Cobra Trap MTG Card

Cobra Trap provides substantial card advantage by summoning four snakes, potentially tipping the battlefield balance. The card’s instant speed allows strategic plays, enabling reactions to opponents’ moves for a competitive edge. While powerful, Cobra Trap’s effectiveness hinges on meeting specific conditions, notably the destruction of noncreature permanents.

Zendikar (ZEN)
2009-10-02 - Number 160

Commander 2011 (CMD)
2011-06-17 - Number 146

Commander 2015 (C15)
2015-11-13 - Number 180

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant — Trap

Text of card

If a noncreature permanent under your control was destroyed this turn by a spell or ability an opponent controlled, you may pay rather than pay Cobra Trap's mana cost. Put four 1/1 green Snake creature tokens onto the battlefield.

Cards like Cobra Trap

Cobra Trap is a unique card in Magic: The Gathering, offering a specific reactionary advantage. This trap card can be likened to Join Shields, which also grants an instant group boost but without the situational discount Cobra Trap may enjoy. Meanwhile, cards like Beast Within provide a different approach, allowing for immediate removal of a threat, but lack the creature creation aspect that Cobra Trap offers.

Nesting Dragon is another card that creates creature tokens, specifically Dragon Eggs, though it does so under landfall triggers rather than as a reaction to your permanents being destroyed. The result is a different strategic use that favors ramping over protective measures. Lastly, Hornet Queen, while costly, delivers a strong, outright summoning of insect tokens without a trigger condition, unlike Cobra Trap, which requires the destruction of a noncreature permanent. Hornet Queen’s tokens also come with deathtouch, contrasting with Cobra Trap’s snake tokens which do not inherently hold that ability.

Overall, while the condition for its reduced cost can be specific, Cobra Trap provides an MTG deck with an excellent defensive mechanism while potentially flooding the board with creature tokens, offering a different angle of advantage to the green mage’s arsenal.

Cards similar to Cobra Trap by color, type and mana cost

Emerald Dragon // Dissonant Wave - MTG Card versions

A-Emerald Dragon // A-Dissonant Wave - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Cobra Trap, you can potentially put four creature cards onto the battlefield, significantly bolstering your presence and overwhelming your opponent without depleting your hand.

Resource Acceleration: Although Cobra Trap does not directly accelerate resources, swiftly populating the battlefield supports your board state, which indirectly benefits your resource management by creating blockers or attackers without additional mana investment.

Instant Speed: The instant speed of Cobra Trap provides a strategic edge, enabling you to deploy creatures during your opponent’s turn or after they have committed to an unfavorable board wipe, turning the tides of the game in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside to Cobra Trap is the necessity for a noncreature permanent you control to be destroyed by a spell or ability an opponent controls. Failing to meet this requirement means you cannot capitalize on its Trap cost reduction, potentially limiting its strategic application during a game.

Specific Mana Cost: Cobra Trap’s mana cost includes green mana symbols, which may restrict its inclusion to green-inclined or multicolored decks. Players running decks without green mana sources will find it challenging to harness this card’s power.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The default six mana required to cast Cobra Trap is relatively steep, particularly for a card designed to create creature tokens. In a game where pace and efficiency are crucial, there may be hesitation to include it over other options that provide a more immediate or cost-effective impact on the board state.

Reasons to Include Cobra Trap in Your Collection

Versatility: Cobra Trap has the flexibility to be a game-changer in decks that capitalize on token generation or need defensive options. With the ability to deter opponents from destroying your noncreature permanents, it can be a valuable addition to control and midrange decks alike.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to create multiple creature tokens lends itself to synergies with effects that benefit from creatures entering the battlefield. It can be particularly potent in decks that utilize cards like “Doubling Season” or “Anointed Procession” for added impact.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the ever-shifting MTG landscape, Cobra Trap is an excellent choice against strategies that rely heavily on spell-based removal. Being able to replace key permanents with a brood of deathtouching snakes can often tilt the match in your favor, making it a solid sideboard contender or even a surprise main deck inclusion.

How to beat

Cobra Trap is a unique card within the world of MTG, known for its ability to summon a quartet of Snake tokens when a player’s noncreature permanent is destroyed by an opponent. The card’s unconventional trigger circumvents direct creature removal and requires a different approach to overcome. One effective tactic is to manage the timing of your removal spells, ideally when the opponent lacks the mana to cast Cobra Trap. Counterspells also serve as a potent answer, preventing the Trap from ever springing into action.

An alternative strategy is to focus on sweeping the board with mass removal effects, which can surpass the Trap’s defenses by not targeting the permanents directly. Utilizing graveyard disruption can also be key, as cards like Cobra Trap often land in the graveyard waiting to be reused with spells like Snapcaster Mage or Regrowth. Targeting the graveyard not only neutralizes the immediate threat but also impairs your opponent’s long-term game plan.

Taking into account these approaches, savvy players can mitigate the impact of Cobra Trap, ensuring that this card does not dictate the pace of the game or the outcome of the match-up.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cobra Trap MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar and Commander 2011, 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 Cobra Trap and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Cobra Trap Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2009-10-02 and 2015-11-13. Illustrated by Scott Chou.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2009-10-02	Zendikar	ZEN	160	2003	Normal	Black	Scott Chou
2	2011-06-17	Commander 2011	CMD	146	2003	Normal	Black	Scott Chou
3	2015-11-13	Commander 2015	C15	180	2015	Normal	Black	Scott Chou

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cobra Trap has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2009-10-01	A spell or ability destroys a permanent only if that spell or ability specifically contains the word “destroy” in its text. If a spell or ability an opponent controls exiles a noncreature permanent you control, causes you to sacrifice a noncreature permanent, removes all loyalty counters from a planeswalker you control, or causes an ability you control to trigger (and then that ability destroys a permanent you control), Cobra Trap’s alternative cost condition hasn’t been met.
2009-10-01	Casting a Trap by paying its alternative cost doesn’t change its mana cost or mana value. The only difference is the cost you actually pay.
2009-10-01	Effects that increase or reduce the cost to cast a Trap will apply to whichever cost you chose to pay.
2009-10-01	You may ignore a Trap’s alternative cost condition and simply cast it for its normal mana cost. This is true even if its alternative cost condition has been met.