Synchronized Strike MTG Card
2017-04-28 - Number 190
2020-08-13 - Number 222
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Instant |
Key Takeaways
- Grants dual creature untapping and tactical advantage in a single play, driving unexpected game shifts.
- Emerges as a tool for resource acceleration, amplifying two creatures simultaneously for aggressive strategies.
- Instant speed utility allows for dynamic, real-time playmaking, aligning with diverse MTG deck builds.
Text of card
Untap up to two target creatures. They each get +2/+2 until end of turn.
Khenra are almost always born as twins. Their instinctual connection lends itself well to their preferred fighting style.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Synchronized Strike holds the potential to turn the tides of a match by allowing you to untap up to two creatures. This can lead to unexpected blocking or attacking opportunities, efficiently granting you a form of card advantage by utilizing your creatures for multiple purposes within a single turn cycle.
Resource Acceleration: When you cast Synchronized Strike, the added benefit of bolstering two creatures with a +2/+2 boost helps speed up your in-game momentum. This resource acceleration can prove crucial for overpowering your opponent’s forces and can pave the way for a quicker victory.
Instant Speed: The ability to play Synchronized Strike at instant speed provides a dynamic layer of strategy for your gameplay. You can surprise your opponent during combat by enhancing your creatures, turning what seemed like an unfavorable skirmish into a decisive win for you, all while keeping the pace of your game plan uninterrupted.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Synchronized Strike demands the player to toss a card from their hand into the graveyard. This exchange can lead to a strategic setback, especially during moments when maintaining hand size is crucial for future plays.
Specific Mana Cost: This card’s activation calls for an exact combination of mana, including at least one green mana source. Such a requirement might restrict its integration, as it necessitates a deck either predominately or partially green in its color identity.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sporting a cost that is not insignificant, Synchronized Strike might compete for space with other spells in your three to four mana slot. There are alternate cards that can produce similar or greater impact without such a high mana investment, potentially leading to a more economical and efficient deck design.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Synchronized Strike offers the ability to boost multiple creatures at once, making it a great fit for token strategies or decks that swarm the battlefield with creatures. Its instant speed allows players to utilize it as both an offensive and defensive tool.
Combo Potential: With the right board state, this card can be the cornerstone of a devastating combat phase or can synergize with cards that care about strength buffs or untapping creatures. Its ability to untap means it works well with creatures that have tap abilities, potentially doubling their effectiveness.
Meta-Relevance: In a metagame that sees a lot of creature-based combat, Synchronized Strike can swing games in your favor. Its power to simultaneously enhance multiple creatures and provide surprise untaps can outmaneuver opponents, making it a crucial card in the collections of players keen on keeping their strategies flexible and responsive.
How to beat
Synchronized Strike is a unique combat trick in the vast pool of instants available to players of Magic the Gathering. This card has the potential to surprise opponents by unexpectedly bolstering two creatures during battle, granting them both a bump in power and the ability to untap instantly. This can significantly alter the outcome of combat, turning what seemed like a certain defeat into a victorious engagement for the card’s caster.
To effectively counter this card, one must either prevent it from resolving or mitigate its impact. Holding up mana for counterspells like Negate or Essence Scatter ensures you can stop Synchronized Strike before it tilts the combat in your opponent’s favor. Alternatively, instant-speed removal, such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile, can remove a targeted creature in response, nullifying the card’s effect and conserving the battlefield’s status quo.
In essence, staying prepared with the appropriate reactive spells or adjusting your combat strategy to anticipate potential combat tricks are the keys to overcoming the surprise factor of Synchronized Strike. Awareness of when your opponent could cast such a card is crucial for maintaining control during the heat of battle.
Cards like Synchronized Strike
Synchronized Strike is a versatile instant in Magic: The Gathering that allows players to give a boost to two of their creatures simultaneously. It’s akin to other combat tricks like Inspired Charge, which also provides a buff, but to all creatures instead. Synchronized Strike stands out with its ability to untap the creatures, giving them the potential for both offense and defense in the same turn.
Looking at cards such as Unflinching Courage, we see a focus on a single target but with the added benefits of lifelink and trample. While Unflinching Courage gives a permanent effect with its enchant creature ability, Synchronized Strike offers a temporary power-up with the flexibility of instant speed. Another parallel can be drawn with the card Rush of Adrenaline, giving a single creature a lesser boost but at a lower cost with the added trample effect.
Ultimately, Synchronized Strike presents a unique balance between power enhancement and tactical flexibility. When one measures the value it brings to the table, especially in decks that thrive on combat tricks, it is a commendable option for players who want to surprise their opponents with sudden and potentially game-changing moves.
Cards similar to Synchronized Strike by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Synchronized Strike MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Amonkhet Remastered, 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 Synchronized Strike and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Synchronized Strike Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by David Palumbo.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-04-28 | Amonkhet | AKH | 190 | 2015 | Normal | Black | David Palumbo | |
| 2 | 2020-08-13 | Amonkhet Remastered | AKR | 222 | 2015 | Normal | Black | David Palumbo |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Synchronized Strike has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Synchronized Strike card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-04-18 | If Synchronized Strike targets two creatures and one becomes an illegal target before it resolves, the remaining target creature will still be untapped and get +2/+2. |
| 2017-04-18 | Synchronized Strike can target an untapped creature. It will still get +2/+2. |
| 2017-04-18 | You can cast Synchronized Strike with two, one, or zero targets. |
| 2017-04-18 | You can’t target the same creature twice to have it get +4/+4. |
