River Heralds' Boon MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2017-09-29
Set symbol
Set name	Ixalan
Set code	XLN
Number	204
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Alex Konstad

Key Takeaways

Offers dual creature enhancement, optimizing card value for a competitive edge.
Instant speed allows surprise plays, making it a flexible combat trick.
Demands color commitment; best suited for two-color green-centric decks.

Text of card

Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature and a +1/+1 counter on up to one target Merfolk.

"We are kin to the trees, and their strength is our own."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When you cast River Heralds’ Boon, you’re not just boosting one creature but two, essentially getting more value out of a single card. This can give you an edge by enhancing a creature’s stats that could lead to favorable trades on the battlefield, thereby maintaining or gaining card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: By placing additional +1/+1 counters, River Heralds’ Boon accelerates your board presence without needing extra mana investment for another creature. This bolsters your existing forces, making them bigger threats early on and may enable a quicker victory.

Instant Speed: One of the key benefits of River Heralds’ Boon is its instant speed, allowing you a flexible response to your opponent’s actions. You can adapt to the changing game state, surprising an opponent during combat or end of their turn, optimizing your mana and keeping the pressure high.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While not applicable to River Heralds’ Boon itself, building a strategy around this card may require careful hand management. Overextending with this boost might leave you vulnerable without an adequate hand size to respond to opponents’ moves.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both green mana and another color, River Heralds’ Boon demands commitment to a two-color deck. For players running three or more colors, it can be a tricky card to cast consistently, as mana-fixing becomes essential.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its cost of two mana, the card provides +1/+1 counters, which could be considered steep compared to other spells that offer more immediate board presence or more significant buffs. Players might find alternative options that deliver greater impact for a similar mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: River Heralds’ Boon allows players to support creature-focused strategies effectively, offering a quick boost in power and toughness that’s ideal for both aggressive and defensive plays. Its flexibility in targeting makes it a valuable addition to a variety of decks, particularly those that capitalize on counter synergies.

Combo Potential: When used in conjunction with cards that benefit from +1/+1 counters, this card has significant potential to create game-winning combinations. Deploying it in a deck with proliferate mechanics or with creatures that have evolve can result in an overwhelming advantage on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where small incremental advantages lead to victory, River Heralds’ Boon can tip the scales. It’s particularly potent in match-ups where combat tricks determine the outcome of creature battles, making it a strategic tool in the current meta.

How to beat River Heralds’ Boon

River Heralds’ Boon is a card that provides a tangible advantage in creature matchups, allowing players to strengthen their creatures on the battlefield significantly. This card shines in decks that revolve around Merfolk synergies or any strategy that values +1/+1 counters. It can turn the tide by bolstering a key creature, making it a more formidable blocker or a threatening attacker.

Still, overcoming this boost is possible. Efficient removal spells can counteract the enhancements provided by River Heralds’ Boon. By keeping your opponent’s battlefield clear of powerful creatures, you negate the value they would gain from such augmentations. Flexibility in responding to threats and maintaining the ability to disrupt your opponent’s key plays are crucial strategies.

Focusing on instant speed interactions, such as casting removal spells before the combat phase or in response to the casting of River Heralds’ Boon, can prevent your opponent from leveraging their enhanced creatures. By anticipating and reacting to this spell, its impact can be effectively minimized, preserving your position and enhancing your prospects for victory.

Cards like River Heralds' Boon

In the immersive world of Magic: The Gathering, River Heralds’ Boon stands out as a valuable card for players keen on strengthening their creature-focused decks. This card can be paralleled with Unnatural Growth, which also offers a power boost, albeit in a more global and recurring effect at each combat. However, River Heralds’ Boon’s cost-efficient advantage and instant speed make it a formidable option for a surprise element during battle.

Comparing further, we see Blossoming Defense as another instant that boosts a creature’s power. Although it offers less in terms of raw power increase, the added benefit of giving the creature hexproof can turn the tides by protecting it from targeted spells or abilities. Whereas River Heralds’ Boon focuses on a more offensive strategy by potentially strengthening two creatures, one being a Merfolk, for a significant combat advantage.

Analyzing these cards paints a clear picture of River Heralds’ Boon’s role in Magic: The Gathering. It allows players to execute strategic plays by selectively empowering their creatures, tipping the scales in their favor during crucial moments of the game, making it a card with a targeted and tactical application.

Cards similar to River Heralds' Boon by color, type and mana cost

Inscription of Abundance - MTG Card versions

Might of the Nephilim - MTG Card versions

Strength of the Tajuru - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase River Heralds' Boon 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 River Heralds' Boon and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where River Heralds' Boon has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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