Hermit of the Natterknolls // Lone Wolf of the Natterknolls MTG Card


Hermit of the Natterknolls // Lone Wolf of the Natterknolls - Shadows over Innistrad
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Werewolf
Abilities Transform
Released2016-04-08
Set symbol
Set nameShadows over Innistrad
Set codeSOI
Power 2
Toughness 3
Number209
Frame2015
Layouttransform
Borderblack
Illustred byDan Scott

Key Takeaways

  1. Inhibit opponents’ spells or gain cards on their turn, leveraging Hermit to maintain hand advantage.
  2. Encourages innovative green deck strategies, making it an intriguing inclusion despite mana specificity.
  3. Combos with instant-speed play, bolstering strategic interactions and rewarding player foresight.

Text of card

Whenever an opponent casts a spell during your turn, draw a card. At the beginning of each upkeep, if no spells were cast last turn, transform Hermit of the Natterknolls.

He hates company . . .


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Hermit of the Natterknolls becomes a key player in ensuring a healthy hand size. Whenever an opponent casts a spell during your turn, you get to draw a card. This ability can potentially deter opponents from playing spells on your turn, or reward you with extra cards if they do, thereby maintaining or enhancing your card advantage over the course of the game.

Resource Acceleration: This card doesn’t directly produce resources, but by drawing extra cards when opponents cast spells on your turn, you’re effectively accelerating your access to more resources. More cards mean more options and the increased likelihood of drawing into lands or mana-producing spells, thus indirectly supporting your resource acceleration.

Instant Speed: While the Hermit itself isn’t an instant, it synergizes well with instant-speed spells in your deck. Its ability to let you draw cards if an opponent plays something on your turn encourages you to keep mana available. This can lead to a playstyle where you’re able to respond to your opponents’ actions with instant-speed interactions, all while possibly drawing cards if the opponent decides to engage on your turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Hermit of the Natterknolls doesn’t outright make you discard, it’s worth considering that it requires your opponent to cast spells on your turn to truly shine. If your opponent doesn’t, you miss out on its card-drawing benefit, making it potentially less reliable in certain matchups where your opponent can easily avoid playing spells during your turn.

Specific Mana Cost: Hermit of the Natterknolls requires a dedicated green mana cost, which might not seamlessly fit into multicolored decks. Decks without a strong green mana base might struggle to cast it on curve, thereby limiting its inclusion to mostly green-centric decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, including two green, Hermit of the Natterknolls is competing with other three-drop creatures and spells that might offer more immediate impact or value. In the current meta, there are options that provide card advantage or board presence without depending on the opponent’s actions, which might be more consistently powerful for the same mana investment.


Reasons to Include Hermit of the Natterknolls in Your Collection

Versatility: Hermit of the Natterknolls fits into various strategies with its unique ability to draw cards during your opponent’s turn. This makes it a valuable addition to decks that thrive on card advantage and maintaining hand size.

Combo Potential: This card transforms under specific conditions, enhancing its already intriguing ability, which can combo well with decks that manipulate or take advantage of opponents’ turn actions. This can open avenues for creative deck-building around forced player actions and reactions.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where instant-speed spells and abilities are prevalent, Hermit of the Natterknolls gains added relevance. Its ability to punish opponents for casting spells on your turn can be a game-changer, providing extra draw power in matchups where timing is key.


How to beat

Hermit of the Natterknolls holds a unique place in the creature roster of Magic: The Gathering. This werewolf card, when flipped, penalizes opponents for playing spells on your turn by allowing you to draw a card. However, conquering it requires a strategic approach. A popular tactic includes maintaining a consistent spell casting pace during one’s own turn to prevent the transformation of the Hermit into its more powerful form, Lone Wolf of the Natterknolls.

Control decks that can manipulate the timing of their spells have a natural advantage, while creating a board presence that can apply pressure without relying solely on spells is also effective. Removal spells that can target this creature before it transforms or when your opponent is tapped out sidestep the card advantage ability altogether. Considering its strength in passive strategies, playing proactively and denying the werewolf from gaining value is key. It’s critical to understand your deck’s pace and use that to guide your actions against Hermit of the Natterknolls.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the dual nature of Hermit of the Natterknolls offers a strategic edge in MTG. This card presents opportunities to enrich your card advantage and foster a playstyle that reacts to your opponent’s moves. It finds its place in decks valuing card draw and those playing at instant speed. While it may have limitations in terms of mana specificity and conditions for shining, its potential in the right deck cannot be overstated. For players looking to integrate unique mechanics and harness the ability to guide opponents’ actions, Hermit of the Natterknolls is worth considering. Dive deeper with us and discover innovative strategies to make the most of this distinctive card in your matches.


Cards like Hermit of the Natterknolls // Lone Wolf of the Natterknolls

Hermit of the Natterknolls stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a creature with an intriguing ability to draw players additional cards. In likeness to other werewolves in the game, it transforms under specific conditions, thus offering versatile gameplay. This card can be compared to other werewolf cards such as Lambholt Pacifist, which also flips based on the game’s flow but without the card draw advantage.

Another relative is Duskwatch Recruiter, a creature that allows players to look through their library for more creatures, which is a different but yet a valuable way to utilize your mana in getting an upper hand. While both the Duskwatch Recruiter and Hermit of the Natterknolls offer card advantage, their activation conditions and the type of advantage they provide differ noticeably.

Moreover, the card Arlinn Kord, a transformative planeswalker, presents an alternative for players interested in werewolf synergy and transformation abilities. This versatility in deck-building showcases the unique position Hermit of the Natterknolls has in MTG, as it rewards players for their opponents’ inactivity with extra card flow.

Cards similar to Hermit of the Natterknolls // Lone Wolf of the Natterknolls by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hermit of the Natterknolls // Lone Wolf of the Natterknolls MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad, 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 Hermit of the Natterknolls // Lone Wolf of the Natterknolls and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hermit of the Natterknolls // Lone Wolf of the Natterknolls has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2016-04-08 The abilities that transform a Werewolf back and forth look at the entire previous turn, even if the Werewolf with that ability wasn’t on the battlefield for some or all of that turn.
2016-04-08 The first ability of Hermit of the Natterknolls will resolve even if the spell your opponent casts is countered.
2016-04-08 The first ability of Lone Wolf of the Natterknolls will resolve even if the spell your opponent casts is countered.
2016-04-08 To trigger the Werewolf’s back face’s transform ability, a single player must have cast two or more spells during the previous turn. If multiple players each cast just one spell during the previous turn, the ability won’t trigger.
2016-04-08 You may cast spells or activate abilities after the first ability of Hermit of the Natterknolls has resolved but before the spell that caused it to trigger has resolved.
2016-04-08 You may cast spells or activate abilities after the first ability of Lone Wolf of the Natterknolls has resolved but before the spell that caused it to trigger has resolved.
2016-07-13 For more information on double-faced cards, see the Shadows over Innistrad mechanics article (http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/shadows-over-innistrad-mechanics).

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