Genesis Hydra MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Plant Hydra
Power 0
Toughness 0

Key Takeaways

  1. Genesis Hydra excels in resource acceleration and card advantage, ideal for decks with ample mana.
  2. Hydra’s specific green mana requirement may limit its use in diverse color decks.
  3. The card’s unique ability to fetch nonland permanents directly increases its strategic value.

Text of card

When you cast this spell, reveal the top X cards of your library. You may put a nonland permanent card with mana value X or less from among them onto the battlefield. Then shuffle the rest into your library. Genesis Hydra enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Genesis Hydra provides a significant edge by potentially fetching any nonland permanent directly onto the battlefield from among the top cards of your library. This not only thickens your board presence but also adeptly circumvents any loss from typical draw-go scenarios.

Resource Acceleration: The flexibility of Genesis Hydra’s X cost plays into resource acceleration strategies. Pouring surplus mana into X allows a greater selection from the top cards while simultaneously dropping a formidable creature onto the battlefield, effectively doubling the utility of your resources.

Instant Speed: While Genesis Hydra operates at sorcery speed, it fits seamlessly into decks which utilize instant speed spells and abilities to manipulate the top cards of the library right before it resolves. Such synergy amplifies the potential and ensures that you make the most out of each hydra cast.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Genesis Hydra doesn’t need a card to be discarded, but it’s important to keep in mind the necessity of having a high enough mana pool to maximize the benefit. Lack of sufficient mana when casting can lead to underwhelming results.

Specific Mana Cost: Genesis Hydra requires a significant amount of green mana. This can be challenging to generate in multi-colored decks, potentially restricting it to mono-green or decks heavily skewed towards green mana production.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Genesis Hydra can be a game-changer, its high mana cost can be seen as a drawback. This is especially true if the battlefield presence isn’t felt immediately, given faster-paced decks might overrun you before you can leverage its full potential.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Genesis Hydra offers an adaptable solution for any green deck that can generate large amounts of mana. When you cast it, you’re simultaneously developing your board presence by potentially putting another valuable permanent onto the battlefield.

Combo Potential: This creature can be an all-star in multiple strategies, working exceptionally well in decks that capitalize on +1/+1 counters or “enter the battlefield” triggers. With the right setup, Genesis Hydra interacts superbly with cards that manipulate the top of your library, ensuring that the card you bring into play impacts the game immediately.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where big creatures and value engines dominate, Genesis Hydra holds its ground. It allows you to maintain momentum against control decks by presenting multiple threats with a single spell and can pivot into a game-winning play by fetching a pivotal piece from your deck.


How to beat Genesis Hydra

Genesis Hydra is a unique creature in MTG, known for its formidable presence once it hits the battlefield. Playing against this card can be challenging, but there are strategies to tip the scales in your favor. One effective method is countering Genesis Hydra as it’s being cast. Cards like Negate or Essence Scatter are vital in your arsenal, as they can prevent the hydra and its potential enter-the-battlefield effects from influencing the game state.

Another tactic involves managing the battlefield itself. Employing removal spells that exile creatures, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, ensures Genesis Hydra doesn’t get a chance to make its impact. This approach is paramount because once Genesis Hydra is in play, its ability to potentially cheat other powerful artifacts or creatures into play can be game-ending. Lastly, hand disruption plays like Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek can preemptively remove Genesis Hydra from your opponent’s hand before they accumulate enough mana to cast it. By combining these strategies, you can effectively neutralize the threat of Genesis Hydra and maintain control of the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

If you’re looking to capitalize on the raw power of Genesis Hydra in MTG, understanding its strengths and weaknesses is crucial. Its ability to cheat out valuable permanents while bolstering your battlefield can be a game-changer. Make sure your mana base is robust enough to maximize its potential and consider incorporating cards that synergize with +1/+1 counters or those that allow you to manipulate your library. While Genesis Hydra is a force on its own, it truly shines when integrated into a thoughtfully crafted deck. If you’re ready to harness the power of Genesis Hydra and explore its strategic depth, join us to deepen your knowledge and refine your deck-building skills for optimum performance in every match.


Cards like Genesis Hydra

Genesis Hydra stands out in the pantheon of creature cards in MTG due to its impactful X cost mechanic. It has echoes of Green Sun’s Zenith, allowing you to fetch a creature card with the X cost mechanic from your library. However, Genesis Hydra takes it a step further by potentially putting a permanent directly onto the battlefield, not just a creature, and including the card’s cost in that X value. Plus, Genesis Hydra joins the battle itself, a feature Green Sun’s Zenith doesn’t offer.

Another card reminiscent of Genesis Hydra’s ability is Chord of Calling, which also brings creatures from your library to the battlefield. The convoke mechanic potentially reduces the cost, making it dynamically valuable, yet it lacks the board presence that Genesis Hydra provides upon being cast. Lastly, See the Unwritten also shares the concept of scouring the library for potential heavy hitters, but it relies on the luck of the top eight cards rather than a chosen X value and doesn’t ensure a creature hit like Genesis Hydra does.

Overall, Genesis Hydra’s versatility in digging out impactful permanents and its presence as a creature itself make it a unique and strategic choice for players looking to make the most out of significant mana resources in MTG.

Green Sun's Zenith - MTG Card versions
Chord of Calling - MTG Card versions
See the Unwritten - MTG Card versions
Green Sun's Zenith - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Chord of Calling - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
See the Unwritten - Khans of Tarkir (KTK)

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Wyluli Wolf - Arabian Nights (ARN)
Whirling Dervish - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Grizzly Bears - Seventh Edition (7ED)
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River Boa - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
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Albino Troll - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Silverglade Pathfinder - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Priest of Titania - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Quirion Elves - Duel Decks: Phyrexia vs. the Coalition (DDE)
Blurred Mongoose - Invasion (INV)
Llanowar Loamspeaker - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Scavenging Ooze - Modern Masters 2017 (MM3)
Heir of the Wilds - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Mayor of Avabruck // Howlpack Alpha - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Wren's Run Vanquisher - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Muscle Sliver - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Ayula, Queen Among Bears - Fallout (PIP)
Tel-Jilad Chosen - Mirrodin (MRD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Genesis Hydra MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Resale Promos, 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 Genesis Hydra and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Genesis Hydra Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 2007-01-01 and 2023-04-21. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 558702015normalblackPeter Mohrbacher
22007-01-01Resale PromosPRES 1762015normalblackPeter Mohrbacher
32014-07-18Magic 2015M15 1762015normalblackPeter Mohrbacher
42017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 1632015normalblackPeter Mohrbacher
52020-04-17Commander 2020C20 1722015normalblackPeter Mohrbacher
62020-09-26The ListPLST M15-1762015normalblackPeter Mohrbacher
72022-02-18Neon Dynasty CommanderNEC 1182015normalblackDonato Giancola
82023-04-21March of the Machine CommanderMOC 2982015normalblackDonato Giancola

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Genesis Hydra has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2017-11-17 A nonland permanent card is an artifact, creature, enchantment, or planeswalker card.
2017-11-17 Genesis Hydra's first ability will resolve before Genesis Hydra does. Notably, if you put an Aura card onto the battlefield this way, it can't enchant Genesis Hydra.
2017-11-17 If a card in a player's library has in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.
2017-11-17 If you have fewer than X cards in your library, you reveal all of them.
2017-11-17 If you put an Aura onto the battlefield this way, you choose what it enchants as it enters the battlefield. This doesn't target any permanent or player, but it must be able to enchant that permanent or player. For example, you could put a green Aura onto the battlefield enchanting a creature with hexproof controlled by an opponent, but not one with protection from green.
2017-11-17 If “the rest” is zero cards, either because X was 0 or because X was 1 and that card was put onto the battlefield, the library is still shuffled.

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