Hackrobat MTG Card


Hackrobat - Ravnica Allegiance
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Rogue
Abilities Spectacle
Released2019-01-25
Set symbol
Set nameRavnica Allegiance
Set codeRNA
Power 2
Toughness 3
Number181
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred bySimon Dominic

Key Takeaways

  1. Strategically deploy Hackrobat using its spectacle cost for advantageous mana management and board state acceleration.
  2. Instant-speed deathtouch ability of Hackrobat poses a significant threat, forcing opponents to reconsider combat decisions.
  3. While offering aggressive potential, Hackrobat’s specific mana needs and discard cost could hamper its utility in some decks.

Text of card

Spectacle (You may cast this spell for its spectacle cost rather than its mana cost if an opponent lost life this turn.) : Hackrobat gains deathtouch until end of turn. : Hackrobat gets +2/-2 until end of turn.

"They all want to see me fall."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Hackrobat enters the battlefield ready to disrupt your opponent’s plans. While it doesn’t draw cards directly, its spectacle cost can provide a strategic advantage, allowing you to deploy it for a reduced mana cost under the right conditions. This can free up resources to use other cards in your hand more effectively.

Resource Acceleration: Hackrobat itself may not produce additional resources, but its presence accelerates your board state, applying pressure and demanding an answer from your opponent. In a deck built to capitalize on aggressive strategies, this can translate into a kind of resource acceleration as you outpace your opponent’s ability to manage their defenses.

Instant Speed: Although Hackrobat is a creature and not an instant, its ability to gain deathtouch until end of turn at instant speed adds a layer of complexity to combat. This means you can activate it in response to attackers or blockers being declared, effectively serving as a deterrent and preserving your strategic edge on the battlefield.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Hackrobat’s spectacle cost demands you discard a card, which may deplete your hand faster than desired, especially in a pitched battle where every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Hackrobat requires both black and red mana, restricting its inclusion to only those decks that can consistently produce both colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a three-mana creature, Hackrobat’s base stats and abilities could be seen as lacking when compared with other creatures at the same cost, potentially affecting its overall efficiency in gameplay.


Reasons to Include Hackrobat in Your Collection

Versatility: Hackrobat serves as a flexible addition to any deck requiring a strong aggressive creature. Its ability to gain deathtouch or a significant power boost aligns well with various playstyles and formats.

Combo Potential: This card can slot into Rakdos strategies that thrive on spectacle costs. Its dynamic abilities enable clever interactions with cards that benefit from creatures with deathtouch or higher attack stats.

Meta-Relevance: As the game fluctuates, Hackrobat’s adaptability ensures it remains relevant in diverse environments. In a meta where smaller creatures are prevalent, its deathtouch becomes a notable asset, deterring opponents from attacking or blocking.


How to beat

Cracking the secret to overcome a Hackrobat in your MTG duel is about foresight and strategy. As an elusive challenger boasting specter maneuvers, Hackrobat is not easily pinned down due to its activated abilities that can make it resistant to destruction and able to slip through your defenses. One effective approach is to limit its ability activations by restraining the opponent’s mana. Cards that impede mana generation put pressure on your adversary, making Hackrobat’s abilities more costly to employ.

Furthermore, weaving in removal spells that don’t target, such as board wipes or exile effects, can dispatch Hackrobat regardless of its hexproof status. Similarly, imposing spells that prevent your opponent from casting creature spells will bottleneck Hackrobat before it even hits the battlefield. Ensnaring the opponent with cards that remove Hackrobat from combat or nullify its abilities can also turn the tide. Balancing your deck with a mix of these counterstrategies will prepare you to dance around Hackrobat’s antics and claim victory in the MTG arena.


Cards like Hackrobat

Hackrobat makes a nimble entrance into the pantheon of versatile creatures within Magic: The Gathering. It draws certain parallels with the likes of Metropolis Sprite, another flying creature with the ability to boost its own power. However, Hackrobat stands out by virtue of its special spectacle cost advantage and the ability to gain deathtouch for a single black mana.

Skymarch Bloodletter serves as another point of comparison, a creature that not only flies but also directly affects life totals upon entry to the battlefield. Unlike Hackrobat, though, it lacks the flexibility of increased power or tactical deathtouch. There’s also Audacious Thief, which can’t fly but encourages engagement as it rewards you with card draw when it attacks. This provides a different kind of advantage compared to Hackrobat’s potential combat tricks.

What’s evident is that Hackrobat adds a strategic layer to creature play, with the potential for immediate impact if you’ve dealt damage to an opponent. It finds its identity in its adaptability and the choice it offers players during combat – a unique edge that can turn the tides in a match when used effectively.

Metropolis Sprite - MTG Card versions
Skymarch Bloodletter - MTG Card versions
Audacious Thief - MTG Card versions
Metropolis Sprite - MTG Card versions
Skymarch Bloodletter - MTG Card versions
Audacious Thief - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hackrobat MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica Allegiance, 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 Hackrobat and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hackrobat has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2019-01-25 A card’s spectacle cost is the same no matter how much life your opponents lost or how many opponents lost life.
2019-01-25 Damage dealt to a player causes that player to lose that much life.
2019-01-25 In a multiplayer game, if an opponent loses life and later that turn leaves the game, you can cast a spell for its spectacle cost. (If a player leaves the game during their turn, that turn continues without an active player.)
2019-01-25 Spectacle doesn’t change when you can cast the card. For example, you can’t cast a sorcery with spectacle during an opponent’s turn unless another effect allows you to do so, even if that player has lost life this turn.
2019-01-25 To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you’re paying (such as a spectacle cost), add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The converted mana cost of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was.

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