King Suleiman MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Human Noble
Released	1993-12-17
Set symbol
Set name	Arabian Nights
Set code	ARN
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	6
Frame	1993
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Mark Poole

Key Takeaways

King Suleiman’s board control over Djinn and Efreets can tilt games in your favor.
Works as resource acceleration by saving mana for managing other strategic moves.
His presence can deter opponents, impacting their play despite not being instant.

Text of card

Tap to destroy an Efreet or Djinn.

"We made tempestuous winds obedient to Solomon . . . And many of the devils We also made obedient to him." —The Qur'an, 21:81

Card Pros

Card Advantage: King Suleiman offers a unique form of card advantage in MTG by enabling the player to control the board state against creatures of a certain type. This can effectively reduce the opponent’s creature resources while preserving your own, potentially leading to advantageous exchanges and a stronger board presence.

Resource Acceleration: Although King Suleiman doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the form of mana or tokens, its ability to repeatedly remove key threats without requiring mana expenditure during your turn can save resources for other strategic plays. This type of indirect resource acceleration can be a game-changer in the right deck.

Instant Speed: While King Suleiman’s ability isn’t at instant speed, the threat of activation can impact your opponent’s decisions similarly to instant speed interactions. Opponents may hesitate to play their creatures or may attempt to bait out Suleiman’s ability, which can lead to advantage in the pace and control of the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While King Suleiman doesn’t have a discard requirement, some players have noted that holding onto him can inadvertently force you to discard other valuable cards to make room in your hand, especially if his ability isn’t currently relevant to the board state.

Specific Mana Cost: King Suleiman has a mana cost specifically requiring white mana, which may not seamlessly fit into all deck archetypes, especially those running multicolor combinations without a heavy white presence or mana fixing capabilities.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost of two white and one of any color, King Suleiman is considered to have a high investment for a card whose ability is circumstantial, targeting only Djinn and Efreet creatures, which may not always be prevalent in the current meta.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: King Suleiman offers a unique ability to control the board by targeting Djinn and Efreet creatures, a feature that can be quite handy in specific metagames or casual circles. This allows the card to serve as both a defensive measure and a strategic advantage in various deck builds.

Combo Potential: When paired with cards that generate Djinn or Efreet tokens, King Suleiman can effectively become a repeatable source of creature removal. This synergy reveals the potential for combo-oriented decks to exploit these interactions for board control.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment teeming with powerful Djinn and Efreets, King Suleiman’s ability gains substantial value. This card may not always be at the forefront of competitive play, but when relevant creature types dominate the scene, this card can be a silver bullet, making it a valuable asset for collectors and players interested in legacy formats.

How to beat

King Suleiman is a unique figure in the card game Magic: The Gathering, celebrated for his ability to dominate over Djinn and Efreet creatures. Residing in a fantasy world steeped in rich lore, his presence on the battlefield can turn the tides of a match by enabling players to remove these powerful and oftentimes hard-to-deal-with adversaries from the game.

Confronting the might of King Suleiman calls for shrewd strategies such as preventing him from entering play through counter spells or bypassing his control abilities by focusing on versatile creature types. Efficient removal spells that can target any creature, not just Djinn and Efreet, prove to be highly effective. Additionally, strategies involving non-creature spells or those without specific creature type dependencies can reduce King Suleiman’s impact, ensuring your deck’s performance doesn’t hinge on a creature-heavy approach susceptible to his rule.

Ultimately, though he might appear daunting with his specialized control, proper preparation and deck construction can neutralize King Suleiman’s command, demonstrating that even kings can be overthrown with foresight and tactical thinking.

Cards like King Suleiman

King Suleiman is a notable figure among MTG’s specialized creature control cards. Its closest analog is Preacher, which also has the ability to take control of creatures. King Suleiman specifically targets Djinn and Efreet creatures, providing a unique niche by neutralizing these threats, while Preacher’s ability is more generalized and can be applied to any creature on the battlefield. Nonetheless, Preacher requires continuous investment of tapping, whereas King Suleiman’s ability is a one-time activation to remove the threat permanently.

Another card worthy of comparison is the iconic Royal Assassin. While Royal Assassin also offers removal, it slays tapped creatures without bias. Conversely, King Suleiman excels in a meta filled with Djinn and Efreets, using his ability without needing a tap condition. The specificity of King Suleiman might be seen as a limitation, but in the right circumstances, it outshines more generalized removal spells.

Ultimately, King Suleiman’s strength lies in its ability to decisively deal with particular creature types. It’s a specialized tool that, in the proper deck and metagame, becomes an indispensable asset, much like an expertly wielded sword in battle.

Cards similar to King Suleiman by color, type and mana cost

Voice of the Blessed - MTG Card versions

Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase King Suleiman MTG card by a specific set like Arabian Nights, 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 King Suleiman and other MTG cards: