Akki Underminer MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Goblin Rogue Shaman
Released	2004-10-01
Set symbol
Set name	Champions of Kamigawa
Set code	CHK
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	155
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Thomas M. Baxa

Key Takeaways

Deftly undermines opponents by exiling cards from their deck, critically diminishing their options.
Challenges opponents with instant demands, disruptively dictating the pace of the game.
Despite potency, requires strategic sacrifice and careful mana planning in deck integration.

Text of card

Whenever Akki Underminer deals combat damage to a player, that player sacrifices a permanent.

"Deep inside the Sokenzan Mountains, a band of akki discovered a cache of ancient items of power. Their ensuing spree of destruction became known as 'The Three Days of Fun.'" —*Observations of the Kami War*

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Akki Underminer lets you exploit each successful attack by creating an opportunity to chip away at your opponent’s deck strength. Each time it deals damage to a player, you can pull a card from their library, slowly undermining their resources and potential for retaliation.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly producing additional mana, shaving cards off the top of an opponent’s library with Akki Underminer can indirectly accelerate your own resources. By diminishing an opponent’s defenses, you pave the way for more of your spells and creatures to make an impact on the battlefield unimpeded.

Instant Speed: Although the Akki Underminer operates at sorcery speed, its ability to consistently infiltrate your opponent’s territory applies immense pressure, forcing them to deal with it instantly. This can give you an edge, as they might need to tap out or make plays they wouldn’t otherwise consider, all at a speed dictated by the presence of your Underminer.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Akki Underminer card requires players to sacrifice it upon attacking, which amounts to a form of discard. Losing the card can hamper your board presence, especially if you’re already facing an uphill battle.

Specific Mana Cost: Armed with a specific mana cost of three red mana, its integration into multi-color decks can be challenging, potentially restricting its use to mono-red or heavy-red decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of four mana for its ability to let you exile the top card of your library when it deals combat damage to a player, it could be considered steep. Given this cost, it may compete for a deck slot with alternatives that can potentially exert more pressure or offer greater versatility on the battlefield.

Reasons to Include Akki Underminer in Your Collection

Versatility: Akki Underminer can slot into a variety of red-based aggressive decks. This card shines in strategies that benefit from continually applying pressure and rewarding players for successful attacks.

Combo Potential: This creature has synergy with strategies that capitalize on sacrificing creatures for benefit. Its unique ability to steal cards from an opponent’s library creates new opportunities for resource denial combos.

Meta-Relevance: As a tool against decks with fewer creatures, Akki Underminer can exploit openings and potentially disrupt an opponent’s game plan by exiling cards from their library, making it a relevant choice in certain metagames.

How to Beat Akki Underminer

The Akki Underminer card in MTG represents a unique challenge on the battlefield. As a creature that encourages an aggressive playstyle, it’s known for its ability to strip resources from opponents upon dealing combat damage. Its effects can be quite disruptive, especially in games where maintaining land resources is critical for victory.

To counter this pesky goblin, strategic deck building and card choices are fundamental. Removal spells are the first line of defense. Considering the modest toughness of Akki Underminer, spells that deal even a small amount of damage, like Shock, can efficiently eliminate it. It’s also key to have these types of spells readily available, which is why instant-speed removals are preferred.

Another approach revolves around preventing the Underminer from attacking or blocking successfully. Creature enchantments and artifacts that pacify, tap or otherwise incapacitate creatures can be used to nullify the threat. Ultimately, understanding the timing of when to play these cards against an Akki Underminer is as important as the cards themselves, ensuring your lands and your path to victory remain secure.

Cards like Akki Underminer

Exploring the depths of red creature cards in MTG, Akki Underminer carves a niche with its unique ability to chip away at an opponent’s deck. It’s interesting to compare this card with another goblin raider, the iconic Goblin Guide. While Goblin Guide boasts an aggressive two damage output for a single red mana, it lacks the deck-disruption capability of Akki Underminer, which trades this speed for strategic advantage during combat.

In the same realm, Searing Spear Askari stands out for its flanking ability, although it doesn’t offer the same direct threat to an opponent’s card resources as Akki Underminer. Moreover, with Akki Underminer, every successful attack thins out the adversary’s deck, affecting their game tactics, whereas Searing Spear Askari’s approach is more straightforward damage.

What anchors Akki Underminer’s place among these cards is its synergetic potential in decks that exploit an opponent’s library as a path to victory. Unlike its counterparts that focus on direct damage or combat tricks, it adds a layer of depth to the match, forcing the opponent to weigh the risk of deck depletion with every land they leave unprotected from the Underminer’s incursions.

Searing Spear Askari - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Akki Underminer by color, type and mana cost

Krark-Clan Engineers - MTG Card versions

Shimatsu the Bloodcloaked - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Akki Underminer MTG card by a specific set like Champions of Kamigawa, 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 Akki Underminer and other MTG cards: