Prowler's Helm MTG Card


The Helm enhances card advantage by keeping your creatures unblockable, sustaining offensive pressure. Its ability to expedite victory indirectly accelerates your game state, despite no mana gain. Forcing opponents to hold mana for instant plays, the Helm subtly shifts gameplay in your favor.
Prowler's Helm - Theros
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact — Equipment
Abilities Equip
Released2013-09-27
Set symbol
Set nameTheros
Set codeTHS
Number219
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byIgor Kieryluk

Text of card

Equipped creature can't be blocked except by Walls. Equip

"The youths prattle on about heroic deeds, but avoiding the noose is a feat more daring than their entire careers." —Basarios the Blade


Cards like Prowler's Helm

Prowler’s Helm is an intriguing equipment artifact that carves its niche in Magic: The Gathering by allowing the equipped creature to be unblockable as long as no walls are defending. This can be directly compared to Trailblazer’s Boots, another equipment that gives the creature essentially the same ability due to the rarity of ‘Land’ cards being eligible as blockers. Where Prowler’s Helm is equipped for two mana, Trailblazer’s Boots requires an initial casting together with an equipping cost.

Whispersilk Cloak takes the concept further, not only making the equipped creature unblockable but also granting it shroud, thus preventing it from being the target of spells or abilities. The cloak, however, requires more investment, with a three-mana equip cost, making it a heavier commitment. Key to the City is an alternative that not only makes a creature unblockable for a turn but also ties into card advantage by allowing its controller to draw a card if they choose.

In the realm of unblockability, Prowler’s Helm holds a steady ground with a reasonable equip cost and a straightforward benefit, ideal for strategies aiming to deal combat damage directly to opponents without the intention of protecting the equipped creature.

Trailblazer's Boots - MTG Card versions
Whispersilk Cloak - MTG Card versions
Key to the City - MTG Card versions
Trailblazer's Boots - MTG Card versions
Whispersilk Cloak - MTG Card versions
Key to the City - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Prowler’s Helm has an underrated benefit when it comes to card advantage. By ensuring that your creatures can become unblockable, it helps maintain pressure on your opponent without losing momentum or trading with their creatures, effectively getting more value from each of your creatures.

Resource Acceleration: While Prowler’s Helm doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the form of mana, it accelerates your game state by allowing creatures to bypass potential blockers. This can lead to a quicker victory, serving as a form of indirect resource acceleration toward winning the game.

Instant Speed: Although not an instant itself, Prowler’s Helm can influence instant-speed plays by making it more dangerous for an opponent to tap out. This threat can force them to play more conservatively, potentially leading to misplays or lost opportunities, and giving you the upper hand.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Prowler’s Helm doesn’t directly demand a discard from your hand, but the cost of equipping it often means you’re investing cards from your hand to maintain board presence, which can be detrimentally equivalent to a discard if you’re falling behind.

Specific Mana Cost: Laden with a specific mana requirement to cast, Prowler’s Helm requires two generic mana, potentially restrictive in a mana-hungry deck or where colorless sources are scarce.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an initial casting cost and an additional equip cost, Prowler’s Helm has a relatively high total mana investment for an equipment that solely grants unblockability to a creature without walls, a benefit that might be overshadowed by more versatile or lower-cost alternatives.


Reasons to Include Prowler’s Helm in Your Collection

Versatility: Prowler’s Helm can be a key card in your arsenal, fitting seamlessly into various deck archetypes. Its ability to make creatures unblockable except by Walls ensures it can serve as a powerful tool in aggressive strategies aiming to deliver that critical hit.

Combo Potential: The artifact nature of Prowler’s Helm presents a myriad of combo possibilities, especially in decks that capitalize on artifact synergy. Imagine it working in tandem with cards that benefit from artifacts entering the battlefield or being tapped for an effect.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment packed with creature-based defenses, this card can give you the upper hand, allowing key attackers to slip through enemy lines. Its relevance increases as decks focusing on immense board presence dominate the scene, offering a straightforward solution to a cluttered battlefield.


How to beat

Prowler’s Helm is a unique artifact that can be quite a thorn in the side of players who lean heavily on defensive tactics in Magic: The Gathering. The card’s primary strength lies in its ability to make the equipped creature unblockable as long as the defending player controls walls. This ability can turn an otherwise quiet board into a pressing threat. To effectively neutralize the advantage Prowler’s Helm provides, removal spells are a savvy choice. Direct artifact removal like Disenchant or Naturalize can dispatch the Helm before it becomes an active threat on the battlefield.

Counter strategies also involve adapting your deck to include creatures with Reach or any form of removal spells like Murder to handle creatures equipped with the Prowler’s Helm. Ensnaring Bridge is another strategic inclusion, as it limits the attacking capabilities of creatures based on the number of cards in hand regardless of their unblockable status. Balancing a mindful defensive strategy with proactive artifact control can ensure that Prowler’s Helm doesn’t tip the scales too heavily against you.

Considering these tactics, players are encouraged to stay on their toes and prepare their decks with versatile answers to overcome tricky situations like an opponent’s sneaky use of Prowler’s Helm.


BurnMana Recommendations

Deck builders and MTG enthusiasts, the Prowler’s Helm offers more than meets the eye. With its unique unblockable trait and potential for dramatic gameplay swings, it’s a fascinating choice for any collection. This card can turn the tide in creature-heavy metas and is a handy artifact for aggressive strategies. Implementing it into your deck requires thoughtful planning and a balance of resources. To fully grasp its advantages, curious interactions, and ways to counter it, we invite you to join our community. Here, we dive deeper into optimizing your gameplay and mastering the art of outmaneuvering opponents. Delve into the depths of MTG strategy with us.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Prowler's Helm MTG card by a specific set like Theros, 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 Prowler's Helm and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Prowler's Helm has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal