#hapatra

Magic: The Girlbossing 2024, Round 1, Match 21

Propaganda under the cut.

Sorry for this lingering for a bit, it takes a while for messages to get up and down the card mountains.

I don't have much in the way of hidden gems for Hapatra, since most of the secret tech for her likely already has been found before... But I do have a few!

First, something spicy. Hapatra usually plays a healthy does of proliferation to allow her to generate a bunch of snakes at once. With that out of the way, most of the recommendations will be ones that can take some advantage of it, starting with...

Adapt was the Golgari mechanic for Modern Horizons 3. Ironically, the adapt creatures in the set LOVE -1/-1 counters. (And proliferation.) Since Adapt can be reused when the +1/+1 counters are removed, and -1/-1 and +1/+1 counters destroy each other (note that the -1/-1 counters are still placed to trigger Hapatra, then destroy themselves along with +1/+1 counters), you can use your -1/-1 counter effects to "reset" the adapt abilities on these creatures, and the trigger that comes with it. Additionally, proliferating these creatures while they have +1/+1 counters also retriggers them freely.

I don't know about yours, but from my experience with Hapatra decks, something that many of them are missing are ways to win the game. They're great at generating a bunch of snakes and killing every creature on board, but not so much at winning the game. Of course, they have game-winning combos, but those aren't even that necessary when the deck is running well, or shouldn't be. Sometimes there's a craterhoof, but I think the deck could use some more of that kind of win.

First of all, the snakes have deathtouch. Beyond the obvious applications of deathtouch and deathtouch support cards, its interaction with trample and/or first strike is something that I don't see used often in Hapatra decks. The snakes make overrun effects even better than usual!

Grismold provides you with a steady stream of bodies to turn into snakes, just in case an opponent got the bright idea of stopping you from making snakes by simply not playing creatures. Notably, Grismold grows to every token dying, so it also serves as an outlet when you can make and sac an endless amount of snakes but not profit otherwise. It doesn't kill the table, but an arbitrarily large trampling creature is always something. Once again, counters can be proliferated, though that's less relevant on Grismold here.

Did you know Modern Horizons 3 was a pretty powerful set? I recommend Nightmare to every black deck so it's not that spicy, but Chthonian Nightmare can turn your extra snakes into real creatures, and once again, you can proliferate the leftover energy to ensure you're not "just" getting back three drops. Wight is just another very solid card that can turn extra snakes into ramp every turn.

I will mention Innkeeper's talent as well as far as recent additions, even if it's getting Pricy. Unlike actual Doubling Season, this one also doubles the counters you put on other people's creatures, and counters of any kind, when fully leveled up. The +1/+1 counter every turn is just nice to have, and the Ward 1 from any counters is surprisingly effective at redirecting removals towards easier pickings.

Hapatra, and most of your -1/-1 counter effects, happen to commit crimes. Turning those crimes into free repeatable land ramp is pretty stellar, and you can curve out Hapatra on two into this guy, swing and immediately ramp.

Tyler Jacobson, Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons, 2017. Card illustration for Magic: The Gathering (Wizards of the Coast, 1993–).

[The List]

I’m going to be filling in for @niv-mizzle today, and sharing my personal brawl deck! I wasn’t super interested in Brawl when I first heard about it. I tend to only play eternal formats and limited, mostly Commander. So the idea of a rotating Commander with a smaller card pool sounded pretty uninteresting. But I threw together a list with cards I already had and was pleasantly surprised. I think that where Brawl really shines to me is in 1v1 when you want an experience similar to commander, but more like a normal game of magic, especially when it comes to the length of games.

But enough about the format itself, lets talk about Hapatra. The obvious build around is -1/-1 counter synergies and a list that looks like something out of Amonkhet Block. But that’s not how we do things around here. One of my favorite deck archetypes is BG Control, more popularly known as The Rock. I first heard of the archetype when I was getting into standard for the first time around Kamigawa-Ravnica. I read this article and fell in love with the archetype.

The main goal of the deck is to consistently out value your opponent with ramp, removal, and card selection. The Rock wins with slow attrition, beating down with a superior board position, 2-for-1-ing whenever possible. Cards like Ravenous Chupacabra and Noxious Gearhulk kill a problem creature, and stick around long enough to kill something else. Our Aftermath cards are another kind of card advantage. Mouth/to/Feed lets you make a 3/3 early, and refill your hand later. Never/to/Return acts as removal, that also stops graveyard shenanigans, or just makes another creature when you need it.

We also fill out the rest of the deck with cards that Synergize nicely with Hapatra. The goal of the deck is to function fully without her. Shes an early threat that can build a dominating board presence against certain match ups, but hardly essential. However, we have some ways to take advantage of her if left unchecked. FIrst off, we have creature’s that put -1/-1 counters on themselves to trigger Hapatra without combat. We also have some ways to take advantage of the tokens we do make, Whisper lets you trade snakes for things like Noxious Gearhulk, or more likely, something that will come with a snake. Cards like Torgaar and Ghalta also get a lot easier to cast when we have a tonne of tokens.

So how do we actually close out the game? We intend to gum up the board as much as possible, stopping our opponent from ever actually doing anything that matters. But that doesn’t do it on it’s own. Cards like Twilight Prophet and Bontu can slowly close out a game. But what’s more likely is to either drop a Ghalta and start swinging in past their unfavorable board state, or taking apart their hand and board with a large Torment of Hail Fire, leaving them totally open to our board. 

The Rock is a powerful archetype that a lot of decks just cannot deal with. Control can’t counter your key spell, if everything you play is pure value. Yet you have the midrange effect against aggro, but backed up by Hapatra’s ability to destroy their board state if they swing into you. Combo doesn’t have time to sculpt its hand if you’re swinging in undisturbed.

"How do marauding mummies move through the sandy desert?" Hapatra waited for a beat and then broke into a dazzling smile.  "With grit!"  Every initiate groaned, and Hapatra grinned with smug satisfaction.

Magic Story: The Hour of Promise by Alison Luhrs

The Locust God unleashes a deadly swarm, devouring the magical Hekma barrier protecting Naktamun. Hapatra, vizier of the Temple of Strength, is smart enough to know a broken promise when she sees one.