raptor Hatchling MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Dinosaur
Abilities	Enrage
Released	2017-09-29
Set symbol
Set name	Ixalan
Set code	XLN
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	155
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Even Amundsen

Key Takeaways

Creates a 3/3 dinosaur token upon taking damage, repeatedly enhancing the board without losing card count.
Instant-speed token generation deters opponents’ actions, offering tactical advantages during combat.
Specialized mana cost and effect may restrict its use in certain deck types, requiring strategic accommodation.

Text of card

Enrage — Whenever Raptor Hatchling is dealt damage, create a 3/3 green Dinosaur creature token with trample.

"Every little hatchling has a parent's claws to guard it." —Sun Empire saying

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When Raptor Hatchling is dealt damage, you benefit from the creation of a 3/3 green Dinosaur creature token with trample. This effect can repeatedly occur, effectively allowing you to replace Raptor Hatchling with an even more threatening creature, bolstering your board presence without sacrificing card resources.

Resource Acceleration: Though Raptor Hatchling itself doesn’t directly accelerate your resources, the dinosaur token it produces can be an asset in strategies that utilize creature-based resource acceleration. For example, it pairs well with cards that tap creatures for mana, or those that sacrifice creatures for additional effects, streaming the way for a quicker deployment of high-cost spells.

Instant Speed: Raptor Hatchling’s ability to create a dinosaur token works at instant speed, which means any damage dealt to it, whether it’s during your turn or your opponent’s, will instantly provide you with a sizable creature. This immediate response can be tactically advantageous, discouraging opponents from attacking or removing it during their turn and setting you up favorably for your next move.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Some cards may ask you to discard as a part of their effect, but Raptor Hatchling’s cons lie elsewhere. Not having a discard requirement can sometimes limit synergies with strategies that benefit from discarding, like reanimation or madness decks.

Specific Mana Cost: Raptor Hatchling requires red mana to play, which confines it to red or multicolored decks. Those looking to weave it into a deck without a red mana base won’t find this dino a good fit.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While not exorbitant, the two mana for a 1/1 creature might not be the most mana-efficient use of resources, especially when measured against other options in the two-cost slot that could offer greater immediate board presence or utility.

Reasons to Include Raptor Hatchling in Your Collection

Versatility: Raptor Hatchling brings flexibility to your deck with its low casting cost and ability to deter attackers. Knowing that challenging it could result in an even bigger threat makes opponents think twice, allowing this card to seamlessly adapt to various defensive strategies.

Combo Potential: Once the Raptor Hatchling is dealt damage and its egg counter is removed, it creates a 3/3 Dinosaur creature token with trample. This interaction opens up opportunities for various synergies in dinosaur-themed decks or any strategy looking to take advantage of token generation mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: Raptor Hatchling’s presence can shape the battlefield in metas where small creatures are prominent. It serves as both an early game roadblock and a potential mid-game threat, aligning well with aggressive and dinos-based strategies that capitalize on creature synergy and board presence.

How to beat Raptor Hatchling

Raptor Hatchling presents an interesting challenge on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This seemingly unassuming creature card has an enrage ability causing it to create a 3/3 Dinosaur creature token with trample when it’s dealt damage. To effectively counteract Raptor Hatchling, understanding your opponent’s strategy and preventing the token generation is paramount.

One method is to remove Raptor Hatchling without dealing damage, using cards that force a sacrifice or exile it directly from the battlefield. Cards like Path to Exile or Fatal Push can be incredibly effective in this situation. Alternatively, employing counterspell strategies to prevent the Raptor Hatchling from ever entering play can also prove advantageous.

Another technique to handle Raptor Hatchling is controlling the pacing of the game. If it does manage to sneak onto the board, limiting engagements that would trigger its enrage ability allows you to dictate the flow of combat to your benefit. The key to beating Raptor Hatchling lies in cleverly navigating around its potential to create a more substantial threat.

Cards like Raptor Hatchling

Raptor Hatchling stands out in the MTG world for its unique enrage ability that, upon being damaged, generates a 3/3 green Dinosaur creature token with trample. This ability is comparable to that of Brood Monitor, which also brings creatures to the battlefield. The key difference here is that Brood Monitor does so upon entering the battlefield, without the need for triggering an enrage mechanic, producing three 1/1 colorless Eldrazi Scion creature tokens.

Similarly, Nesting Dragon is another card that has a propensity for creating creature tokens. In this case, it generates a 2/2 red Dragon creature token with flying each time a land enters the battlefield under your control and is put into the graveyard from play. This correlation showcases the theme of token generation but differs in the way the tokens are triggered and their attributes. While Raptor Hatchling needs to be dealt damage to create a token, Nesting Dragon relies on land mechanics.

In essence, Raptor Hatchling offers MTG players a resilient creature capable of making a powerful impact even after taking a hit. Its ability to create a significant creature token positions it as an intriguing tactical option in decks focused on creature synergy and battlefield presence.

Cards similar to Raptor Hatchling by color, type and mana cost

Goblin Elite Infantry - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Raptor Hatchling MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan, 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 Raptor Hatchling and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Raptor Hatchling has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2018-01-19	If lethal damage is dealt to a creature with an enrage ability, that ability triggers. The creature with that enrage ability leaves the battlefield before that ability resolves, so it won’t be affected by the resolving ability.
2018-01-19	If multiple sources deal damage to a creature with an enrage ability at the same time, most likely because multiple creatures blocked that creature, the enrage ability triggers only once.