Blood Hound MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Dog
Released	1999-10-04
Set symbol
Set name	Mercadian Masques
Set code	MMQ
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	176
Frame	1997
Layout	normal
Border	black
Illustred by	Bradley Williams

Key Takeaways

Blood Hound ensures consistent card advantage, crucial for maintaining strategic options throughout the game.
This card can be a resource-efficient threat, growing in power without demanding more mana.
Strategic use of Blood Hound can disrupt opponents, reflecting its versatility and sudden impact.

Text of card

Whenever you're dealt damage, you may put that many +1/+1 counters on Blood Hound. At the end of your turn, remove all +1/+1 counters from Blood Hound.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Blood Hound gives players a competitive edge by allowing them to maintain card superiority. Each attack phase has the potential to not only deal damage but also incrementally increase your hand, ensuring you’re never caught short on options.

Resource Acceleration: This nimble canine can rapidly become a pressing issue for your opponent. Its potential to grow in power with each successful hit means you’re accelerating your board presence and threat level without the need for additional mana investment—your resources can be allocated elsewhere, strengthening your overall game strategy.

Instant Speed: Blood Hound’s abilities may not be at instant speed, but its impact on the board can be just as sudden and disruptive. The ability to catch an opponent off-guard and shift the momentum of a game cannot be underestimated and lends this card a tactical flexibility that’s valuable in the fast-paced environment of competitive MTG play.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Blood Hound card necessitates that players discard another card as part of its activation cost. This can be a considerable downside for those who are already grappling with a dwindling hand size or who need to maintain card advantage in a game. Being forced to part with a potentially valuable card may not always align with your strategy, especially in critical moments of a match.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting Blood Hound demands a precise combination of mana, including both red and other colors. This specificity can occasionally restrict how the card fits into multicolored decks or those that rely on a flexible mana base. If your deck isn’t calibrated to accommodate these needs, you might find Blood Hound sitting in your hand unusable at times when you need it the most.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: This card comes with a mana cost that may seem high relative to the benefits it provides. When considering its place in your deck, it’s important to evaluate if its impact on the board justifies its cost. There are other cards available at a lower mana value that could potentially offer similar or better effects, potentially making Blood Hound less optimal for your deck’s overall mana curve and strategy.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Blood Hound stands out due to its flexibility across various playing styles. This card seamlessly integrates into decks geared towards aggressive play, as well as those looking for robust defense mechanisms, thanks to its dynamic ability set.

Combo Potential: Prominent within combo-centric decks, Blood Hound shines by synergizing with other cards to unlock powerful interactions, maintaining a high tempo and disrupting opponent strategies.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that’s heavily influenced by creature-based tactics, Blood Hound offers immediate board presence and interaction, making it a significant contender in many match-ups.

How to Beat

Confronting the Blood Hound card on the battlefield can be a challenge for any avid player of Magic: The Gathering. As a creature known for its prowess and capacity to become a significant threat, it’s vital to have strategies in place to shut down its impact on the game. Tapping into removal spells is an efficient way to neutralize Blood Hound. Spells that cause the opponent to sacrifice a creature can be particularly devastating against single-target threats such as this.

Moreover, incorporating board wipes into your deck that clear out multiple creatures can reset the playing field, effectively negating the Blood Hound’s advantage. Additionally, counterspells are the perfect preemptive measure to prevent Blood Hound from hitting the board in the first place. Timing is crucial; by understanding the pacing of your opponent’s plays, you have the edge in maintaining control over the game.

Ultimately, it’s about being one step ahead of the opposition. Whether it’s through the smart deployment of removals or setting up defenses that withstand the Blood Hound’s onslaught, your focus should be on limiting its influence and leading your strategy to victory.

Cards like Blood Hound

Blood Hound presents a unique dynamic among creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. It stands out in its class due to its ability to get bigger with red mana investment. Comparatively, there’s Rakdos Cackler, which also offers a formidable creature at a low cost. While Rakdos Cackler can be unleashed to become a 2/2, it lacks the mana-fed growth potential of Blood Hound.

Looking at Ember Hauler, another two-cost creature, we see it provides direct damage utility. Ember Hauler can sacrifice itself to deal damage, giving immediate impact that Blood Hound doesn’t offer. However, Blood Hound has the potential for ongoing board presence and escalating threat level if left unchecked.

Conversely, consider the card Firedrinker Satyr, another creature that can grow but at the cost of personal risk, potentially dealing damage to its controller. Blood Hound provides a safer option to increase power without inflicting self-harm. Thus, Blood Hound holds a distinctive position among creature cards with potential for size and impact during the game.

Rakdos Cackler - Return to Ravnica (RTR)

Cards similar to Blood Hound by color, type and mana cost

Hobgoblin Bandit Lord - MTG Card versions

Mannichi, the Fevered Dream - MTG Card versions

Cunning Bandit // Azamuki, Treachery Incarnate - MTG Card versions

Balduvian Barbarians - MTG Card versions

Shinen of Fury's Fire - MTG Card versions

Dwarven Warriors - Foreign Black Border (FBB)

Wall of Stone - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)

Imperial Recruiter - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)

Uthden Troll - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)

Hobgoblin Bandit Lord - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos (PAFR)

Goblin Rabblemaster - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Mannichi, the Fevered Dream - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Cunning Bandit // Azamuki, Treachery Incarnate - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Ghost-Lit Raider - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)

Balduvian Barbarians - Ninth Edition (9ED)

Shinen of Fury's Fire - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Blood Hound MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques, 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 Blood Hound and other MTG cards: