Strength of Night MTG Card

Apocalypse (APC)
2001-06-04 - Number 86

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number APC-86

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Abilities	Kicker

Key Takeaways

Strength of Night provides exceptional card advantage by elevating a creature’s threat level efficiently.
Instant speed casting allows unpredictable and game-changing combat dynamics.
It presents a high mana investment, potentially limiting its strategic use.

Text of card

Kicker o B (You may pay an additional o B as you play this spell.) Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn. If you paid the kicker cost, Zombies you control get an additional +2/+2 until end of turn.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Strength of Night provides the utility to potentially turn one creature into a significant threat on the battlefield, potentially making your opponent use multiple resources to address it. It’s like drawing a powerful creature card without the need to add to your hand, efficiently keeping your card count higher.

Resource Acceleration: Equipped with the ability to pump up your entire team if you have the ‘threshold’, this card effectively saves mana in the long run. Instead of casting multiple spells for individual buffs, you get an overall boost with a single spell, optimizing your resource use and accelerating your game plan.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Strength of Night at instant speed means you can adapt to the battlefield as it evolves. You have the advantage of surprising your opponent during their turn, turning a defensive stance into a powerful counter-attack, or dramatically altering combat outcomes without telegraphing your strategy ahead of time.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For players aiming to utilize the full potential of Strength of Night, one of the downsides is the need to pitch another card from your hand. This cost means you’re depleting your own resources, which could hinder your overall strategy, especially in crucial moments when cards in hand are as valuable as spells on the battlefield.

Specific Mana Cost: Strength of Night requires a precise blend of mana, including both black and green, to cast. This specificity could potentially restrict its inclusion to only those decks that run these colours, thereby decreasing its versatility and possibly leaving players with a dead card in hand if the necessary mana isn’t available.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The efficiency of your mana spend in MTG often dictates the pace and power level of your game. With Strength of Night, the mana investment might outweigh the benefits, particularly when other options may provide similar or greater advantages at a lower cost. This card can be a hard commitment in decks that need to preserve mana for other pivotal plays.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Strength of Night shines in a variety of decks that leverage creature strengths. This card excels in green-black (Golgari) decks focused on creature heavy strategies, providing a significant power and toughness boost.

Combo Potential: This instant pairs well with decks that have a sacrifice component or utilize graveyard synergies, as it can instantly turn your creatures into formidable threats for both offensive and defensive plays.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creatures can make or break a game, Strength of Night offers a surprise factor that can tip the scales in your favor, especially in games that extend into the later turns.

How to Beat

Strength of Night is a potent card within the MTG universe, known for its ability to significantly bolster your creatures’ power and endurance. It operates much like a combat trick, giving your army a formidable boost during a crucial moment in the fray. Especially potent in decks themed around creatures, this card can cement your dominance on the battlefield or totally swing the odds in your favor.

To counteract the power of Strength of Night, one efficient strategy is to maintain a robust suite of instant-speed removal in your deck. By doing so, you can eliminate key creatures before the card’s effect can be applied, thereby undermining its potential impact. Additionally, employing counterspells can nip the problem in the bud, preventing the spell from resolving in the first place. Lastly, watch for the timing of your opponent’s mana availability; Strength of Night requires a substantial investment, and discerning players can capitalize on the windows of opportunity when the opponent is tapped out or insufficiently prepared to cast it.

Overall, understanding the rhythm of your opponent’s play and having the right counters in hand can drastically diminish the influence of Strength of Night. Staying one step ahead and smartly managing your spells could ensure this powerful card never turns the tides against you.

Cards like Strength of Night

Strength of Night stands as an intriguing card within Magic: The Gathering, particularly when held up against other spells that bolster creatures. Parallel to the likes of Inspired Charge, Strength of Night also offers a powerful pump to your entire team. However, Strength of Night edges ahead with its potential to not only increase power and toughness but to embed creatures with added staying power through the granting of regeneration—a feature that Inspired Charge lacks entirely.

Another card worth comparing is Golgari Charm, which has versatility on its side, able to selectively give regeneration or remove enchantments. Though it doesn’t provide the same board-wide power boost, it can save your creatures from a sweeping destruction. In a similar category, Eerie Interlude delivers by temporarily saving your creatures from the battlefield, yet without the combat enhancements that Strength of Night provides, giving a trade of protection for aggression.

Ultimately, Strength of Night carves out a niche in Magic: The Gathering. It combines combat strength with resilience, presenting an option especially favorable in situations where muscular defense and endurance are key to overcoming opponents.

Cards similar to Strength of Night by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Strength of Night MTG card by a specific set like Apocalypse and The List, 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 Strength of Night and other MTG cards: