A-Deal Gone Bad MTG Card

Offers strategic card draw and on-demand removal, greatly influencing how games unfold. Demands careful hand management due to the discard requirement, adding a layer of complexity. A Balance of risk and reward, well-suited for adaptive gameplay in a shifting MTG meta.

A-Deal Gone Bad - Streets of New Capenna

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Abilities	Mill
Released	2022-04-29
Set symbol
Set name	Streets of New Capenna
Set code	SNC
Number	A-74
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Mathias Kollros

Text of card

Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn. Target player mills three cards. You gain 3 life.

Cards like A-Deal Gone Bad

In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, A Deal Gone Bad brings an interesting twist to removal spells. It shares certain mechanics with cards like Murder, which allows you to destroy a target creature for a simple cost of three mana. Yet, A Deal Gone Bad introduces an additional layer by giving the opponent two Treasure tokens. This is an intriguing trade-off, providing momentary advantage through creature elimination at the potential cost of accelerating your opponent’s strategy.

Then there’s Terminate, another staple removal spell. While it also costs two mana, Terminate has the restriction of a black and red mana cost and lacks the Treasure tokens’ downside. It’s strictly better in decks tailored around this mana requirement, but it doesn’t have the same flexibility in mixed color decks as A Deal Gone Bad.

Considering these factors, A Deal Gone Bad can be a useful tool in a player’s arsenal, especially in scenarios where the immediate removal of a threat outweighs the opponent’s temporary gain. It’s a nuanced option that fits well in the pantheon of MTG removals, offering strategic depth to the game’s rich decision-making landscape.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: A Deal Gone Bad enhances your strategic play by offering a choice draw feature. This adaptability gives you the control to replace less useful cards in your hand, ensuring you’re always ready for your next move.

Resource Acceleration: The card not only handles board threats, but it also serves as a resource boost. By generating Treasure tokens, it opens up opportunities for future plays, allowing you to unleash more powerful spells earlier than expected.

Instant Speed: Instant speed spells are pivotal, providing the flexibility to react to your opponent’s actions. With A Deal Gone Bad, you can navigate game-changing moments on your terms, making it an essential piece of your reactive game plan.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of A Deal Gone Bad is the need to part with another card in your hand to cast it. This can lead to a steep price to pay, especially when the cards in hand are crucial for your strategy. In competitive play, maintaining card advantage is often key to victory, so having to discard can put you at a disadvantage if not timed correctly or if you don’t have adequate ways to refill your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that requires both black and red mana, A Deal Gone Bad can be restrictive. It’s not just any two mana, but one black and one red specifically, which can be challenging to achieve early in the game or in multicolored decks that don’t prioritize these colors. This limitation makes it less versatile and harder to slot into just any deck, potentially forcing players to build around these colors to use it effectively.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Additionally, the card has a comparatively high mana cost for what it offers to the player. At three mana total, with one of each black and red, players might find that there are other cards in the game that provide similar benefits without such specific requirements or at a lesser cost. Alternatives may offer more flexibility or additional effects that make them a more appealing choice within certain decks or strategies, making A Deal Gone Bad a less optimal choice in some circumstances.

Reasons to Include A-Deal Gone Bad in Your Collection

Versatility: A-Deal Gone Bad brings a unique blend of threat removal and card advantage to the table, making it a fine choice for decks that need a little extra punch in disrupting opponents while keeping their hand filled with options.

Combo Potential: This card can seamlessly integrate into various strategies, synergizing with decks that capitalize on discard mechanics or benefit from the use of spells that offer multiple avenues of utility, potentially unlocking new combo avenues.

Meta-Relevance: The gameplay dynamics that A-Deal Gone Bad introduces are particularly potent considering the shifting sands of the MTG meta. It fits nicely into the puzzle of a meta that prizes flexibility and can pivot strategies mid-game, ensuring that utilizing this card is a savvy move for anyone looking to outmaneuver their opponents.

How to beat

Navigating the strategic twists and turns of Magic: The Gathering often means facing cards like A-Deal Gone Bad. This card can be a tricky obstacle to overtake but not insurmountable with the right plan. At its core, A-Deal Gone Bad disrupts the battlefield by presenting unpredictable challenges and exchange of resources, making it a pivotal point in the momentum of the game.

To effectively outmaneuver this card, consider employing quick removal spells that can target key creatures before the deal is struck. Keep a watchful eye on the mana pool, as this can give indications of when your opponent may be aiming to play it. Additionally, having countermeasures like discard effects or hand disruption can prevent A-Deal Gone Bad from ever hitting the board, ensuring your game plan proceeds without a hitch.

Stay vigilant in managing your resources and be ready to adapt your strategy. Recognize when to hold back or push forward, and you might find that an initially daunting card becomes a manageable aspect of your path to victory. Remember, foresight and flexibility are your best allies in ensuring that A-Deal Gone Bad doesn’t turn the tides against you.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase A-Deal Gone Bad MTG card by a specific set like Streets of New Capenna, 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 A-Deal Gone Bad and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where A-Deal Gone Bad has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal