Masked Blackguard MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Rogue
Abilities Flash
Power 2
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Ability to recur from the graveyard optimizes the Masked Blackguard for longevity in the game.
  2. Its instant speed flash ability allows strategic plays while maintaining mana for other uses.
  3. Though its discard requirement can be a downside, strategic deck building can mitigate this con.
Flash card art

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.) : Masked Blackguard gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

Her footsteps are whispers, her passage a last breath.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While the Masked Blackguard doesn’t inherently draw cards or create card advantage directly, its ability enables repeated usage to outpace an opponent’s card utility. The potential to recur from the graveyard also ensures that it doesn’t become a one-time resource, thereby indirectly contributing to maintaining card presence.

Resource Acceleration: The Masked Blackguard might not seem like a traditional resource accelerant. However, its low mana cost and the ability to sneak onto the battlefield at instant speed can free up mana for other strategic plays later in the game, optimizing your mana usage and accelerating your resource allocation.

Instant Speed: The Masked Blackguard shines with its Flash ability that allows you to deploy it at instant speed. This flexibility lets you hold up mana for counterspells or other interactions during your opponent’s turn and also allows you to surprise attackers or blockers, adding a level of unpredictability and tactical advantage to your gameplay.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Masked Blackguard requires players to part with another card from their hand to activate its ability. This can put players at a significant strategic disadvantage, especially in the late game when hand size is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: The Masked Blackguard’s mana cost demands black mana, which could be restrictive for decks that aren’t primarily black or lack sufficient mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a condensed pool of resources in the early game, its mana cost can be deemed steep for its initial 2/3 stats, potentially overshadowed by more mana-efficient creatures.


Reasons to Include Masked Blackguard in Your Collection

Versatility: This creature offers flexibility as a two-drop with the ability to become stronger later in the game. It can slide into multiple black-centered decks, including those aiming for aggressive starts or those that need a reliable two-cost creature.

Combo Potential: Masked Blackguard works well with cards that revolve around +1/+1 counters and creatures that take advantage of being pumped. Its flash ability allows for surprise blocks or end-of-turn threats, making it a tactical option in various combos.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state that appreciates resilient early creatures, Masked Blackguard stands out for its ability to stick around, thanks to its flash and pump ability. This resilience can be particularly relevant in metas dominated by removal-heavy decks.


How to beat

Masked Blackguard adds a layer of intrigue to the stealth-based mechanics in Magic: The Gathering. This formidable creature card boasts an ability to grow stronger during your turn, demanding an answer from opponents who risk significant damage if it’s left unchecked. Successfully dealing with Masked Blackguard often involves timing your removal spells when it is most vulnerable, typically during the opponent’s turn when its power boost is inactive.

Strategic use of instant-speed interaction is key. Consider employing spot removal like Fatal Push or Path to Exile to efficiently dispatch the Blackguard before it can become a larger threat. Alternatively, utilizing counter magic such as Essence Scatter when the Blackguard is cast can prevent it from ever entering the battlefield. Remember, applying pressure and forcing the opponent to use mana to activate its ability on their turn leaves them less equipped to counteract your strategies.

To navigate past Masked Blackguard’s intimidation, an understanding of the flow of combat and keen timing of your spells is essential. This approach ensures that you maintain control and edge out over opponents utilizing this aggressive creature.


Cards like Masked Blackguard

Masked Blackguard adds a strategic layer to creature plays in the realm of MTG. This stealthy character bears comparison with other two-drop creatures like Typhoid Rats, which also dabbles in the shadow with its deathtouch ability. Masked Blackguard, however, trades deathtouch for flexibility, allowing you to bolster its stats temporarily to sway the combat in your favor.

Thieves’ Guild Enforcer is another analogous card, flourishing in decks that thrive on rogue synergy. Both creatures can thrive in a deck filled with shady characters, but while the Enforcer can potentially grow much larger over time, the Blackguard offers immediate, albeit temporary, power and toughness augmentation.

In weighing similar cards, the appeal of Masked Blackguard in MTG shines through its ability to adapt to various battlefield scenarios, granting the player tactical advantage when it matters most. Its instant-speed ability to become a more formidable blocker or attacker can turn the tides of combat, a nuance that gives it an edge in certain strategies.

Typhoid Rats - MTG Card versions
Thieves' Guild Enforcer - MTG Card versions
Typhoid Rats - Innistrad (ISD)
Thieves' Guild Enforcer - Core Set 2021 (M21)

Cards similar to Masked Blackguard by color, type and mana cost

Drudge Skeletons - MTG Card versions
Nether Shadow - MTG Card versions
Erg Raiders - MTG Card versions
Cyclopean Mummy - MTG Card versions
Cuombajj Witches - MTG Card versions
Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions
Bog Imp - MTG Card versions
Wall of Corpses - MTG Card versions
Blighted Shaman - MTG Card versions
Rabid Rats - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Bat - MTG Card versions
Ravenous Rats - MTG Card versions
Flesh Reaver - MTG Card versions
Bloodcurdler - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Shade - MTG Card versions
Piper of the Swarm - MTG Card versions
Undead Augur - MTG Card versions
Black Knight - MTG Card versions
Shepherd of Rot - MTG Card versions
Swarm of Rats - MTG Card versions
Drudge Skeletons - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Nether Shadow - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Erg Raiders - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Cyclopean Mummy - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Cuombajj Witches - Rinascimento (RIN)
Order of the Ebon Hand - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Bog Imp - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Wall of Corpses - Mirage (MIR)
Blighted Shaman - Mirage (MIR)
Rabid Rats - Stronghold (STH)
Dakmor Bat - Portal Second Age (P02)
Ravenous Rats - Invasion (INV)
Flesh Reaver - Urza's Saga (USG)
Bloodcurdler - Odyssey (ODY)
Nantuko Shade - Commander 2014 (C14)
Piper of the Swarm - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Undead Augur - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Black Knight - The List (PLST)
Shepherd of Rot - Onslaught (ONS)
Swarm of Rats - Eighth Edition (8ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Masked Blackguard MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2021 and Ravnica: Clue Edition, 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 Masked Blackguard and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Masked Blackguard Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-07-03 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by Bryan Sola.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12020-07-03Core Set 2021M21 1132015normalblackBryan Sola
22024-02-23Ravnica: Clue EditionCLU 1152015normalblackBryan Sola

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Masked Blackguard has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

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