Tlincalli Hunter // Retrieve Prey is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Trample Once each turn, you may payrather than pay the mana cost for a creature spell you cast from exile. Exile target creature card from your graveyard. Until the end of your next turn, you may cast that card. (Then exile this card. You may cast the creature later from exile.)
Complete guide
Tlincalli Hunter is a powerful scorpion scout that bridges the gap between your graveyard and the battlefield. By using its Adventure side, Retrieve Prey, you can set up a massive creature for a free arrival later in the game.
How the Hunt Begins
Tlincalli Hunter has two distinct parts. Retrieve Prey is a sorcery Adventure that exiles a creature from your graveyard, allowing you to cast it from exile until the end of your next turn. Tlincalli Hunter itself is a 7/7 creature with trample that provides a passive discount: once per turn, you may pay {0} to cast a creature spell from exile. This discount applies to any creature spell cast from exile, whether it was exiled by Retrieve Prey, another Adventure, or a different effect.
The Step-by-Step Resolution
When you cast Retrieve Prey, you target a creature card in your graveyard. If the spell resolves, that card is exiled and becomes castable until the end of your next turn. Retrieve Prey then exiles itself, allowing you to cast Tlincalli Hunter from the exile zone later. Note that the {0} cost ability only functions while Tlincalli Hunter is already on the battlefield. You cannot use the Hunter's own discount to cast itself for {0} from the exile zone unless you already have another copy of Tlincalli Hunter in play.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A common misconception is that Tlincalli Hunter allows you to cast any creature from exile. It does not; it only changes the cost of a spell you already have permission to cast. You must follow normal timing rules for the exiled creature, meaning you usually can only cast it during your main phase. Additionally, if Retrieve Prey is countered or its target becomes illegal before it resolves, the card goes to the graveyard instead of exile, and you will lose the chance to cast Tlincalli Hunter later.
Timing Your Prey
To maximize value, play Retrieve Prey during your turn when you have a high-impact creature in the graveyard. Since the permission lasts until the end of your next turn, you can untap your lands and use Tlincalli Hunter's ability to drop a massive threat for free, leaving your mana open for protection or additional spells.
Interaction examples
Craterhoof BehemothWith Tlincalli Hunter already on the battlefield, you cast Retrieve Prey targeting Craterhoof Behemoth in your graveyard. Once the Behemoth is in exile, Tlincalli Hunter's static ability allows you to cast the Behemoth for {0} rather than its mana cost of {5}{G}{G}{G}. This allows you to potentially end the game with a massive trample boost without spending any mana on the creature itself.
Avenger of ZendikarSuppose Avenger of Zendikar is in your graveyard. You cast Retrieve Prey to exile it. On your next turn, after Tlincalli Hunter has been cast and is on the battlefield, you use the Hunter's ability to cast Avenger of Zendikar from exile for {0}. Because you didn't spend mana on the Avenger, you still have all your lands available to play, triggering Landfall multiple times to grow the Plant tokens immediately.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Tlincalli Hunter // Retrieve Prey
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Tlincalli Hunter's ability doesn't give you permission to cast any spells from exile. You'll need to find another way to do that, such as Retrieve Prey.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
You must pay all costs and follow all normal timing rules when casting a creature card from exile with Retrieve Prey. Normally, this means you may only cast that card during a main phase of your turn while the stack is empty.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it’s in your graveyard, Altar of Bhaal is an artifact card whose mana value is 2.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card’s normal characteristics. The spell’s color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it’s legal to cast that spell.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won’t be exiled and the spell’s controller won’t be able to cast it as a permanent later.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won’t give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
You must still follow any relevant timing rules for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you’ll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it’s not possible to cast the copy from exile.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that “has an Adventure.” This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card’s set of alternative characteristics, even if they’re not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it’s a token) or cease to be a copy (if it’s a nontoken permanent), and so you won’t be able to cast it as an Adventure.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #12· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #13· Wizards of the Coast
Casting a card as an Adventure isn’t casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure.
No other card is named in this ruling.
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Meta decks with Tlincalli Hunter // Retrieve Prey
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