Aspect of Hydra MTG Card


Aspect of Hydra - Born of the Gods
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeInstant
Released2014-02-07
Set symbol
Set nameBorn of the Gods
Set codeBNG
Number117
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byMark Winters

Key Takeaways

  1. Aspect of Hydra offers combat leverage without direct card draw by preserving vital creature resources.
  2. As a low-cost spell, it serves as a form of acceleration, potentially hastening a player’s victory.
  3. Instant speed casting allows for combat surprises, making it a versatile tactical option in games.

Text of card

Target creature gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is your devotion to green. (Each in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to green.)

"Even alone I outnumber you."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Aspect of Hydra doesn’t directly let you draw cards, but it can be the key to winning a combat exchange without losing creatures, effectively keeping more resources on your side of the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t produce mana or tokens, Aspect of Hydra is a low-cost spell that can massively boost a creature’s power. This can expedite victory, serving as a form of tempo acceleration towards ending the game.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Aspect of Hydra at instant speed provides flexibility, enabling you to surprise an opponent during combat or at the end of their turn. This unpredictability can be a significant tactical advantage.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Aspect of Hydra doesn’t have an explicit discard requirement, but its potency is dependent on the number of permanents with green mana symbols you control. This reliance can be a downside in decks that aren’t heavily green or if you’re facing board-clearing spells that reduce your permanent count.

Specific Mana Cost: Aspect of Hydra requires one green mana to cast. While the cost is low, its effectiveness is tied to a deck with a substantial number of green mana symbols across permanents, potentially limiting its use in multicolor decks or ones that do not focus on green permanents.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite Aspect of Hydra’s low casting cost, its dependence on a board state filled with green symbols means it can be less impactful early game compared to other low-cost spells. Other options may provide immediate value or versatility without the condition of having a certain board state.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Aspect of Hydra can seamlessly integrate into a wide range of green-oriented decks, particularly those built to capitalize on permanents with high devotion to green. Its low mana cost makes it an easy addition to boost the power of creatures unexpectedly.

Combo Potential: This spell shines in synergistic settings where the board is populated with green symbols. It can turn a seemingly ordinary creature into a game-ending threat, linking well with strategies that amplify creature strength.

Meta-Relevance: With creature-based aggressive decks frequently asserting their dominance in various MTG formats, Aspect of Hydra remains a relevant tool, offering a potent swing in power that can decide games, especially in monogreen decks.


How to beat

Aspect of Hydra is a staple for those willing to bolster their creatures in mono-green decks in Magic: The Gathering. Its potential to turn the tides of battle by using the devotion to green can provide a significant temporary power boost. However, countering it involves strategic play and a sharp mind.

To outmaneuver Aspect of Hydra, consider deploying spells that remove key green creatures from play before the boost can apply, such as Path to Exile or Fatal Push. Board clearing spells like Wrath of God or Doomskar serve well to reset the stage. Another tactic is to diminish the opposing devotion count through thoughtfully timed removals, making Aspect of Hydra less of an imminent threat. Lastly, counterspells such as Negate are precise tools to preemptively stop Aspect of Hydra and protect your life total, keeping the way clear for a victory.

Understanding the dynamics of Aspect of Hydra helps players prepare encounter measures to safeguard their strategy against this powerful instant. A balance of removal, counterspells, and timing can effectively eclipse the card’s strength, securing your place at the top of the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the ins and outs of Aspect of Hydra can be the difference between a narrow defeat and a resounding victory in MTG. This card’s strength lies in its ability to amplify your creatures’ power based on your devotion to green, making it a game-changer in mono-green decks. If you’re keen to harness the power of this potent instant or seeking to protect your deck from its wrath, we’ve got you covered. Delve deeper into strategic plays, combo potentials, and ways to beat Aspect of Hydra with our expert insights. Deepen your MTG savvy—join us for an enriching journey into mastering Aspect of Hydra.


Cards like Aspect of Hydra

Aspect of Hydra plays a unique role in decks that focus on boosting the power of creatures. Its ability to tap into a player’s devotion to green and provide a creature with an equal amount of extra power until end of turn makes it a powerhouse in mono-green decks. Comparable to this is Giant Growth, a classic spell that offers a static boost of +3/+3 to a creature. While Giant Growth doesn’t scale with the board state, it provides a reliable and immediate enhancement for a single green mana.

Looking at other cards in the devotion sphere, we can see the enchantment Ordeal of Nylea. It incrementally increases a creature’s power and grants a land-fetching ability upon reaching a certain threshold. While Aspect of Hydra lacks the versatility of an enchantment that sticks around, it excels in delivering a potentially game-ending burst of power all at once. Another card worth mentioning is Solidarity of Heroes, which, for two mana, doubles the number of +1/+1 counters on a creature. While this effect is permanent compared to the temporary boost from Aspect of Hydra, it depends on a pre-existing condition of having counters on the creature.

While each of these spells comes with its own set of strategic applications, Aspect of Hydra stands out for its potential to swing games in the later stages when devotion to green is at its peak, making it a formidable addition to any green-heavy deck.

Giant Growth - MTG Card versions
Ordeal of Nylea - MTG Card versions
Solidarity of Heroes - MTG Card versions
Giant Growth - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Ordeal of Nylea - Theros (THS)
Solidarity of Heroes - Journey into Nyx (JOU)

Cards similar to Aspect of Hydra by color, type and mana cost

Fog - MTG Card versions
Natural Selection - MTG Card versions
Lifelace - MTG Card versions
Berserk - MTG Card versions
Giant Growth - MTG Card versions
Crumble - MTG Card versions
Crop Rotation - MTG Card versions
Sandstorm - MTG Card versions
Seedling Charm - MTG Card versions
Shrink - MTG Card versions
Choking Vines - MTG Card versions
Crossbow Ambush - MTG Card versions
Reclaim - MTG Card versions
Worldly Tutor - MTG Card versions
Gaea's Might - MTG Card versions
Serene Sunset - MTG Card versions
Sprout - MTG Card versions
Gather Courage - MTG Card versions
Nature's Claim - MTG Card versions
Prey's Vengeance - MTG Card versions
Fog - Magic 2012 (M12)
Natural Selection - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Lifelace - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Berserk - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Giant Growth - The List (PLST)
Crumble - World Championship Decks 1997 (WC97)
Crop Rotation - The List (PLST)
Sandstorm - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Seedling Charm - Mirage (MIR)
Shrink - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Choking Vines - Weatherlight (WTH)
Crossbow Ambush - Stronghold (STH)
Reclaim - Magic Origins (ORI)
Worldly Tutor - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Gaea's Might - Dominaria United (DMU)
Serene Sunset - Judgment (JUD)
Sprout - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Gather Courage - The List (PLST)
Nature's Claim - The List (PLST)
Prey's Vengeance - The List (PLST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Aspect of Hydra MTG card by a specific set like Born of the Gods, 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 Aspect of Hydra and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Aspect of Hydra has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2013-09-15 Hybrid mana symbols, monocolored hybrid mana symbols, and Phyrexian mana symbols do count toward your devotion to their color(s).
2013-09-15 If an activated ability or triggered ability has an effect that depends on your devotion to a color, you count the number of mana symbols of that color among the mana costs of permanents you control as the ability resolves. The permanent with that ability will be counted if it’s still on the battlefield at that time.
2013-09-15 Mana symbols in the text boxes of permanents you control don’t count toward your devotion to any color.
2013-09-15 Numeric mana symbols (, , and so on) in mana costs of permanents you control don’t count toward your devotion to any color.
2014-02-01 The value of X is calculated as Aspect of Hydra resolves. The bonus won’t change later in the turn, even if your devotion to green does.

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