Coral Trickster MTG Card
2006-10-06 - Number 54
2014-09-05 - Number 44
2019-11-07 - Number 334
2021-03-19 - Number 58
2020-09-26 - Number DDN-44
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Merfolk Rogue |
| Abilities | Morph |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
Morph (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for . Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.) When Coral Trickster is turned face up, you may tap or untap target permanent.
They wait in darkened depths, laughing eagerly.
Cards like Coral Trickster
Coral Trickster, a card illuminated by its versatility in Magic: The Gathering, is often held against its kin in the tapping and untapping business. Operating similarly to Stonybrook Angler, Coral Trickster offers a reliable way to manipulate tap states. Yet, unlike its Stonybrook counterpart, which restricts its ability to creatures, Coral Trickster extends its reach, allowing the option to target any permanent. This adds a layer of adaptability that can be crucial in the right deck.
Another card frequently considered in tandem with Coral Trickster is Sigiled Starfish. Both creatures resonate with the theme of utility via tapping, but the Starfish leans into card quality, offering a scry ability instead. This difference can guide deck builders on a decision path based on their game strategy preferences, be it control or foresight. Lastly, there’s Surgespanner, a fellow Merfolk that shares the trickster’s love for controlling the flow of battle. However, Surgespanner offers a more aggressive form of disruption by bouncing opposing permanents to their owner’s hand, albeit at a higher mana investment.
Drawing conclusions on the Coral Trickster’s place in MTG requires reflection on its unique position as a low-cost and flexible tool. It may not always outshine its relatives in raw power or specific roles, but as a component of an intelligently designed strategy, it holds its own with subtle finesse.
Cards similar to Coral Trickster by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Coral Trickster can be morphed for an element of surprise, potentially allowing you to make a two-for-one trade when blocking an opponent’s creature. Its ability to tap or untap a permanent can disrupt opponent strategies or increase your own card utility.
Resource Acceleration: By utilizing the Trickster’s ability to untap a land, you can effectively ramp up your mana resources, enabling more complex plays or the casting of powerful spells ahead of schedule.
Instant Speed: The Trickster’s morph feature can be activated at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to respond to your opponent’s actions or to make unexpected moves during their turn, potentially altering the pace of the match in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Coral Trickster’s abilities do not require you to discard, allowing you to maintain card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Even though Coral Trickster requires only a single blue mana, it does necessitate having blue in your deck, which could limit its integration into multi-colored deck strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the Trickster is a two-mana creature, its morph cost and ability to tap or untap a target permanent may not always present the best value, especially when you could be playing other utility creatures or impactful spells for a similar cost.
Reasons to Include Coral Trickster in Your Collection
Versatility: Coral Trickster is flexible in its utility, being both a creature and a means to manipulate the flow of the game. With its morph ability, it can surprise opponents by either becoming a blocker or by tapping an unforeseen target—ideal for both aggressive and controlling decks.
Combo Potential: This card thrives in combo setups. Morphing Coral Trickster at the right moment can disrupt your opponent’s strategy or enable your own synergies, especially in decks that capitalize on tapping and untapping permanents for value.
Meta-Relevance: In a metagame where tempo plays can make or break a match, the Coral Trickster shines. Its ability to unexpectedly tap an adversary’s creature or mana source can swing the tide, making it a sleeper hit in certain fast-paced environments or against decks heavily reliant on timing.
How to beat
Coral Trickster may not appear daunting at first glance, but it carries an element of surprise with its morph ability, capable of tapping or untapping a permanent. This can disrupt the rhythm of an opponent if not handled strategically. To counteract the Coral Trickster, one should track the mana availability of the opponent closely. Having instant speed removals or abilities that can be activated in response to the Trickster’s morph can staunch its impact.
It’s advantageous to manage threats while keeping in mind Coral Trickster’s flexibility. Cards with flash allow you to keep mana open and react accordingly, potentially even turning the Trickster’s ability against your opponent by timing your plays right. Understanding the pace of the game and predicting when a player might rely on the morph feature is crucial. Swift and preemptive plays can protect you from Coral Trickster’s tactical disruptions, ensuring that your permanents remain untampered and your strategy stays on course.
Overall, the key lies in maintaining control over the rhythm of the game, and not allowing the Coral Trickster’s seemingly innocuous ability to tap or untap permanents dictate the pace or throw off your game plan.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Coral Trickster MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral and Duel Decks: Speed vs. Cunning, 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 Coral Trickster and other MTG cards:
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- 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
Printings
The Coral Trickster Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2006-10-06 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by D. Alexander Gregory.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2006-10-06 | Time Spiral | TSP | 54 | 2003 | Normal | Black | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 2 | 2014-09-05 | Duel Decks: Speed vs. Cunning | DDN | 44 | 2015 | Normal | Black | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 3 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 334 | 2015 | Normal | Black | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 4 | The List | PLST | DDN-44 | 2015 | Normal | Black | D. Alexander Gregory | ||
| 5 | 2021-03-19 | Time Spiral Remastered | TSR | 58 | 2015 | Normal | Black | D. Alexander Gregory |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Coral Trickster has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |