Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper MTG Card
2016-11-11 - Number 32
2016-11-16 - Number 58
2018-06-08 - Number 11
2020-11-20 - Number 519
2002-06-24 - Number 86158
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Naga Wizard |
| Abilities | Menace,Partner |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 7 |
Key Takeaways
- Boosts life points through creatures’ toughness, affecting gameplay and deck strategies in MTG.
- Demands a multi-colored mana base, complicating deck construction and mana management.
- In partner commander formats, her unique abilities offer strategic advantages and combos.
Text of card
Menace Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, you gain life equal to that creature's toughness. Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
"Now the scaled ones rule Tarkir."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper ensures a consistent flow of life points which can translate into virtual card advantage. As you gain life equal to the creature’s toughness, it allows you to stay ahead in the game while drawing out more of your deck’s potential.
Resource Acceleration: This commander’s ability to give you life points equivalent to your creature’s toughness can fuel strategies that depend on high life totals. It provides indirect resource acceleration, enabling you to safely utilize cards and abilities that cost life without depleting your life total too quickly.
Instant Speed: Although Ikra Shidiqi herself isn’t an instant, her presence on the battlefield supports holding mana for instant-speed interaction. With a reliable life cushion, you can afford to wait and play spells at the most opportune moments.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Ikra Shidiqi the Usurper doesn’t require a discard upfront, but its effect is predicated on having other creatures to attack, potentially straining your hand if you’re pressured to maintain a presence on the board to capitalize on her lifegain ability.
Specific Mana Cost: Her casting cost demands a precise combination of colors, requiring both black and green mana which can complicate your mana base, especially in a deck aiming to utilize multiple colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of six mana which includes two colored mana, she can be quite hefty to cast. When considering the tempo of a game, there are lower-cost commanders that can offer aggressive starts or provide utility earlier in the game.
Reasons to Include Ikra Shidiqi the Usurper in Your Collection
Versatility: Ikra Shidiqi the Usurper excels in any deck that seeks to leverage life gain as a resource. With the ability to add to your life total significantly, Ikra can be a game-changer in commander decks focusing on a defensive strategy or even aggressive play.
Combo Potential: This card’s unique ability to grant you life points based on creatures’ toughness opens up numerous combo possibilities. Integrating Ikra with cards that manipulate toughness can create a resilient life-gaining engine.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta-game where longer, more combative matches are prevalent, having Ikra Shidiqi the Usurper on your side can be a strategic boon. It offers not just sustenance in the form of life points but also lays down a formidable challenge for your opponents to overcome.
How to beat
Ikra Shidiqi the Usurper commands attention as an intriguing partner commander in Magic: The Gathering, promising resilience with her ability to gain life equal to the toughness of creatures that attack. To counter her effect, prioritize removal spells that can bypass her toughness. Consider using cards such as Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile, which can exile her regardless of her size. Managing your resources to keep removal options available is essential when facing her.
It’s also effective to alter your strategy by focusing on controlling the board and limiting the number of creatures your opponent has at their disposal. Implement sweepers like Wrath of God or Damnation to clear the battlefield and remove the life gain advantage she provides. Winning against a deck that utilizes Ikra Shidiqi relies on a balance of strategic creature management and timely execution of removals to neutralize the life-gain she can accumulate.
A thorough understanding of your own deck’s capabilities in handling robust commanders and a well-timed removal or board wipe can turn the tide against Ikra Shidiqi the Usurper. In such battles, patience and strategy are as important as the spells in your hand.
BurnMana Recommendations
Dive deeper into the strategic playstyles and deck-building intricacies of MTG with Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper. Whether it’s bolstering your defenses or crafting an impenetrable life-gain strategy, understanding this card’s potential is key to dominating the battlefield. Master the nuances of her ability to synergize with other creatures and learn how to effectively incorporate her into your collection for that extra edge in gameplay. For those looking to expand their command over the game and explore innovative combos, Ikra is a choice worth considering. Enhance your MTG experience with us — there’s a realm of strategies and tips awaiting you.
Cards like Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper
Ikra Shidiqi the Usurper stands out in the partner commander landscape of MTG due to its ability to accrue substantial life gain with its combat damage lifelink effect. It’s a unique facet when compared to other creatures with lifelink. For instance, Voracious Cobra offers lifelink and a deathtouch combo, yet lacks the potential for exponential life gain Ikra Shidiqi provides through damage dealt by other creatures.
Alongside Ikra, we find Alhammarret’s Archive, which similarly amplifies life gain, doubling the effect. While this enchantment doesn’t contribute directly to combat, it boosts lifelink benefits considerably. Additionally, Whip of Erebos provides lifelink to all your creatures, yet it doesn’t allow for the strategic partner mechanic that gives Ikra Shidiqi deck-building versatility.
Examining these options, Ikra Shidiqi the Usurper is a compelling choice for players who focus on sustainability through life gain while also benefiting from the flexibility of the partner mechanic. Its unique synergy with an array of decks places it as a formidable presence in MTG commander formats.
Cards similar to Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Commander 2016, 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 Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2016-11-11 and 2020-11-20. Illustrated by Josu Hernaiz.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 86158 | 2015 | normal | black | Josu Hernaiz | ||
| 2 | 2016-11-11 | Commander 2016 | C16 | 32 | 2015 | normal | black | Josu Hernaiz | |
| 3 | 2016-11-16 | Treasure Chest | PZ2 | 58 | 2015 | normal | black | Josu Hernaiz | |
| 4 | 2018-06-08 | Commander Anthology Volume II | CM2 | 11 | 2015 | normal | black | Josu Hernaiz | |
| 5 | 2020-11-20 | Commander Legends | CMR | 519 | 2015 | normal | black | Josu Hernaiz |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-11-10 | An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders. |
| 2020-11-10 | Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards (or 58 cards in a Commander Draft game) of your deck are shuffled to become your library. |
| 2020-11-10 | If something refers to your commander while you have two commanders, it refers to one of them of your choice. If you are instructed to perform an action on your commander (e.g. put it from the command zone into your hand due to Command Beacon), you choose one of your commanders at the time the effect happens. |
| 2020-11-10 | If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can only include cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders' combined color identities. If Falthis and Kediss are your commanders, your deck may contain cards with black and/or red in their color identity, but not cards with green, white, or blue. |
| 2020-11-10 | Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won't have to pay an additional the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 damage from any one of them, not from both of them combined. |
| 2020-11-10 | The amount of life you gain is determined as Ikra Shidiqi's triggered ability resolves. If that creature is no longer on the battlefield, use its toughness as it last existed on the battlefield to determine how much life to gain. |
| 2020-11-10 | To have two commanders, both must have the partner ability as the game begins. Losing the ability during the game doesn't cause either to cease to be your commander. |
| 2020-11-10 | You can choose two commanders with partner that are the same color or colors. In Commander Draft, you can even choose two of the same commander with partner if you drafted them. If you do this, make sure you keep the number of times you've cast each from the command zone clear for "commander tax" purposes. |
