Black Market Tycoon MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Cat Rogue
Abilities Treasure
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Generates extra mana through Treasures, offering substantial card and resource advantage during gameplay.
  2. Demands black mana to operate, aligning best with specific deck types or those with rich mana bases.
  3. Low immediate impact compared to other four-mana cost cards but has high potential in the right deck.

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, Black Market Tycoon deals 2 damage to you for each Treasure you control. : Create a Treasure token.

"I have exactly what you need. The question is, how badly do you need it?"


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Black Market Tycoon enables players to grow their available resources by tapping into unspent mana at the end of each turn, providing them with a steady stream of Treasures. This incremental gain not only creates card advantage but also positions players to pull ahead by efficiently utilizing what would otherwise be wasted mana.

Resource Acceleration: As turns progress, the number of Treasures generated by Black Market Tycoon can exponentially increase. This aspect of the card allows players to fuel more expensive spells much earlier in the game. The acceleration of resources is key in overwhelming opponents and effectively advancing your board state.

Instant Speed: While Black Market Tycoon itself is not an instant, the Treasures it produces offer instant-speed flexibility. They can be sacrificed for mana at any time, enabling reactive gameplay or allowing players to unleash powerful instant-speed spells in the midst of battle when it’s most impactful.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Necessitates the sacrifice of another card to fuel its engine, potentially putting you at a disadvantage by diminishing your hand size and options.

Specific Mana Cost: Black Market Tycoon’s activation relies strictly on black mana, restricting its seamless inclusion solely to black-centered decks or those with a thorough mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Given its mana value, it competes with other prominent four-mana spells that might provide immediate impact or more versatile benefits on the battlefield.


Reasons to Include Black Market Tycoon in Your Collection

Versatility: Black Market Tycoon can be a versatile addition to a variety of deck builds, particularly those that capitalize on resource acceleration and cost reduction mechanics. Its unique ability to tap for colorless mana fits seamlessly into strategies beyond mono-black decks, potentially enhancing multicolored deck performance.

Combo Potential: This card offers significant combo potential, harnessing the synergy with cards that care about treasure tokens or tap abilities. It can serve as an engine in a deck that focuses on amassing tokens and utilizing them for bigger plays, turning treasure into both mana and a resource for key interactions.

Meta-Relevance: With a meta that continually adapts, having a card like Black Market Tycoon can prove to be advantageous. Its capacity to ramp up your mana pool quietly tips the scales in your favor, potentially disrupting the rhythm of opponent strategies that are not prepared to handle an accelerated resource curve.


How to beat

Black Market Tycoon is a card that commands attention in MTG games due to its ability to generate an additional mana during your turns. However, this mana advantage comes with the downside of losing life equal to the number of tapped lands for mana, presenting a balancing act for players wielding this card.

To effectively counter Black Market Tycoon, it is wise to prioritize actions that can remove it from the battlefield or negate its activation. Utilizing instant-speed removal spells can swiftly address the Tycoon before large amounts of mana can be amassed. Moreover, employing strategies that limit life gain or accelerate life loss for the opponent can tilt the scales in your favor, as the life expenditure associated with Black Market Tycoon becomes a glaring vulnerability. It’s also beneficial to pressure your opponent by deploying threats that demand immediate answers, thus forcing them to over-commit mana, ramping up the life paid through the Tycoon’s downside.

Overall, when facing Black Market Tycoon, hedging towards efficient removal and aggressive play can nullify the advantages it provides, making sure the tide of the game stays in your favor while diminishing the potential risks posed by this potent MTG card.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the ins and outs of MTG card mechanics is crucial for strategic gameplay. Black Market Tycoon is a card that presents ample opportunities to harness untapped mana in the form of treasures, bringing a delightful edge to resource management. Embracing the balance between risk and reward, it can be a game changer in the right setup. However, it’s important to consider potential drawbacks such as the card’s high mana cost and presence in specific deck types. Assessing both the strengths and weaknesses is essential for optimal play. For those looking to deepen their MTG acumen, explore the dynamics of Black Market Tycoon with us and discover the key to unlocking its full potential in your deck.


Cards like Black Market Tycoon

In the vast library of Magic: The Gathering cards, Black Market Tycoon is a card that stands out for its ability to ramp up mana. This card can be closely compared to Black Market, a classic enchantment that thrives off death triggers to bolster your mana pool. Both encourage a strategy that benefits from creatures dying, but the Tycoon offers a more immediate reward. Unlike Black Market, which accumulates charge counters for future turns, the Tycoon provides mana immediately, though with a risk attached to each use.

Another card to consider is Pitiless Plunderer. It shares the theme of gaining treasures when your creatures die. Though it grants consistent and arguably safer returns, Pitiless Plunderer lacks the Tycoon’s direct mana acceleration. Similarly, Revel in Riches is another possible comparison, with its treasure creation upon each creature’s demise while also offering an alternate win condition.

All things considered, Black Market Tycoon finds its niche within MTG as a mana accelerator with an inherent risk-reward gameplay. This makes it both uniquely valuable and situationally preferable for decks seeking to capitalize on creature deaths.

Black Market - MTG Card versions
Pitiless Plunderer - MTG Card versions
Revel in Riches - MTG Card versions
Black Market - MTG Card versions
Pitiless Plunderer - MTG Card versions
Revel in Riches - MTG Card versions

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Yavimaya Barbarian - MTG Card versions
Firebrand Ranger - MTG Card versions
Gallia of the Endless Dance - MTG Card versions
Vexing Shusher - MTG Card versions
Gruul Guildmage - MTG Card versions
Hajar, Loyal Bodyguard - MTG Card versions
Tin Street Hooligan - MTG Card versions
Scab-Clan Mauler - MTG Card versions
Tattermunge Witch - MTG Card versions
Apocalypse Hydra - MTG Card versions
Nacatl Outlander - MTG Card versions
Rip-Clan Crasher - MTG Card versions
Flinthoof Boar - MTG Card versions
Skarrg Guildmage - MTG Card versions
Disciple of the Old Ways - MTG Card versions
Burning-Tree Emissary - MTG Card versions
Zhur-Taa Druid - MTG Card versions
Satyr Hedonist - MTG Card versions
Voltaic Brawler - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Black Market Tycoon MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Streets of New Capenna Promos, 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 Black Market Tycoon and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Black Market Tycoon Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2022-04-29 and 2022-04-29. Illustrated by Brock Grossman.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 997352015NormalBlackBrock Grossman
22022-04-29Streets of New Capenna PromosPSNC 167p2015NormalBlackBrock Grossman
32022-04-29Streets of New Capenna PromosPSNC 167s2015NormalBlackBrock Grossman
42022-04-29Streets of New CapennaSNC 4342015NormalBlackBrock Grossman
52022-04-29Streets of New CapennaSNC 1672015NormalBlackBrock Grossman

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Black Market Tycoon has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Black Market Tycoon card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2022-04-29 Black Market Tycoon's ability triggers at the beginning of your upkeep whether or not you actually have any Treasures, and it counts the number of Treasures you have as it resolves.