Pygmy Hippo MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Hippo
Released	1997-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Visions
Set code	VIS
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	133
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Steve White

Key Takeaways

Pygmy Hippo can offer card advantage through post-combat mana disruption tactics.
It directs gameplay by influencing opponents’ mana usage and planning.
While powerful, it requires careful deckbuilding to maximize its potential.

Text of card

If Pygmy Hippo attacks and is not blocked, you may choose to have it deal no combat damage this turn. If you do, defending player draws all mana from his or her lands and then his or her mana pool is emptied. After combat, add an equal amount of colorless mana to your mana pool.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When Pygmy Hippo successfully deals damage to an opponent, it sets the stage for potential card advantage by allowing you to pay two mana during the post-combat main phase. This unique ability can disrupt your adversary’s plans by forcing them to spend mana from their pool, essentially drawing out resources and potentially giving you access to extra cards if those mana were intended for draw spells.

Resource Acceleration: The ability to manage your opponent’s mana pool provides an advantage by causing mana burn or forfeiting their unspent mana, which goes beyond simple resource denial. This can accelerate your own game plan by indirectly disrupting the opponent’s resource allocation and timing.

Instant Speed: Although the card itself is not at instant speed, the ability to activate its effect after combat gives you flexibility akin to instant speed interactions. You retain the element of surprise, forcing your opponent to consider the possibility of unspent mana due to the Pygmy Hippo’s ability. This anticipation alters how they might play instants or abilities on their turn, giving you a psychological edge.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While the Pygmy Hippo may offer strategic ramp abilities, it does have the downside of demanding a card discard to activate its full potential. This could be particularly crippling when your hand is already running on fumes, and discarding could potentially put you at a greater disadvantage.

Specific Mana Cost: The Hippo’s specific green and blue mana requirement can sometimes be restrictive, particularly in a multicolored deck that may struggle with mana fixing. This may prevent the card from being as versatile or as easily slotted into any given deck as players might prefer.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its casting cost positioned at two mana, one of which is green and the other blue, some may argue the investment is steep relative to the card’s impact on the game. In a format where tempo is key, using the Hippo may not always align with an effective mana curve strategy.

Reasons to Include Pygmy Hippo Mtg Card in Your Collection

Versatility: Pygmy Hippo is a unique addition that can adapt to various gameplay strategies. This card works well in decks focusing on mana denial or those that aim to leverage opponents’ resources for their advantage.

Combo Potential: With its ability to grant you access to additional mana, Pygmy Hippo can synergize with numerous combos and can be a key piece in decks that capitalize on unspent mana or that enjoy surprising opponents with big plays.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, understanding and influencing the mana pool remains ever-critical. Pygmy Hippo holds its ground against various deck types and can disrupt opponents’ strategies while giving you a potential edge in resource management.

How to beat

The Pygmy Hippo, a unique creature card in MTG, stands out with an ability that can disrupt your opponent’s mana balance during combat. Its potential to tap down lands can catch an unprepared player off guard, leading to a strategic advantage and even game-winning plays. However, like every card in MTG, the Pygmy Hippo has its vulnerabilities.

To counteract this pesky creature, consider using instant-speed removal spells. These allow you to wait until your opponent commits the Hippo to an attack before removing it, thereby preserving your mana and your board state. Additionally, since the Pygmy Hippo must deal combat damage to trigger its effect, cards that prevent damage or block effectively can nullify its abilities. Ensnaring creatures with reach or those with high toughness will diminish its presence on the battlefield.

In essence, while the Pygmy Hippo can be a thorn in the side of many MTG players, the right strategy and card choices can mitigate the threat it poses. Swift removal, damage prevention, and strong defenders are key to overcoming the challenge that this card presents in any MTG gameplay scenario.

Cards like Pygmy Hippo

Pygmy Hippo stands out in the Magic: The Gathering roster as an intriguing mana disruption creature. It’s reminiscent of cards like Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger, which also impairs the opponent’s mana pool. However, Vorinclex has a sweeping effect on lands, halving the opponent’s mana production and doubling yours. The Hippo is subtler, with its ability activating upon dealing combat damage, effectively siphoning off unspent mana from the opponent’s pool and gifting it to you temporarily as colorless mana.

Compared to Polukranos, World Eater, while both creatures share the ability to influence mana, their roles are starkly different. Polukranos operates more as a board control tool, using mana to grow and fight other creatures. Pygmy Hippo’s presence is felt in the delicate dance of resource management, possibly disrupting a crucial turn for your opponent. In contrast, Seedborn Muse serves as a perfect complement to the Hippo, untapping your lands during each other player’s turn, which can mask the amount of mana you have at your disposal, potentially leading to surprise plays enabled by the extra mana from Pygmy Hippo.

Therefore, the Pygmy Hippo offers a unique tactical advantage, securing it as a distinct and valuable option for players looking to subtly manipulate the game’s resources in their favor.

Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger - MTG Card versions

Polukranos, World Eater - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Pygmy Hippo MTG card by a specific set like Visions, 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 Pygmy Hippo and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Pygmy Hippo has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2013-04-15	A mana ability is an ability that (1) isn’t a loyalty ability, (2) doesn’t target, and (3) could put mana into a player’s mana pool when it resolves.
2013-04-15	An ability that triggers when something “attacks and isn’t blocked” triggers in the declare blockers step after blockers are declared if (1) that creature is attacking and (2) no creatures are declared to block it. It will trigger even if that creature was put onto the battlefield attacking rather than having been declared as an attacker in the declare attackers step.