My favorite guild champion. Very difficult to stop without taking at least 6 damage, makes a really good attacker and blocker, and fits with Bloodrush perfectly. I want to make a Gruul deck now.
Hunter06
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This thing walks right into syncopate in Standard, but in Limited, this guy will be pretty house 4/5 Stars
Doaj
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Doesn't walk into Syncopate if you build a Warrior tribal deck with Cavern of Souls. This guy is too good with Domri Rade. One of the best DGM Champions, along with Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch, and Tharolz, the Scar-Striped.
Goatllama
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(7 votes)
"Hey Ruric, what're we going to do today?" "The same thing we do everyday, Thar, destroy the world!"
Flyheight
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
When I first saw this guy spoiled I thought "Man, they really don't want control to be a thing in DGM." But now that the full set has been spoiled I see he is simply a stopgap measure against all the control instants they DID print.
.Blaze.
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Many things are sweet about this card. I think the ax hand is the sweetest one though.
Nucleon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I wonder if the card design team was influenced by Demogorgon from D&D when drumming this fella up.
Kaixe-Rho
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(6 votes)
Nothing else to say other than that this card is hilarious. Time to go crush some lawmages!
ChttrBox88
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Puny control decks cannot fathom the POWER THAT IS RURIC.
"Supreme Verdit" "Take six"
"Sphinxes revelation!" "Take six"
"Think Twice?" "TAKE SIX DAMAGE TO THE DOME."
FaceClaimer
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(3 votes)
R.I.P control and may a flight of squadron hawks sing thee to thy rest.
but seriously, control decks already get shafted in standard, does aggro really need cards like this?
Gcrudaplaneswalker
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Every day I pray that I will not go up against this in Limited
Hypnotoad7988
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If there is a place this card will shine, it is Legacy Nic Fit that splashes red.
James_Kernaghan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If you can resolve it in the first place against a control deck, you definitely deserve to win. Getting there is the hard part. 5/5 anyway, it's a brilliant and hilarious design, and very powerful card.
Totema
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Hey look, a two-headed giant! *gets beat to a thin pulp*
This is seriously great. You can even pump him without taking 6 by using bloodrush effects! Time to go Gruul for a few months!
Purplerooster
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The only bad things are that he can be destroyed in combat easily because he has to attack and that he deals damage to you as well. Oh wait Bloodrush is a mechanic.....
TheWallinator74
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
As a dedicated Mid-Range player, Ruric Thar's last ability can be a pain in the ass to me. But I feel like it'll be more of a pain in the ass to my opponents, especially since with Bloodrush, I can still get the only kind of spells a Gruul player really needs to win without taking six.
Long live the Clans! May Ravnica collapse after he completes the Implicit Maze first!
DarthParallax
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
What I like about him is that he can be countered.
Yet he's still good.
Uncounterability, Hexproof, and Indestructibility are tricky mechanics to make actually fun. You really don't want to be using them much. I understand for a while Uncounterable was really the only thing that Blue had to care about, but that's different now. There are other ways to hose Blue that are just as effective.
I mean, I DO want them to keep making Uncounterable stuff. I just don't want 'every single anti-Blue card needs to have 'can't be countered'. The Rare cycle this Block was a fun exception to normalcy, but I'd like to see cards like Ruric that punish in ironically 'subtle' ways more. :)
When 6 damage to the face is called 'subtle', you know the thing it's being compared to might be a slight bit O.P. :P -_-
RAV0004
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
The only Guild runner besides Melek to actually show his mythic rare roots before they gimped the power levels to stuff them in the rare slot.
SyntheticDreamer
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
This guy is so good, he even answers the stupid "dies to removal" comments. Because most of the removal he dies to is going to make that removal's caster take 6.
rollinsclone
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(13 votes)
I just see him walking over to the control players and repeatedly punching them.
Trygon_Predator
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
My favorite of the maze runners! He (they?) feels the most like a unique card, with interesting ability combinations (Vigilance and reach?) and a punisher for spellcasters. Short of being countered, creature'd (e.g. Shriekmaw) or ability'd (e.g. Avatar of Woe), he's going to get at least 6 damage in. If you don't like it that he attacks every turn, why not make a hyperaggressive deck that forces everyone to attack? Fires of Yavimaya, Avatar of Slaughter, Fumiko the Lowblood, Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs...
I was a little freaked out about this card and how I'm gonna deal with it, then I remember that the best answer to it is something I'm already playing: Evil Twin. TAKE THAT!
GhostCounselor
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Probably the best of the DGM guild champions. Just trying to remove him is going to cost people six mana. But then again, there are things like wasteland viper that can take out Ruric without needing any removal. But he's still very powerful. I'm impressed. 4/5.
Basically making izzet useless again. Thanks R&D for never making izzet a viable draft option.
CapmCrunch
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I just don't get this card. It really highlights the difference between Ravnica and Return to Revenue. Ravnica was about the junction of two colors and this guy just doesn't come together for me. Vigilance? Reach? This is a pile of dissonant abilities, a card pushed so hard with little payoff. The saddest thing is, this is the first two headed giant in the game that can't block two creatures. I know, I know, he isn't a giant, just a 6/6 Ogre Warrior with reach and vigilance that uses his claw hand to hurt people who use noncreature spells. Makes perfect sense now.
Ike38
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
He is good but I think loses to all deathtouch guys such as Wasteland Viper. You might see his price drops to around $1 with no doubt cause he is easy to deal with.
Toxicity17
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I got two of these guys. Just gotta say he goes great in my Naya deck with some bloodrush and battalion. If your worried that your opponent might use some cheep creature with deathtouch like Wasteland Viper just use a Frontline Medic. And you can easily give him trample with bloodrush. Also he and Voice of Resurgence go good together because both of them help against those pesky instances, Voice of Resurgence also works against flash too, making your opponents Yeva, Nature's Hareld almost useless, and Ruric just smashes anyone playing anything thats not a creature.
SirMalkin
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This guy was about 66% of the reason I went 4-0 at the prerelease. He gets the job DONE.
I like to play intro pack duels and the Gruul one is a blast, thanks in large part to this guy here. When he hits the board he just makes all sorts of trouble for your opponent, and thanks to cards like Zhur-Taa Druid you can even do damage while ramping into him. While he can end up hurting you when you cast spells I've yet to have that be an issue thanks to packing lots of bloodrush cards.
The best part about that intro deck though was opening a second Ruric Thar in one of the boosters. ^^
psychichobo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's 6 damage to any player trying to do something smart, so it's a double-edged sword you se- OH LOOK AT THAT BLOODRUSH IS AN ACTIVATED ABILITY NOT A SPELL WHAT A CHARMING COINCIDENCE
Warrior decks will love this nutjob since you'll have most of the Obsidian Battle-Axes out by the time he turns up. Pity my Hunting Triad will no longer be usable with Ruri- OH LOOK AT THAT IT HAS A REINFORCE ABILITY TOO.
Wizards you really know how to make me happy^^
Wandy
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
"Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken."
pat_inverness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"Not creature? THEN DIE!" ~Me, every time I get to use this.
EdgarPoeAllen
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
My friend drafted a deck with this guy. My friend also got a 4-0-0 record.
The_Evictee
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Maybe wizards needs to make a card named OG, The Unrebuttable. Just saying
DaMaster012
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I just got a shiny Ruric Thar in a pack that also contained a Melek. I think the multiverse is trying to tell me something, I'm just not sure what.
Had this guy been uncounterable (By the way, am I the only one who thinks that there need to be a keyword for that?), I think he would've been a tad too overpowered/anti-blue, especially for something that's only a rare.
That aside, he's still a very good card, and a great addition to any deck running Gruul colors that's out to stick it to players who love their noncreature spells like no other. (Especially blue.) Even though they hate each other, he has surprisingly good utility uses with Borborygmos Enraged; use all those creatures with Bloodrush to beef up your heavy hitters without Ruric biting you in the ass for it while BoBo uses all those extra lands as improvised Lightning Bolts. You can also pair him with Garuuk's Pack Leader and, as long as you're not playing standard, Primordial Sage to keep your hand full. Hell, throw in some creature mana ramping like Llanowar Elves or Radha, and you could hypothetically build an entire deck with only creature spells and lands.
Plus there's a card coming out in M14 called Savage Summoning that's like Insist but it gives that creature a +1/+1 counter instead of an extra card, making Ruric even more a threat to deal with. Smack him with some additional levels of protection to keep him from getting bounced, and your opponents will have a serious headache... in the form of lots of damage coming at intervals of six to their face.
A nice, solid R/G commander that has been really lacking. It's not much of a build-around general (although you will have a lot of creatures as opposed to spells), but it gives use a nice red/green aggro commander.
The only thing weird about him to me is the vigilance (and that he's an ogre with reach), but I still really like him. He's a nice solid Timmy card.
Rahdok
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I run this guy with Gruul War Chant, and Alpha Authority. He becomes a Vigilance/Reach/Hexproof, Unblockable, 7/6.
Pyrothrope
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"Stop hitting yourself!"
Ferlord
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
"We are brothers Ruric Thar," "And we like eating Arctic Char."
"Storm and Ascension are not a threat," "and we make Burn players quite upset."
"In Commander, we're number one!" "I can not think on a pun..."
"It seems like we've ran out of luck." "It's just a card game, who give's a fu-"
Lord_of_phyrexia
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ferlord:MWAHAHAHAHA
Stuflames
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's actually nice that he doesn't have haste. Gives a turn to regain your mana to set up some bloodrush stuff before you have him attacking unbidden.
Athemeus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I pulled this guy in my limited league pack of the week. He absolutely killed it. I guess the "attack if able" is a drawback? But with vigilance and a big body, I was gonna do that anyway.
Ramped to get him out on turn 5, with a nice Fervor out. This is an absolute battering ram against control.
HotHit
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
I've been searching for a great commander for my creature focused deck and I can't believe it. Ruric Thar's been staring at me blankly this entire time and I missed it entirely over my obsession with Aurelia the Warleader. A bit unfortunate I never did play that Aurelia's fury so he could punch some sense into me.
It hurts a lot to have to cut her... But it hurts more to not play green. Rith is nice, but just... Ruric Thar feels more like the focus of my kind of deck. Anyway, let's get some footing.
Ruric Thar is an incredibly versatile creature. I had him at the helm of my Gruul aggro EDH deck, but the has slowly evolved and incorporates elements of control and combo as well.
Seems unusually good in reanimator. Almost any card they'll use to get rid of this will burn the stuffing out of them. Might be forced to run him as a 1-of in that kind of thing; just in case.
Continue
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@Arachnos: It also has vigilance. Bam, problem solved.
Steel_Ninja
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Decent card, but when Gruul is so reliant upon pumping, I think that taking 6 damage for each of your spells just is too much of a liability. This does however become viable when comboed with a Curse of Bloodletting or two.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
He is all like, "Go ahead, keep playing draw go. I dare you".
Madarakita
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Steel_Ninja This is why Gruul ran with Bloodrush as its mechanic. All of your pump material is now made up of activated creature abilities. It neatly bypasses the whole "noncreature spell casting" bit.
Trustey
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Ruric Thar, the Face Sculptor.
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Continue:
*looks closer*
Well, shit. What a brainfart. Should have taken a closer look there.
MrBrightsideX11
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Well, now I know who's going to be the commander in my Werewolf tribal commander deck. I can't wait to see how it turns out.
Dragonshoredreamz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I find myself suddenly liking R/G.
GlintKawk42
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
My favorite EDH card.
CaptainScibra
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Double-edged sword. Note it includes the owner. (This resolves my thinking it might have been OP having not noticing it also affects the owner.)
raginglittepycho
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I imagine this guy with lifelink, punches you but then kisses you better but he also gains you 7 life each turn besides that.
Comments (63)
4/5 Stars
"The same thing we do everyday, Thar, destroy the world!"
"Supreme Verdit"
"Take six"
"Sphinxes revelation!"
"Take six"
"Think Twice?"
"TAKE SIX DAMAGE TO THE DOME."
but seriously, control decks already get shafted in standard, does aggro really need cards like this?
This is seriously great. You can even pump him without taking 6 by using bloodrush effects! Time to go Gruul for a few months!
Long live the Clans! May Ravnica collapse after he completes the Implicit Maze first!
Yet he's still good.
Uncounterability, Hexproof, and Indestructibility are tricky mechanics to make actually fun. You really don't want to be using them much. I understand for a while Uncounterable was really the only thing that Blue had to care about, but that's different now. There are other ways to hose Blue that are just as effective.
I mean, I DO want them to keep making Uncounterable stuff. I just don't want 'every single anti-Blue card needs to have 'can't be countered'. The Rare cycle this Block was a fun exception to normalcy, but I'd like to see cards like Ruric that punish in ironically 'subtle' ways more. :)
When 6 damage to the face is called 'subtle', you know the thing it's being compared to might be a slight bit O.P. :P -_-
If you don't like it that he attacks every turn, why not make a hyperaggressive deck that forces everyone to attack? Fires of Yavimaya, Avatar of Slaughter, Fumiko the Lowblood, Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs...
