Ravenous Bloodseeker MTG Card
2016-04-08 - Number 175
2016-04-08 - Number 175
2021-08-26 - Number 498
2023-03-21 - Number 173
2002-06-24 - Number 60486
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Vampire Berserker |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Discarding at instant speed with Ravenous Bloodseeker allows for flexible, reactive gameplay and strategic deck cycling.
- Enables various graveyard synergies, but its abilities come with the cost of depleting your hand resources.
- Its specific mana needs and activation cost may conflict with multi-color deck strategies and resource allocation.
Text of card
Discard a card: Ravenous Bloodseeker gets +2/-2 until end of turn.
"Nothing will cool the fire in their blood. They are too far gone. We must keep them away from our towns at any cost." —Cosper Lowe of the Silbern Guard
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Ravenous Bloodseeker provides a unique way to cycle through your deck. Discarding a card in exchange for another can help filter out unwanted cards from your hand, increasing the chances of drawing into more beneficial cards for the current situation.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly adding to your mana pool, the act of discarding can be leveraged in MTG for various synergistic effects that can accelerate your game plan. By discarding a card, you may enable graveyard mechanics or effects that depend on having a certain card type in the graveyard, enhancing your board state or resource access indirectly.
Instant Speed: Ravenous Bloodseeker’s ability can be activated at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to adapt to your opponent’s moves. This can be crucial for unexpected combinations or interactions that require precise timing, allowing for reactive plays even during your opponent’s turn or at the end of their turn to set up for your next.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: To fuel its ability, Ravenous Bloodseeker demands you discard a card, potentially draining your hand quickly if not managed properly. This can be particularly troublesome in gameplay scenarios where maintaining card advantage is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: Ravenous Bloodseeker requires red mana for both casting and ability activation. This specificity may restrict deck-building options, making it less flexible for multi-color strategies that are not heavily red.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While two mana for a 1/3 creature might seem reasonable, the need to spend additional resources to make it effective raises the overall cost. There are competitors in the two-mana slot that may provide immediate impact without additional investment, potentially overshadowing Ravenous Bloodseeker in terms of efficiency.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Ravenous Bloodseeker is a flexible card that can slip into multiple deck archetypes with ease. Its ability to discard cards can be vital for strategies looking to populate the graveyard or trigger madness abilities, making it an excellent addition for those seeking depth in their play options.
Combo Potential: This card’s power to discard opens up numerous combo possibilities. Whether it’s enabling reanimator tactics or empowering delve mechanics, Ravenous Bloodseeker can be the linchpin in a game-changing combo, presenting itself as a critical accelerator in a strategic combo chain.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment where efficient creatures and graveyard strategies are prevalent, Ravenous Bloodseeker holds a considerable position. It serves not only as a creature that can effectively trade with others but also as an enabler that continuously fuels your strategy, adapting to the shifts and turns of the ongoing meta.
How to Beat
Overcoming a Ravenous Bloodseeker in your MTG game requires strategic planning and resource management. As a disruptive creature known for its ability to discard cards and grow stronger, you’ll want to minimize its impact as swiftly as possible. Graveyard strategies can be an effective way to do this, as cards like Scavenging Ooze can target the discarded pieces, hindering your opponent’s potential graveyard synergies.
Control players might consider removal spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile, which can manage the threat efficiently, costing less mana than the Bloodseeker’s activation. Timing your removal after the opponent has discarded a card but before they pump the Bloodseeker will ensure resource loss for them. If you’re in a pinch, instant-speed interaction is always key, as it can prevent the sudden growth of the creature in response to a block or an aggressive attack.
In essence, ensure your deck has answers to early threats and doesn’t allow the Ravenous Bloodseeker to leverage its discard ability for too much advantage. Addressing the threat directly or disrupting the graveyard synergy it aims to create can be pivotal in beating this card and maintaining control over the game flow.
Cards like Ravenous Bloodseeker
Ravenous Bloodseeker holds its ground as a solid player in the lineup of discard-enabled creatures within MTG. The vampire’s ability to discard a card for an instant benefit places it in a family of creatures sharing a similar mechanic. Insolent Neonate offers a noteworthy comparison, granting a player the option to discard and sacrifice it to draw a card, pushing for a quick graveyard setup or combo enabler, yet lacking the Bloodseeker’s repeatability.
Stromkirk Condemned is another relative, inviting a broader discard strategy benefiting an entire squad of vampires. While the Bloodseeker’s strength relies on one-off power boosts for itself, the Condemned’s ability can bolster your vampire legion at a moment’s notice. Not to be outdone, Heir of Falkenrath provides a transforming edge, shifting from discard outlet to offensive threat post-transformation. However, it doesn’t match the Bloodseeker’s aptitude for immediate and multiple power pumps.
In evaluating these alternatives, Ravenous Bloodseeker emerges as a distinctly versatile option, offering repeated augmentation of strength for tactical strikes or potent synergy with graveyard-centric strategies in MTG. Its unique combination of discard utility and power modulation ensures its place in decks that value both agility and adaptability.
Cards similar to Ravenous Bloodseeker by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ravenous Bloodseeker MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Shadows over Innistrad 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 Ravenous Bloodseeker and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Ravenous Bloodseeker Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2016-04-08 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 60486 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Anna Steinbauer | ||
| 2 | 2016-04-08 | Shadows over Innistrad Promos | PSOI | 175 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Anna Steinbauer | |
| 3 | 2016-04-08 | Shadows over Innistrad | SOI | 175 | 2015 | Normal | Black | James Ryman | |
| 4 | 2021-08-26 | Jumpstart: Historic Horizons | J21 | 498 | 2015 | Normal | Black | James Ryman | |
| 5 | 2023-03-21 | Shadows over Innistrad Remastered | SIR | 173 | 2015 | Normal | Black | James Ryman |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ravenous Bloodseeker has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ravenous Bloodseeker card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2016-04-08 | You can activate Ravenous Bloodseeker’s ability any number of times to discard several cards. It will be put into its owner’s graveyard once its toughness is 0 or less. Any other instances of the ability still on the stack will resolve with no effect. |
