Reverent Hunter MTG Card


Reverent Hunter - Theros
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Archer
Released2013-09-27
Set symbol
Set nameTheros
Set codeTHS
Power 1
Toughness 1
Number173
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byWesley Burt

Key Takeaways

  1. Reverent Hunter offers significant card advantage by potentially requiring multiple opponent resources to be handled.
  2. It synergizes with mana ramping, promoting early deployment of costlier creatures or spells for strategic benefit.
  3. The creature provides instant board impact in green devotion decks, demanding an immediate answer from opponents.

Text of card

When Reverent Hunter enters the battlefield, put a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to your devotion to green. (Each in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to green.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Reverent Hunter enters the battlefield with a number of +1/+1 counters that can potentially turn this single card into a sizable threat. This can translate into card advantage as it may require multiple resources from an opponent to handle it effectively.

Resource Acceleration: As Reverent Hunter’s power is based on your devotion to green, it synergizes well with decks that ramp mana and can lead to a quicker deployment of high-cost creatures or spells, thus accelerating your resource development.

Instant Speed: Although Reverent Hunter is a creature and not an instant, its impact on the board can be immediate in the right deck. This is due to the potential for a vast increase in power and toughness relative to your devotion to green, making it a formidable presence the moment it hits the field.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although the Reverent Hunter doesn’t directly ask players to discard cards, it can indirectly lead to discarding if you’re managing your hand to maintain devotion to green—priming the deck for its ability.

Specific Mana Cost: Reverent Hunter requires green mana. This cost may affect deck flexibility as it necessitates a commitment to green mana sources, potentially limiting the hunter’s inclusion in multi-colored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost of three, including two green, the Reverent Hunter may compete with other three-mana game changers in green decks. Players typically weigh the hunter’s potential benefits against other impactful options available at this spot on the mana curve.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Reverent Hunter plays a versatile role in decks that capitalize on creature strength, especially in green-focused strategies where creature power can easily be bolstered.

Combo Potential: This card has strong synergy with plentiful +1/+1 counter mechanics, potentially serving as a massive creature for a low mana cost, setting the stage for a variety of powerful combos.

Meta-Relevance: Given the right build, Reverent Hunter can become a formidable force in a meta that favors creature-based tactics, owing to its ability to scale in power and become an instant threat on the board.


How to beat

Reverent Hunter is a unique creature card that can pose a challenge on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. It takes advantage of green’s penchant for large creature-based strategies, entering the battlefield with a number of +1/+1 counters equal to your devotion to green. This can quickly turn it into a formidable threat if left unchecked.

To effectively deal with Reverent Hunter, you need to keep your opponent’s devotion to green to a minimum. Playing removal spells that can target creatures before the Hunter lands can drastically reduce its impact. Cards that can exile or bounce creatures back to the hand are particularly useful here as they can reset the Hunter’s counters. Remember, disrupting your opponent’s board state and keeping the Hunter from leveraging a high devotion count are key tactics.

Another strategy includes countering it as it’s cast or using removal spells that don’t rely on the creature’s power, bypassing the potential for a powerhouse creature entirely. In multiplayer games, teaming up with other players to manage the green player’s board can also prevent the Reverent Hunter from becoming overwhelming. Keeping these strategies in mind will go a long way in ensuring the Reverent Hunter doesn’t dominate your games.


Cards like Reverent Hunter

Reverent Hunter holds a unique spot in the pantheon of green creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with other cards that rely on the number of +1/+1 counters, such as Kalonian Hydra, which doubles the number of counters on creatures you control. The Hunter, however, doesn’t need other creatures to thrive; its strength is directly tied to your devotion to green, providing a potent turn if you’ve established a board with green symbols.

Another card worth mentioning is Gyre Sage, which also leverages +1/+1 counters but through a different avenue. Its Evolve ability allows it to grow as other larger creatures enter the battlefield under your control, also providing bonus mana reflective of its power. While both cards grow from gameplay strategies, Reverent Hunter’s immediate impact can be more pronounced depending on the build of your deck.

Examining these cards closely, albeit their differences, highlights the versatility and various strategies green decks can employ. With its potentially substantial power/cost ratio, Reverent Hunter can be a formidable presence, especially in decks that are designed to maximize the creature’s unique devotion-based ability.

Kalonian Hydra - MTG Card versions
Gyre Sage - MTG Card versions
Kalonian Hydra - Magic 2014 (M14)
Gyre Sage - Gatecrash (GTC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Reverent Hunter MTG card by a specific set like Theros, 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 Reverent Hunter and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Reverent Hunter has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Reverent Hunter 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.

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