By which I mean, of course, "dies to Big Game Hunter".
Melek, Izzet Paragon was never at Mythic Rare as Ral Zarek took the Izzet's Mythic slot.
I've also started to use this guy in a Mayael the Anima EDH deck. His best friends: True Conviction and Gisela, Blade of Goldnight.
The best part about that intro deck though was opening a second Ruric Thar in one of the boosters. ^^
Warrior decks will love this nutjob since you'll have most of the Obsidian Battle-Axes out by the time he turns up. Pity my Hunting Triad will no longer be usable with Ruri- OH LOOK AT THAT IT HAS A REINFORCE ABILITY TOO.
Wizards you really know how to make me happy^^
~Me, every time I get to use this.
Had this guy been uncounterable (By the way, am I the only one who thinks that there need to be a keyword for that?), I think he would've been a tad too overpowered/anti-blue, especially for something that's only a rare.
That aside, he's still a very good card, and a great addition to any deck running Gruul colors that's out to stick it to players who love their noncreature spells like no other. (Especially blue.) Even though they hate each other, he has surprisingly good utility uses with Borborygmos Enraged; use all those creatures with Bloodrush to beef up your heavy hitters without Ruric biting you in the ass for it while BoBo uses all those extra lands as improvised Lightning Bolts. You can also pair him with Garuuk's Pack Leader and, as long as you're not playing standard, Primordial Sage to keep your hand full. Hell, throw in some creature mana ramping like Llanowar Elves or Radha, and you could hypothetically build an entire deck with only creature spells and lands.
If you're still worried about him getting countered or you just want some extra synergy to make your deck even more anti-blue control, here are some cards you might be interested in:
Vexing Shusher
Spellbreaker Behemoth
Gaea's Herald
Cavern of Souls
Leyline of Lifeforce
Insist
Plus there's a card coming out in M14 called Savage Summoning that's like Insist but it gives that creature a +1/+1 counter instead of an extra card, making Ruric even more a threat to deal with. Smack him with some additional levels of protection to keep him from getting bounced, and your opponents will have a serious headache... in the form of lots of damage coming at intervals of six to their face.
The only thing weird about him to me is the vigilance (and that he's an ogre with reach), but I still really like him. He's a nice solid Timmy card.
"And we like eating Arctic Char."
"Storm and Ascension are not a threat,"
"and we make Burn players quite upset."
"In Commander, we're number one!"
"I can not think on a pun..."
"It seems like we've ran out of luck."
"It's just a card game, who give's a fu-"
Ramped to get him out on turn 5, with a nice Fervor out. This is an absolute battering ram against control.
It hurts a lot to have to cut her... But it hurts more to not play green. Rith is nice, but just... Ruric Thar feels more like the focus of my kind of deck. Anyway, let's get some footing.
Domri Rade, Garruk, Caller of Beasts and Garruk's Horde give us a delicious start, allowing us to obtain card advantage. Some creature focused ramp, we can use birds of paradise, elves and Zhur-Taa Druid. We could play around Ruric & Thar's hatred of magic by not casting with him in play, but that weakens Domri and Garruk's card advantage, so alternatively we can have Arashi, the sky Asunder and Jiwari, the Earth Aflame for all important field clearing. Other creatures with channel, cycling and the all important bloodrush can give us the ability to threaten with our hand and field. Yeah... I can see a few directions to take from here too.
- Possibility Storm is fantastic with him. Makes Ruric more difficult to deal with, especially in a singleton format like EDH.
- BFFs with Gratuitous Violence and Grafted Exoskeleton
- Really nice synergy with Nullstone Gargoyle and Heartwood Storyteller.
- Basilisk Collar and Loxodon Warhammer help mitigate his drawback.
This is why Gruul ran with Bloodrush as its mechanic. All of your pump material is now made up of activated creature abilities. It neatly bypasses the whole "noncreature spell casting" bit.
*looks closer*
Well, shit. What a brainfart. Should have taken a closer look there.
you cast lightning bolt on you and fork it, take 18.
Canopy Cover can also help him stay on the field longer too.
Protection from creatures and killing a creature for touching you are pretty mythic qualities (Teysa).
Same goes for "Everything has Scavenge, also I have staying power and loads self synergy" (Varolz).