Expedition Raptor MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Bird
Abilities Flying,Support
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Support abilities of Expedition Raptor offer significant advantages by boosting multiple creatures simultaneously.
  2. Its flying trait provides combat flexibility, similar to the strategic use of instant-speed spells.
  3. Despite a higher mana cost, its versatile enhancements can define victories in various matchups.

Text of card

Flying When Expedition Raptor enters the battlefield, support 2. (Put a +1/+1 counter on each of up to two other target creatures.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The presence of support abilities on Expedition Raptor aids in bolstering your forces, effectively granting an advantage on the battlefield by enhancing multiple creatures at once and making each draw more impactful.

Resource Acceleration: Although Expedition Raptor doesn’t directly accelerate resources in terms of mana, it helps maintain a resource advantage by strengthening your existing creatures, enabling you to invest in fewer creatures but make them more formidable.

Instant Speed: While Expedition Raptor is not an instant-speed card, its flying ability, providing evasion, allows you more flexibility in when and how you choose to engage in combat, somewhat mimicking the strategic timing of casting instants.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Expedition Raptor doesn’t have a discard requirement itself, it is worth considering that it may not synergize well with cards that do have such a requirement, potentially limiting strategic deck-building options.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature card demands a combination of one white mana and four colorless mana, which could be restrictive for multicolored decks that rely on a tight mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total casting cost of five mana, Expedition Raptor can be considered costly compared to other creatures with similar stat lines or abilities, possibly hindering early or swift plays.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Expedition Raptor serves as a functional addition to decks seeking to capitalize on flying creatures or bolster their lineup of evasive units. Its ability to support a board with two +1/+1 counters can be integrated into various deck themes, especially those working around counter strategies.

Combo Potential: With its support ability enhancing other creatures, Expedition Raptor can activate proliferate mechanics or be the cornerstone in decks that exploit +1/+1 counters to unlock potential combo plays.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, the value of creatures with built-in buffs can rise significantly, particularly against certain types of slower or ground-based strategies. Expedition Raptor’s effect on the battlefield can turn the tide in matchups where tempo and creature enhancement are key to victory.


How to Beat Expedition Raptor

Expedition Raptor can be a game-changer in limited formats like Draft and Sealed Deck, where its presence enhances the battlefield with potent support abilities. The creature’s flying ability makes it a challenging target to block, while its Support 2 capability strengthens other creatures and can shift the tide of a skirmish in your opponent’s favor. To effectively counter Expedition Raptor, board control is crucial. Spot removal should be reserved for key moments; employing cost-efficient removal spells like Murder or Shock immediately neutralize the Raptor before it can bolster its companions. Alternatively, if you’re anticipating its arrival, setting up countermeasures such as counterspells, or utilizing bounce spells to disrupt your opponent’s board, can prevent the Raptor from taking effect. Key is to manage your resources wisely and to act decisively, hindering the Raptor’s impact on the game, thus maintaining an advantage over creatures that can elevate your opponent’s board state in Magic: The Gathering.


Cards like Expedition Raptor

Expedition Raptor stands as a notable creature within the vast roster of Magic: The Gathering airborne threats. This flying beast bears a resemblance to creatures like Cobblebrute, which also offer a substantial power on the board. Yet, Expedition Raptor skyrockets in utility by providing Support 2, enabling you to bolster two other creatures. Cobblebrute, while sturdy, lacks this teamwork-enhancing ability.

Turning our focus to Shriek Raptor, another kin in the flying creature family, we see it offers infect, a powerful alternative to straight combat damage. Although Shriek Raptor doesn’t directly empower other creatures, its potential to deal damage in the form of -1/-1 counters can quickly bring an opponent to their knees. Conversely, Expedition Raptor spreads its influence, fortifying your battlefield presence by enhancing multiple creatures and influencing combat more broadly.

In essence, while every flying creature adds strategic value, Expedition Raptor distinguishes itself through its support mechanic. In the realm of aerial dominance and team synergy, it carves a unique niche that can be a game-changer for MTG players looking to evolve their gameplay and tactics on the fly.

Cobblebrute - MTG Card versions
Shriek Raptor - MTG Card versions
Cobblebrute - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Shriek Raptor - New Phyrexia (NPH)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Expedition Raptor MTG card by a specific set like Oath of the Gatewatch and Archenemy: Nicol Bolas, 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 Expedition Raptor and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Expedition Raptor Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2016-01-22 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Johann Bodin.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-01-22Oath of the GatewatchOGW 182015normalblackJohann Bodin
22017-06-16Archenemy: Nicol BolasE01 62015normalblackJohann Bodin
32018-06-08BattlebondBBD 922015normalblackJohann Bodin
42019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 1002015normalblackJohann Bodin
52020-09-26The ListPLST BBD-922015normalblackJohann Bodin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Expedition Raptor has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2016-01-22 If a spell with support has other abilities that target creatures, those abilities and the support ability can target the same creature.
2016-01-22 Support can target a creature you don’t control.
2016-01-22 You can’t put more than one +1/+1 counter on any one target using the support action.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks