Master of the Wild Hunt MTG Card
2009-07-17 - Number 191
2018-03-16 - Number 181
2022-12-02 - Number 688
2019-12-02 - Number 1249
2020-09-26 - Number A25-181
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Creature — Human Shaman |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Generates a 2/2 Wolf token every upkeep, enhancing board strength without hand depletion.
- Wolf tokens provide resource acceleration, expanding mana sources and board presence.
- The card’s pack-tapping ability strategically mimics instant speed for creature removal.
Text of card
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a 2/2 green Wolf creature token onto the battlefield. : Tap all untapped Wolf creatures you control. Each Wolf tapped this way deals damage equal to its power to target creature. That creature deals damage equal to its power divided as its controller chooses among any number of those Wolves.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Master of the Wild Hunt shines in creating consistent card advantage by summoning a 2/2 Wolf creature token during each of your upkeeps. This recurring ability ensures you’re amassing an army without depleting your hand, maintaining pressure on the opponent while fortifying your board presence.
Resource Acceleration: This card strategically accelerates your board state, indicative of resource acceleration. Each Wolf token not only enlarges your creature base but also evolves into a potential mana resource when pairing with effects that tap creatures for mana, thus amplifying the usability and flexibility of your resources.
Instant Speed: While the Master itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its ability to tap all Wolves you control to deal damage equal to the number of Wolves to a creature mimics the surprise factor of an instant. It allows strategic removal of threats on your turn after opponents have committed to their plays, catching them off-guard and potentially disrupting their plans.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Master of the Wild Hunt doesn’t require discarding directly, it needs careful planning around hand management. If you fail to hold onto creature control spells or sufficient creatures to power up its ability, Master of the Wild Hunt’s value drops significantly.
Specific Mana Cost: Master of the Wild Hunt demands a specific mana commitment – two green – which can strain mana bases, especially in multicolored decks. Ensuring the necessary green mana can be available each turn for optimal play might dictate the construction of your deck more than you prefer.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, including those two green mana, Master of the Wild Hunt is a mid-game play at best. There are scenarios where a four-mana investment could summon creatures with immediate board impact or other planeswalkers with versatile abilities contributing to your game plan more directly.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Master of the Wild Hunt offers a flexible role in a variety of decks, specifically those looking to generate considerable creature presence and control the battlefield with strategic creature removal.
Combo Potential: This card works synergistically with effects that capitalize on the number of creatures you control, as well as those that benefit from tapping or untapping creatures.
Meta-Relevance: Considering its capacity to produce a steady stream of Wolf tokens, and given a meta that includes creature-based strategies, Master of the Wild Hunt can become a linchpin in disrupting opponent’s boards while bolstering your own.
How to beat
Master of the Wild Hunt is a powerful card that brings both board presence and control in MTG. Overcoming this card requires a strategy that disrupts its ability to amass wolf tokens and capitalize on them. Efficient removal spells are the most straightforward way to deal with Master of the Wild Hunt; spells that can exile it or force a sacrifice before it can create a significant number of wolves or activate its tap ability. Spot removal such as Path to Exile or board wipes like Wrath of God can clear it along with its generated tokens.
Alternatively, preventing it from activating its abilities with cards that impose tap restrictions or that remove the creature’s abilities, such as Linvala, Keeper of Silence, can cripple its effectiveness. Ensuring you have control over the board state by consistently keeping creature numbers low also limits Master of the Wild Hunt’s impact. Emergency responses like instant-speed removal or flash creatures can disrupt the Master’s combat calculations, giving you an upper hand. Be tactful and ready to act before the pack grows too large or the hunt begins.
BurnMana Recommendations
Mastering your MTG deck is an art form, and including Master of the Wild Hunt can be a game-changing decision. With its ability to provide an ever-growing army of wolves, this card offers both offensive and defensive opportunities. Whether it’s bolstering your board or crafting a dynamic approach to resource management, its inclusion can herald a significant shift in your gameplay. If you want to harness the full potential of this card, enhance your deck strategy, learn its synergies, and keep a step ahead of the meta, we’re here to guide you. Dive deeper into building a formidable deck with Master of the Wild Hunt at your side.
Cards like Master of the Wild Hunt
In the rich tapestry of powerful creatures that Magic: The Gathering has to offer, Master of the Wild Hunt stands tall among them. It draws close parallels to cards like Wolfbriar Elemental, which also capitalizes on the strength of wolf tokens to bend the battle to a player’s favor. However, Master of the Wild Hunt adds a layer of functionality with its ability to tap and command wolves to orchestrate an attack, potentially eliminating troublesome creatures on the board.
Tapping into the same thematic vein, we find Garruk Relentless. This planeswalker transforms into Garruk, the Veil-Cursed, bringing with him an entourage of wolf tokens. While Garruk showcases versatility in his abilities, Master of the Wild Hunt’s consistent focus on wolf token generation and orchestrated attacks renders a unique advantage in creature-focused strategies.
Cards like Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves also echo the utility of token creatures, providing a life-gain bonus upon their arrival. Yet, in direct contrast, Master of the Wild Hunt coalesces offense and creature control, offering strategic flexibility that sits at the core of its appeal. Evaluating these offerings, the card embodies a blend of proactive board presence and tactical dominance within creature-centric playing styles.
Cards similar to Master of the Wild Hunt by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Master of the Wild Hunt MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2010 and Masters 25, 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 Master of the Wild Hunt and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See Magic products
Printings
The Master of the Wild Hunt Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2009-07-17 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2009-07-17 | Magic 2010 | M10 | 191 | 2003 | normal | black | Kev Walker | |
| 2 | 2018-03-16 | Masters 25 | A25 | 181 | 2015 | normal | black | Kev Walker | |
| 3 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 1249 | 2015 | normal | black | Sam Burley | ||
| 4 | The List | PLST | A25-181 | 2015 | normal | black | Kev Walker | ||
| 5 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 688 | 2015 | normal | black | Kev Walker |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Master of the Wild Hunt has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Master of the Wild Hunt card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-03-16 | All Wolves you control are tapped as part of the activated ability’s effect, not as a cost. Players may respond by attempting to tap or untap Wolves, or to create or remove them. |
| 2018-03-16 | If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Master of the Wild Hunt’s ability tries to resolve, the ability doesn’t resolve. You won’t tap your Wolves, and nothing will deal or be dealt damage. |
| 2018-03-16 | Only a Wolf creature tapped as part of the ability’s effect can be dealt damage by the target creature. |
| 2018-03-16 | The controller of the target creature doesn’t divide that creature’s damage as the ability is activated (since the Wolves that will receive that damage aren’t targeted), so that player does so as the ability resolves. There is no time to react between the time a Wolf is chosen, the time damage is dealt to it, and the time it’s destroyed for having been dealt lethal damage. If you want to put a regeneration shield on one of those Wolves, or target it with a damage-prevention spell, or anything else, you must do so before the ability resolves (and before you know which Wolves will be chosen and how much damage will be dealt to them). |
