Bitterblade Warrior MTG Card
2017-04-28 - Number 157
2019-11-07 - Number 1139
2020-09-26 - Number AKH-157
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Jackal Warrior |
| Abilities | Exert |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
You may exert Bitterblade Warrior as it attacks. When you do, it gets +1/+0 and gains deathtouch until end of turn. (An exerted creature won't untap during your next untap step.)
"The vizier of poisons teaches an unconventional kind of strength."
Cards like Bitterblade Warrior
Bitterblade Warrior is a versatile creature card that offers players a mix of aggression and evasion in MTG. Comparable to other two-mana creatures such as Ainok Survivalist, which also has megamorph and rewards players when it’s turned face up, Bitterblade Warrior’s prowess lies in its exert ability to gain deathtouch. This means that while Ainok Survivalist may provide utility in dealing with enchantments or artifacts, Bitterblade Warrior excels in combat, often ensuring that any blocking creature will be destroyed.
Another analogy can be drawn with Rancor, a one-mana aura that gives a creature +2/+0 and trample. While Rancor does not provide deathtouch, it is similar in the sense that it increases a creature’s threat level and mirrors Bitterblade Warrior’s ability to push through defensive lines. However, Bitterblade Warrior is self-sufficient and doesn’t leave you open to a two-for-one loss in the event of a removal, unlike an aura which can be a riskier investment.
Consequently, when assessing creature capabilities and combat potential, Bitterblade Warrior finds its niche in MTG as a reliable and potent warrior, perfect for decks that aim to sustain pressure while skillfully navigating the battlefield.
Cards similar to Bitterblade Warrior by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While Bitterblade Warrior does not draw additional cards directly, its exert ability can easily dismantle chump blockers, allowing you to efficiently utilize your combat phase and preserve your more valuable creatures for future turns.
Resource Acceleration: Direct resource acceleration isn’t Bitterblade Warrior’s forte. Instead, it provides tempo acceleration by pressuring your opponent and potentially removing blockers, helping you to maintain a strong board presence and advance your game plan faster.
Instant Speed: Bitterblade Warrior itself isn’t an instant, but its ability to become stronger during combat can catch opponents off guard, much like an instant. It nudges opponents to consider leaving mana open for possible interaction, which can indirectly slow down their resource deployment and disrupt their plans.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Deploying Bitterblade Warrior can be taxing on your hand. To fully utilize this card’s potential, you might find yourself in a tight spot, having to give up other critical cards in your hand. This reluctant trade-off can put you at a disadvantage, especially when facing opponents with strategies that capitalize on card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: A closer look at Bitterblade Warrior’s mana requirements reveals a challenge. The card necessitates a particular mana alignment, prompting players to contemplate their deck’s mana base carefully. While the warrior itself does not demand an overly complex mana arrangement, it does require a commitment to its colors, which could restrict deck building freedom and efficiency.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating mana efficiency, Bitterblade Warrior’s cost-to-impact ratio poses a dilemma. With a mana cost that may be considered steep relative to the value it offers in the battlefield, players might weigh their options towards other creatures or spells offering more bang for their buck. In competitive play, where every mana point counts, this could be a significant drawback.
Reasons to Include Bitterblade Warrior in Your Collection
Versatility: Bitterblade Warrior can adapt to a variety of deck builds. As a two-cost aggressive creature, it easily slots into aggro decks while its exert ability makes it a threat in combat.
Combo Potential: This creature’s capability to become harder to block invites synergies with cards that benefit from successful attacks, setting up potential for combos and favorable trades on the battlefield.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where early presence can dictate the flow of the game, Bitterblade Warrior holds its ground. It fits into the curve of decks seeking to establish early board control and can pressure opponents from the get-go.
How to beat
Bitterblade Warrior is a card that brings agility and deceit to the battlefield with its exert ability, allowing it to become more formidable in combat. To effectively counter this creature card, one must adopt a strategy that nullifies its advantages. Removal spells are an efficient choice, with options like Fatal Push or Path to Exile offering swift and low-cost solutions to eliminate the threat before it can leverage its exert power.
Another approach is to use cards that prevent it from attacking or exerting altogether, such as Pacifism or Frost Lynx, which can neutralize Bitterblade Warrior without having to remove it from play. Additionally, it is important to manage the battlefield with creatures that can withstand its assault or have abilities that discourage attacks, like those with deathtouch or high toughness.
Overall, understanding the timing and knowing when to deploy these tactics can tip the balance in your favor, keeping Bitterblade Warrior’s potential impact under control. In games of MTG, maintaining this level of battlefield awareness and strategic foresight can be the key to victory against this and other similar threats.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Bitterblade Warrior MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Mystery Booster, 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 Bitterblade Warrior and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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
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Printings
The Bitterblade Warrior Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Slawomir Maniak.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-04-28 | Amonkhet | AKH | 157 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Slawomir Maniak | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1139 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Slawomir Maniak | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | AKH-157 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Slawomir Maniak |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Bitterblade Warrior has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Bitterblade Warrior 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 | All cards in the Amonkhet set that let you exert a creature let you do so as you declare it as an attacking creature, as do some of the cards in the Hour of Devastation set. You can’t do so later in combat, and creatures put onto the battlefield attacking can’t be exerted. Any abilities that trigger on exerting an attacking creature will resolve before blockers are declared. |
| 2017-04-18 | If an exerted creature is already untapped during your next untap step (most likely because it had vigilance or an effect untapped it), exert’s effect preventing it from untapping expires without having done anything. |
| 2017-04-18 | If you gain control of another player’s creature until end of turn and exert it, it will untap during that player’s untap step. |
| 2017-04-18 | You can’t exert a creature unless an effect allows you to do so. Similar effects that “tap and freeze” a creature (such as that of Decision Paralysis) don’t exert that creature. |