Cateran Enforcer MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Horror Mercenary |
| Abilities | Fear |
| Released | 1999-10-04 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Mercadian Masques |
| Set code | MMQ |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 121 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Mike Ploog |
Text of card
Cateran Enforcer can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and black creatures. o4, oc T: Search your library for a Mercenary card with converted mana cost 4 or less and put that card into play. Then shuffle your library.
Cards like Cateran Enforcer
The Cateran Enforcer holds its unique place among creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. Its most direct comparison would be to the Cackling Counterpart due to both cards’ emphasis on control abilities—yet, the Enforcer adds a layer of unpredictability with its morbid ability. The morbid ability activates when a creature dies, granting the Cateran Enforcer an increase in power, which is absent in the Cackling Counterpart’s straightforward creation of a creature token copy.
Looking at another peer, Royal Assassin stands out with a similar role. Both operate as key enforcers on the battlefield, capable of decimating opposing threats. However, Royal Assassin excels with its more surgical approach, directly destroying tapped creatures, as opposed to the Cateran Enforcer’s power boost conditional on another creature’s demise.
Lastly, comparing it with the Nekrataal, we see a difference in approach. While Nekrataal eliminates an opponent’s creature upon entering the battlefield, the Enforcer requires a proactive death trigger to be fully utilized. They operate in neighboring spaces but with distinct triggers and board impacts.
While evaluating these creatures side by side, it’s evident that the Cateran Enforcer has a niche application, especially in decks maximizing creature deaths for strategic advantages, setting it apart from other creature control cards in MTG.
Cards similar to Cateran Enforcer by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Cateran Enforcer, with its subtle yet effective abilities, stands as a potential wellspring of card advantage. By enabling targeted creature destruction, it systematically paves the way for advantageous battlefield conditions, subtly altering the game’s momentum in favor of the player who wields this creature card wisely.
Resource Acceleration: As a member of the Mercenary tribe, Cateran Enforcer can be a cog in the machine of resource acceleration within a Mercenary-themed deck. Its searching ability could be leveraged to chain other Mercenaries into play, thereby speeding up the deployment of your resources and cementing a formidable presence on the board.
Instant Speed: Boasting an activated ability that can be wielded at the speed of an instant, the Cateran Enforcer permits a strategic player to navigate through complex turns. By enabling decisions to be delayed until the most opportune moment, it grants tactical flexibility, ensuring that each play can be calibrated to the evolving battlefield dynamics.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Cateran Enforcer requires a discard to utilize its activated abilities. This can be a setback for players already dealing with a depleted hand, as it pressures them to give up other potentially vital cards.
Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that demands both black and generic mana, this card can be challenging to cast on curve, primarily if your deck isn’t tailored to optimize black mana sources or if your mana base is strained by a multicolored deck composition.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Cateran Enforcer has a higher mana investment when compared to other creatures in its slot. Its casting cost and maintenance for its abilities might deter players, particularly since there are alternatives with lower costs and potentially greater impact in the same mana range.
Reasons to Include Cateran Enforcer in Your Collection
Versatility: Cateran Enforcer offers a unique blend of offensive and defensive capabilities. As a 4/3 creature, it can serve as a solid beater in aggressive strategies while its shadow ability allows it to slip past many defenders in the midrange battles.
Combo Potential: This card can synchronize with a variety of black-centric strategies, often involving graveyard manipulation or sacrifice for greater gains. Its Mercenary subtype also offers synergy with other cards that support this tribal theme.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where evasion is key, being a shadow creature makes Cateran Enforcer a persistent threat. Additionally, in a meta where Mercenaries are relevant or if there’s synergy with its discard ability, Cateran Enforcer could find a niche role.
How to beat
Cateran Enforcer can be a formidable card due to its regenerative ability, which allows it to withstand damage that would typically destroy other creatures. While this Merfolk offers resilience on the battlefield, it’s not invincible. Defeating Cateran Enforcer requires either preventing its regeneration from triggering or dealing with it in a way that circumvents the ability entirely.
One strategy is to force a discard or use a board sweep that doesn’t deal damage, such as with a card like Wrath of God, which destroys all creatures and doesn’t allow regeneration. Additionally, exile effects, like those from Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, can remove Cateran Enforcer from play without the possibility of regeneration. Utilizing these methods can neutralize the Enforcer without a pitched battle.
Remember, the key to overcoming Cateran Enforcer isn’t to engage it in combat but to creatively bypass its strengths with strategic card choices. Thus, a well-prepared player can mitigate the card’s impact and maintain control of the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Cateran Enforcer MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques, 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 Cateran Enforcer and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Cateran Enforcer has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Cateran Enforcer card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | Because the “search” requires you to find a card with certain characteristics, you don’t have to find the card if you don’t want to. |