Howlpack Avenger

Creature — Werewolf

Whenever a permanent you control is dealt damage, Howlpack Avenger deals that much damage to any target (creature, player or planeswalker).

{1}{R}: This gets +2/+0 until end of turn.

Nightbound (If a player casts two spells during their own turn, this game becomes day during the untap step next turn. When it becomes day, all permanents on the battlefield transform into their daybound side if they have one, and any new permanents that enter the battlefield will enter on their daybound side if they have one. Becoming day/night does not use the stack and cannot be responded to.)

Tokens

• Day
• Night

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Pre-release	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Standard	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (4)

elk88 on Who Let the Dogs Out?

2 years ago

Hey rafe028! There's nothing wrong with the card and considering this type of deck and it's intended power level, you could absolutely try it out if you'd like. I will say that it's creature quality isn't quite as high as several cards in the list. It's ability is conditional on a good board state (see my comments on board wipes in the update) and it only targets players (the deck doesn't usually have much issue creating a lot of damage or finishing off opponents). The one hiccup with the card is the activated cost. This deck; quite consistently, uses all or pretty much all it's mana every turn (on your turn or others assuming flash). For example Hound Tamer  ^Flip has an ability that I've yet to use. The trample that Tamer provides is great (and it's meant for redundancy since this deck wants/needs trample to get damage through consistently but more importantly to draw more cards) and it's ability is at least an available outlet if it's ever needed. Still though I haven't had to/needed to use it yet (threat of activation with blocks; especially with politicking and pointing that out, has often been enough). Keeping the 'activated ability' thought train going, I've used Duskwatch Recruiter  ^Flip a handful of times but again; referring to the board wipe comment, it's often been a come from behind/ dig for answers situation usually (or as I said in the update, when you're drawing lots of support but no gas). It's flip side for the cost reduction has often been it's better use. Being able to cast several creatures after drawing so many cards (similar effect with Cemetery Prowler) has been great (I'm not saying overextend but when you have 13 cards in hand it's better to use some than just discard). The last 'activation thought' is that the ones I've mentioned already in the deck are mana sinks and don't tap (or something like Howlpack Piper  ^Flip which uptaps) whereas Runebound Wolf is once a turn cycle due to the . You might sneak in fairly late game finisher on one player's end step, upkeep get the 2nd player with your ping and then attack the 3rd to pull out a win but that's probably magic xmas land in a lot of cases (life totals have to be perfect in relation to board state etc). More than likely though this will take a few turns to do (activate for 6, activate again for 6 etc) and your opponents will see this coming (whereas you play several buffing threats and attack for 30 on one turn in the same scenario).

Basically I'm saying when Runebound Wolf is good, you're already ahead and likely don't need it to close out the game/ finish off a player (like you've spiraled out of control with Hollowhenge Overlord and have 20 wolves in play. Then Runebound Wolf feels win more). When you're behind, it's ability isn't doing anything because you don't have the boadstate or you need all the mana to rebuild. And with the deck playing multiple spells a turn (from all the draw), you don't have left over mana to activate with any consistency to make it useful/a threat. It feels like it's ideal place/play is a very late game situation where it's cast and you methodically burn everyone out due to low life totals. Or you're in a game that has some sort of board stall (like someone is a pillow fort with stuff like Sphere of Safety or maybe a player has flooded the board with tokens and you can't get through or something similar). In those edge cases I'm more inclined to say 'you got me' and shuffle up.

As an aside, I will refer to the update and mention that Ill-Tempered Loner  ^Flip (more importantly and specifically Howlpack Avenger  ^Flip) and one of the board wipes I'm using (Blasphemous Act or Chain Reaction) with a decent board state will have the same desired effect of burning out the table. 9 wolves including Howlpack Avenger  ^Flip and Blasphemous Act will kill a table (okay fine it'll do 117dmg so maybe someone is at 3 because everyone was still at 40 lol.)

Now by all means, I don't want to be discouraging and suggest you give it a go. I'd love to hear some game play feedback on how it works for you. If you're knocking people out on the regular with it, let me know and I'll give it another look.

I appreciate your time, comment and feedback! Thanks!

elk

griffstick on Ill-Tempered Loner = Mass Evasion …

2 years ago

Put it in especially if you have any damage doublers. If you flash in Dictate of the Twin Gods at the right time. It's absurd. Did you know each time the source of damage is delt its doubled. So if someone or yourself Lightning Bolt's a creature you control while Howlpack Avenger  ^Flip is out, befor that damage happens its doubled to 6. Then you redirect for 12 damage, and you can target one of your own creatures with it, again and again, creating a loop until you aim it at your opponent. For each creature it's doubled. 12 to 24, 24 to 48 and so on. This works because Howlpack Avenger  ^Flip doesn't say anything about the damage coming from an opponent it also says any target.

enpc on Ill-Tempered Loner = Mass Evasion …

2 years ago

The fact that you can potentially outright win with Blasphemous Act makes it worth running.

I don't agree with the comment "I think that most people wouldn't block a werewolf army, for fear of losing their permanents", poeple will block depending on what the consequence of not blocking is. And so Howlpack Avenger  ^Flip puts poeple into a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.

Additionally, werewolves are like dinosaurs - there are some decent cards but not that many good ones that you can be overly picky (this isn't elves after all). And Avenger is a decent choice, even in a vacuum.

theindigoeffect on Ill-Tempered Loner = Mass Evasion …

2 years ago

It's hard to properly test a card until you play it, but because Howlpack Avenger  ^Flip can redirect any damage dealt to your permanents, I think that most people wouldn't block a werewolf army, for fear of losing their permanents. Then again, a werewolf army is precisely the type of threat that needs to be blocked. I want to put this card in my Tovolar, Dire Overlord  ^Flip deck, but I'm really not certain what effect it will have. It's just a werewolf tribal deck: it doesn't have a sub-theme that involves damaging my own permanents. Is it even worth including in the 99? What effect do you think the card would actually have in a game?