Death-Hood Cobra MTG Card


Death-Hood Cobra elevates board control, toggling between offensive deathtouch and defensive reach abilities at instant speed. Resource-savvy players capitalize on its mana-efficient abilities to maintain tempo and board presence. Integrating the Cobra in a deck enhances strategic depth, adapting easily to the challenges of diverse metagames.
Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Phyrexian Snake
Power 2
Toughness 2

Text of card

: Death-Hood Cobra gains reach until end of turn. (It can block creatures with flying.) : Death-Hood Cobra gains deathtouch until end of turn. (Any amount of damage it deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.)


Cards like Death-Hood Cobra

Death-Hood Cobra is a versatile creature card within Magic: The Gathering, much like its counterparts in the realm of Green’s menagerie. Take for instance, the comparison with Wasteland Viper. Both creatures offer a deathtouch ability, ensuring any creature combat results in a favorable trade. However, Death-Hood Cobra stands out for its adaptability in combat, granting itself either deathtouch or reach at a moment’s notice, whereas Wasteland Viper’s versatility lies in its Bloodrush ability, turning it into a combat trick from your hand rather than an adaptable battlefield presence.

Analogous to Death-Hood Cobra is the card Silhana Ledgewalker. While not sharing the same abilities outright, both cards prove to be hard to block — the Ledgewalker through being untargetable by opponents and having natural evasion via flying, and the Cobra through the threat of activating deathtouch. Yet, it is the Cobra’s potential to gain reach that makes it a unique guardian against airborne assaults.

Evaluating Death-Hood Cobra within its ecosystem shows how it brings a blend of offensive and defensive traits to the table. These comparisons reflect Death-Hood Cobra as a valuable asset for players who favor strategic flexibility and tactical advantages during engagements in Magic: The Gathering.

Wasteland Viper - MTG Card versions
Silhana Ledgewalker - MTG Card versions
Wasteland Viper - MTG Card versions
Silhana Ledgewalker - MTG Card versions

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Death-Hood Cobra offers a unique form of card advantage by providing two formidable abilities for a single mana investment each. This can discourage opponents from attacking or blocking, indirectly leading to a better card economy as fewer of your creatures are likely to be lost in battle.

Resource Acceleration: While Death-Hood Cobra itself does not directly provide mana or resource acceleration, its cost-efficiency can be an enabler in decks prioritizing fast development of board presence. Its low casting cost allows you to deploy other spells sooner, serving as a form of tempo establishment which is critical in resource management.

Instant Speed: The creature’s abilities can be activated at instant speed, offering flexibility during combat. This adaptability means you can respond to threats or opportunities as they present themselves, keeping opponents uncertain of your next move and optimizing your mana use each turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While the Death-Hood Cobra doesn’t require you to discard a card, it’s worth acknowledging that managing resources is critical. Players should bear in mind the necessity of having enough mana to activate the Cobra’s abilities.

Specific Mana Cost: The Death-Hood Cobra requires green mana, making it a card best suited for green-inclusive decks. This could restrict the card’s versatility in decks that don’t primarily focus on green mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The abilities of the Death-Hood Cobra, although providing flexibility in combat, come at a somewhat high mana cost. To get both deathtouch and reach, a total of four mana is required (two for each ability). In fast-paced games, this can be costly compared to other creatures that come with built-in abilities.


Reasons to Include Death-Hood Cobra in Your Collection

Versatility: Death-Hood Cobra is a flexible creature that can seamlessly adapt to various game situations. Its ability to gain either deathtouch or reach until end of turn allows it to act as both an offensive threat and a defensive measure, fitting easily into multiple deck archetypes.

Combo Potential: The modular nature of Death-Hood Cobra’s abilities enables synergistic interactions with cards that benefit from creatures with deathtouch or reach. It can also be a key piece in decks looking to control the board while setting up for a lethal combo.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment rich with flying creatures, having a low-cost creature like Death-Hood Cobra that can acquire reach can be a significant advantage. Additionally, deathtouch makes it a potent deterrent against larger threats, ensuring its relevance in various metagames.


How to beat

The Death-Hood Cobra is an adaptable creature card that can be a thorn in an opponent’s side due to its two separate mana abilities. One ability gives it reach, allowing it to block creatures with flying, a useful defense strategy against aerial threats. The second ability grants it deathtouch making it a formidable blocker and a dangerous adversary in combat.

Tackling the Death-Hood Cobra requires a strategic approach. Since activating its abilities can use up your opponent’s mana, forcing them to use their resources at inopportune times can leave them at a disadvantage. Exploiting this can tip the balance in your favor. One can employ spells that don’t interact with the combat phase, such as those causing direct damage or those that force a sacrifice, to remove the Cobra without having to engage with it in battle.

In essence, the key is to destabilize the mana economy of the opposing player. By compelling them to invest mana in the Cobra’s abilities, their ability to play other cards and respond to your actions becomes limited, allowing you to dictate the pace and flow of the game.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Death-Hood Cobra MTG card by a specific set like New Phyrexia and Duel Decks: Jace vs. Vraska, 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 Death-Hood Cobra and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Death-Hood Cobra Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2011-05-13 and 2020-08-07. Illustrated by Jason Felix.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12011-05-13New PhyrexiaNPH 1082003NormalBlackJason Felix
22014-03-14Duel Decks: Jace vs. VraskaDDM 472003NormalBlackJason Felix
32017-03-17Modern Masters 2017MM3 1232015NormalBlackJason Felix
42019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 11792015NormalBlackJason Felix
52020-08-07Double Masters2XM 1632015NormalBlackJason Felix
62020-09-26The ListPLST MM3-1232015NormalBlackJason Felix

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Death-Hood Cobra has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal