Antagonize MTG Card


Provides card advantage and potential opponent resource disruption, pivotal for maintaining battlefield supremacy. Instant speed capability enriches strategic depth, allowing for unexpected plays and board control. Demands card discard and specific mana, which may affect its utility and inclusion in diverse decks.
Antagonize - Streets of New Capenna
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeInstant
Released2022-04-29
Set symbol
Set nameStreets of New Capenna
Set codeSNC
Number100
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byGabor Szikszai

Text of card

Target creature gets +4/+3 until end of turn.

"The little guy had guts at least. You can see 'em right there between those cobbles." —Glunk, freelance crusher


Cards like Antagonize

Antagonize is a unique card within the realm of combat tricks in Magic: The Gathering. Fans of reactive play may draw parallels between Antagonize and classic cards such as Giant Growth. Both offer a quick boost in power, but Antagonize shines with its potential to nullify an opponent’s buff, effectively reversing the tides of combat.

Likewise, cards like Blossoming Defense also come to mind, offering a similar immediate increase in strength along with the added benefit of hexproof to thwart targeted removal. Though Blossoming Defense bolsters resilience against spells and abilities, its lack of Antagonize’s debuffing capability marks a strategic difference. Comparatively, Rebuff the Wicked is another spell often considered in concert with Antagonize due to its protective nature, but it focuses more on prevention by countering a spell that would destroy a single target.

While each of these spells has its respective advantages, Antagonize distinguishes itself in the art of combat manipulation, allowing players not only to enhance their own creatures but also to diminish their adversaries’ offense or defense in a single move.

Giant Growth - MTG Card versions
Blossoming Defense - MTG Card versions
Rebuff the Wicked - MTG Card versions
Giant Growth - MTG Card versions
Blossoming Defense - MTG Card versions
Rebuff the Wicked - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Antagonize. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Mono-Red AggroMono-Red Aggro StandardMono-Red AggroThe Pizza Box Open: Standard
Rakdos AggroRakdos Aggro StandardRakdos AggroStandard Preliminary 2024-01-29

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Antagonize provides a significant boost in hand resources by allowing you to draw cards, ensuring you keep parity or even outstrip your opponent’s options.

Resource Acceleration: This card can potentially disrupt your opponent’s resource base, putting you at an advantage and accelerating your position in the game. The ability to thwart their development can be just as potent as advancing your own.

Instant Speed: Antagonize’s flexibility at instant speed offers the power to respond dynamically to threats or actions during your opponent’s turn, giving you strategic control of the battlefield and keeping your adversaries on their toes.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Antagonize card demands players to discard another card in order to cast it. This can prove detrimental, especially during late-game scenarios when hand cards become precious strategic resources or when trying to maintain card advantage over the opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: Antagonize comes with a defined mana cost that includes black mana, potentially restricting its integration solely to black-inclusive decks or those with a reliable mana base capable of producing multiple colors, thus reducing its versatility across various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment required to cast Antagonize may outweigh its benefits when considering other options. For its mana cost, players might expect a more impactful effect or a less conditional ability to disrupt opponents, posing a strategic conundrum when building an optimized deck.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Antagonize is an adaptable card that can be slotted into a variety of blue control or tempo decks with ease. Its capacity to refute an opponent’s spell while possibly filtering unwanted cards from your hand gives it a dual role at different stages of the game.

Combo Potential: This MTG card’s looting effect, allowing you to draw and discard, can synergize with strategies that capitalize on graveyard play or benefit from card selection, making it a crucial component to set up powerful combos.

Meta-Relevance: Given the shifting landscape of competitive play, Antagonize suits well in environments where instant-speed interaction is key to surviving against other reactive decks and combo plays.


How to beat Antagonize

Antagonize rises as a powerful instant in the MTG realm, offering players the ability to outright counter an opponent’s spell, unless they pay the additional cost. Besting this card demands tactical play and precise timing. To navigate around Antagonize, consider playing spells when the opponent is low on mana, substantially reducing their capability to utilize Antagonize’s effect. As a countermeasure, you can also bait the use of Antagonize with less crucial spells, saving your pivotal plays for when the coast is clear.

Mana management is another key strategy. Keeping track of the available mana can signal whether an attempt to play a significant spell might face obstruction from Antagonize. On the flip side, cards that boost your mana reserves or reduce the cost of your spells can help in overcoming the hindrance posed by Antagonize, as you effectively render the payment increase irrelevant.

Diligently crafting your deck with a mix of low and high-cost spells, and perhaps integrating uncounterable spells or abilities that strip your opponent of their mana, will enhance your resilience against Antagonize. Through these methods, you enable a more robust approach, safeguarding your most influential spells from this formidable instant.


BurnMana Recommendations

Antagonize may pose a dilemma with its discard requirement and specific mana cost, limiting its presence to certain deck types. However, its power to alter game dynamics at instant speed makes it a noteworthy contender for your collection. When analyzing Antagonize’s pros and cons, consider how it fits into your strategy, potentially exploiting its instant nature to gain the upper hand. Also, keep an eye on the meta to understand its value in current decks. Looking to perfect your deck’s responsiveness or find ways to incorporate Antagonize effectively? Visit us to explore deeper insights and strategies to enhance your MTG gameplay.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Antagonize 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 Antagonize and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Antagonize has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal