MTG · Card

◇ Catalog #172

Rock Hydra

cei·#172·rare·nonfoil

Illus. Jeff A. Menges

View concept →

—

in vault

—

for trade

—

wishlisted

Dec 1993

33 yr ago

Value

$16.22+$1 (+4.2%)

30 days high $17 · low $15

NM$16.2

LP—

MP—

HP—

DMG—

$15–$17modeled

30 days ago
today

90-dayhigh $16low $4.03range 302.5%n 51

Where to buy / sell

TCGplayer eBay sold Cardmarket EU Star City

Search links · prices vary by venue

Buy this card

Played in EDH

EDHrec rank #26,628 · Fringe play

Variants

Nonfoil$16

Gameplay

Creature — Hydra

This creature enters with X +1/+1 counters on it. For each 1 damage that would be dealt to this creature, if it has a +1/+1 counter on it, remove a +1/+1 counter from it and prevent that 1 damage. {R}: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to this creature this turn. {R}{R}{R}: Put a +1/+1 counter on this creature. Activate only during your upkeep.

0/0

Legalities

tlrlegal

duellegal

brawlnot legal

pennylegal

PreDH

Rulings · 4

2008-08-01wotc

If damage that would be dealt to Rock Hydra can't be prevented, you still remove a +1/+1 counter from it for each 1 damage dealt.

2008-08-01wotc

You can activate the activated ability that prevents damage any time, even if no source seems likely to deal damage to you in the near future. It will prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt this turn, even if that turns out to be much later in the turn.

2004-10-04wotc

If put onto the battlefield without casting it from your hand, X will be zero.

2004-10-04

Context

Last observed on Scryfall 2 months ago at $16.22. Over the trailing 90 days the price moved between $4.03 and $16.22 across 51 observations. Cross-checked across TCGplayer, eBay sold, Cardmarket EU, and Star City.

This printing is one of 2 catalogued treatments from CEI — the lineup includes Nonfoil alongside the standard finish. Across our catalog the Rarix library tracks every variant in the same family so collectors can compare price, scarcity and demand inside a single lineage.

Card #172 of *Intl. Collectors' Edition*, the set that shipped alongside the December 1993 Intl. Collectors' Edition release.

Card type: Creature — Hydra, color identity red, printed at rare. Rares occupy the bottom-of-pack rare slot in standard boosters. Mana cost: {X}{R}{R} (2 converted).

Legal in Legacy, Vintage, and Commander. This printing is on Wizards of the Coast's Reserved List — Wizards has committed never to reprint cards on that list, which underwrites a structural scarcity floor on every surviving copy.

EDHrec ranks this card #26,628 in Commander, putting it in the fringe-play tier of the format's playable pool.

Illustrated by Jeff A. Menges. Rarix catalogs 338 other cards credited to this artist.