Blaster Hulk: Mastering Creature Combat Math in MTG

Blaster Hulk: Mastering Creature Combat Math in MTG

In TCG ·

Blaster Hulk card art: an energetic red pirate artifact creature charging into battle

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Creature Combat Math with Blaster Hulk

In Modern Horizons 3 Commander, red decks get loud and flashy, and Blaster Hulk is the loudest alarm bell this side of a dragon's roar. This unusual artifact creature — a pirate, to boot — brings a math-heavy finish to the red zone, turning reckless aggression into a calculator's dream. When you combine its 8/8 body with haste and a scaling energy mechanic, you’re not just smashing faces; you’re solving a battlefield equation in real time. 🧙‍♂️🔥

Core numbers you need to know

  • Mana cost: {6}{R}{R} — a steep toll, but not insurmountable with the right ramp. The color identity is red, and the rarity is rare.
  • Power/Toughness: 8/8 — a reliable late-game beater that can threaten lethal damage quickly with haste.
  • Haste: lets Blaster Hulk slam as soon as you cast it, turning mana rocks and ramp into immediate pressure. ⚔️
  • Attack trigger and energy economy: "Whenever this creature attacks, you get {E}{E}, then you may pay eight {E}. When you do, this creature deals 8 damage divided as you choose among up to eight targets." This is where the math party starts — you only generate energy when it swings, and your access to eight energy to unleash eight damage is a true finisher. 🔥
  • Cost reduction on cast: "This spell costs {1} less to cast for each {E} you've paid or lost this turn." The payoff is not just raw power; it’s tempo, because the more energy you’ve spent, the cheaper Blaster Hulk becomes to cast later in the same turn. That means explosive turns can cascade if you sequence energy-creating effects and the Hulk’s own attack trigger just right. 💎

How the math changes the way you fight

Blaster Hulk isn’t a one-and-done finisher; it’s a tempo lever. In a typical Commander game, you’ll be generating energy counters from various sources — creatures that tap for energy, artifacts that create E counters, or even other red engines from MH3C’s theme. Each energy counter nudges Blaster Hulk closer to the "free-to-cast" dream. If you’ve paid or lost several energies earlier in the turn, you reduce the Hulk’s cost and open a dangerous late-game tempo swing. 🧙‍♂️

When Blaster Hulk attacks, you gain two energy counters (E, E). That immediate spike is your fuel for a dramatic second-act play. If you’ve stacked enough energy by midcombat, you can pay eight energy to fire off the eight-damage blast: 8 damage split among up to eight targets. It’s not infinite, but it can wipe out a cluster of low-toughness blockers or finish off a wounded foe's board, all in a single, glorious moment. The math rewards patience and planning, and that makes each combat round feel like a mini-puzzle. ⚔️🎯

For players who love math-heavy synergy, Blaster Hulk pairs with energy-positive cards such as Energy Reserve, which shows up as a combo piece in the same ecosystem. Imagine turning your early leads into mid-game energy fountains, then letting Hulk blow the doors off in a single attack step. The more energy you’ve stored, the bigger your options when you decide to unleash the eight-point blast. It’s a kind of “red mana splatball” meets blast furnace — satisfying and a little reckless in the best possible way. 🔥💎

Practical play tips

  • Ramp hard and fast. The eight-mana base cost is heavy, but with efficient red mana options and discount effects, you can accelerate into your power spike. (Think rituals, fast mana, and artifact ramp.)
  • Plan your energy economy across turns. If you can prepay energy or lose energy earlier, you reduce the Hulk’s cost and open a dangerous late-game tempo swing.
  • Scope your targets carefully. The eight-damage-for-eight-targets option is versatile — you can pick 1 big threat or a spread of small creatures to maximize the board impact.
  • Protect the moment. That lethal combo depends on the Hulk’s survival; use removal and protective auras to keep the engine online long enough to deliver the final blow.
  • Pair with support pieces. Cards that repeatedly generate energy or that tutor for Blaster Hulk can create surprising, fast lines. And if you’re a fan of counting dice and damages, this is your playground. 🎲

Art and lore fans will notice the art by Lie Setiawan and the MH3C Commander framing that export-ready aura of lawless pirates and seaborne tech. The color identity is red through and through, with the signature flash of red's aggression and impulsive risk-taking. The card’s rarity, a rare in the m3c set, makes a nice collector piece for pulse-pounding decks that lean into big promises and big payoffs. 🎨

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Blaster Hulk

Blaster Hulk

{6}{R}{R}
Artifact Creature — Pirate

This spell costs {1} less to cast for each {E} (energy counter) you've paid or lost this turn.

Haste

Whenever this creature attacks, you get {E}{E}, then you may pay eight {E}. When you do, this creature deals 8 damage divided as you choose among up to eight targets.

ID: 7853d27d-e860-42ba-b925-8b57dc451059

Oracle ID: 4b8ca7fd-3c8e-44fe-ab0a-0ddc2f2b047c

Multiverse IDs: 665065

TCGPlayer ID: 552982

Cardmarket ID: 774757

Colors: R

Color Identity: R

Keywords: Haste

Rarity: Rare

Released: 2024-06-14

Artist: Lie Setiawan

Frame: 2015

Border: black

EDHRec Rank: 6989

Set: Modern Horizons 3 Commander (m3c)

Collector #: 55

Legalities

  • Standard — not_legal
  • Future — not_legal
  • Historic — not_legal
  • Timeless — not_legal
  • Gladiator — not_legal
  • Pioneer — not_legal
  • Modern — not_legal
  • Legacy — legal
  • Pauper — not_legal
  • Vintage — legal
  • Penny — not_legal
  • Commander — legal
  • Oathbreaker — legal
  • Standardbrawl — not_legal
  • Brawl — not_legal
  • Alchemy — not_legal
  • Paupercommander — not_legal
  • Duel — legal
  • Oldschool — not_legal
  • Premodern — not_legal
  • Predh — not_legal

Prices

  • USD: 0.30
  • EUR_FOIL: 0.84
  • TIX: 2.90
Last updated: 2025-11-15