Monstrous Hound MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Dog
Power 4
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Monstrous Hound excels in card advantage and can dominate the board over time.
  2. Resource acceleration is its strength, pressuring opponents to react quickly.
  3. The Hound’s presence enables strategic play with other instant-speed cards.

Text of card

Monstrous Hound cannot attack unless you control more lands than defending player. Monstrous Hound cannot block unless you control more lands than attacking player.

"Stay."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Monstrous Hound offers a commanding board presence. It can be a source of progressive card advantage, especially when its abilities align well with the mechanics of your deck, giving you an upper hand by outpacing your opponent’s resources.

Resource Acceleration: As a powerful creature card, Monstrous Hound may grant indirect resource acceleration by applying pressure on your adversaries swiftly. This can force opponents to deal with it using more resources than they would prefer, effectively accelerating your lead in the resource game.

Instant Speed: Although Monstrous Hound itself may not have instant speed, its presence can embolden your strategy by allowing you to confidently pass turns with mana available. This enables you to react at instant speed with other cards in your arsenal, knowing your Monstrous Hound poses a significant threat whenever it’s in play.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Monstrous Hound requires a card to be discarded when it enters the battlefield, which might strain your hand if you’re already contending with limited card choices.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature card demands a precise combination of red mana, making it somewhat inflexible and challenging for players who are not running a primarily red or compatible two-color deck.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that is on the higher side for its stats and abilities, some players may find Monstrous Hound to be a less than optimal play compared to other creatures in the same mana slot.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Monstrous Hound is a powerful card that can easily fit into various red-themed decks due to its straightforward yet effective abilities. It shines in aggressive strategies where putting pressure on the opponent is key.

Combo Potential: With the right setup, Monstrous Hound can become a formidable force. Synergizing with cards that manipulate +1/+1 counters or benefit from damage triggers, this creature can integrate into and enhance several combo strategies.

Meta-Relevance: As metagames evolve, having cards that can adapt is crucial. Monstrous Hound’s ability to quickly grow in strength makes it a valuable asset against slower deck types that need time to establish board control, ensuring its relevance in various gameplay scenarios.


How to beat

The Monstrous Hound card is a formidable creature that can intimidate opponents in the world of MTG. This powerful pooch comes with its own set of strengths, but every card has its Achilles’ heel. To gain the upper hand against the Monstrous Hound, consider using removal spells that can bypass its possible protection from colors or hexproof abilities, such as “Wrath of God” or “Damnation” which don’t target a specific creature but rather destroy all creatures on the board.

Additionally, you could employ cards that change the rules of engagement, like “Ensnaring Bridge” to keep the hound at bay, preventing it from attacking you. For those playing a more control-oriented deck, countering the spell as it’s cast with a “Counterspell” or “Dovin’s Veto” can ensure the beast never even sets paw on the battlefield. Lastly, don’t overlook the effectiveness of compromising its strength through combat tricks or damage-prevention spells like “Fog,” which can nullify a potentially game-ending attack. By keeping these strategies in mind, you can turn the tables on Monstrous Hound and keep your life total safe from its fearsome bite.


Cards like Monstrous Hound

Monstrous Hound is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering, capturing the flavor of mythical beasts with a fearsome presence on the board. When set side by side with cards like Watchwolf, another two-colored cost creature, Monstrous Hound stands out due to its conditional power increase. Watchwolf consistently boasts a 3/3 stature, yet Monstrous Hound has the potential to overpower it when its specific requirement of having no untapped lands is met.

Another creature to draw parallels with is Ember Hauler. Both inhabit a similar aggressive playstyle, but Ember Hauler offers a direct damage ability in exchange for a lighter power base. This gives players a reusable tool against opponents versus the Hound’s one-dimensional brute force approach. Comparatively, Leatherback Baloth, with its formidable 4/5 statistics, doesn’t hinge on land status and presents a constant threat, though at a higher mana cost and without the red flexibility that Monstrous Hound brings to a R/G deck.

Assessing Monstrous Hound amidst its counterparts, it’s a card that can potentially dominate combat phases and shape game states, thriving in decks tailored to meet its condition. Its situational strength may well make it a sleeper hit in specific MTG deck constructions.

Watchwolf - MTG Card versions
Ember Hauler - MTG Card versions
Leatherback Baloth - MTG Card versions
Watchwolf - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Ember Hauler - Magic 2011 (M11)
Leatherback Baloth - DCI Promos (PDCI)

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

Dragon Whelp - MTG Card versions
Keldon Warlord - MTG Card versions
Crimson Manticore - MTG Card versions
Márton Stromgald - MTG Card versions
Reckless Embermage - MTG Card versions
Wildfire Emissary - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Giant - MTG Card versions
Rathi Dragon - MTG Card versions
Mogg Bombers - MTG Card versions
Warmonger - MTG Card versions
Bloodfire Kavu - MTG Card versions
Whipkeeper - MTG Card versions
Anger - MTG Card versions
Nalathni Dragon - MTG Card versions
Everquill Phoenix - MTG Card versions
Goblin Goon - MTG Card versions
Lesser Gargadon - MTG Card versions
Krark-Clan Engineers - MTG Card versions
Shimatsu the Bloodcloaked - MTG Card versions
Ogre Taskmaster - MTG Card versions
Dragon Whelp - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Keldon Warlord - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Crimson Manticore - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Márton Stromgald - Ice Age (ICE)
Reckless Embermage - Mirage (MIR)
Wildfire Emissary - Mirage (MIR)
Flowstone Giant - Tempest (TMP)
Rathi Dragon - Tempest (TMP)
Mogg Bombers - Stronghold (STH)
Warmonger - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Bloodfire Kavu - Apocalypse (APC)
Whipkeeper - Odyssey (ODY)
Anger - Judgment (JUD)
Nalathni Dragon - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Everquill Phoenix - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)
Goblin Goon - Legions (LGN)
Lesser Gargadon - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Krark-Clan Engineers - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Shimatsu the Bloodcloaked - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Ogre Taskmaster - Ninth Edition (9ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Monstrous Hound MTG card by a specific set like Exodus and Magic Online 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 Monstrous Hound and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Monstrous Hound Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1998-06-15 and 1998-06-15. Illustrated by Dermot Power.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-06-15ExodusEXO 891997normalblackDermot Power
22002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 321941997normalblackDermot Power

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Monstrous Hound has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks