Corpse Blockade MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Corpse Blockade empowers graveyard strategies by providing an option to sacrifice another creature, thereby potentially triggering synergistic effects or abilities that can create a card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: The act of sacrificing a creature to Corpse Blockade can be synergistically combined with mechanics that return creatures from the graveyard to play or hand, effectively accelerating your resource pool and board presence.

Instant Speed: The ability of Corpse Blockade to gain deathtouch at instant speed provides flexibility, allowing players to wait until the optimal combat moment to activate it, which can dissuade opponents from attacking and turn Corpse Blockade into an effective deterrent.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One limiting factor of Corpse Blockade as a creature card is the necessity to discard another creature card to activate its ability. This can put players at a disadvantage, especially in situations where hand size is critical, and resources are scarce.

Specific Mana Cost: Corpse Blockade requires both black mana and generic mana to cast. This specific mana combination can make the card less flexible, ultimately restricting it to black-centric or multicolored decks that can accommodate this mana requirement.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, Corpse Blockade is not the most mana-efficient blocker available. While its deathtouch ability is beneficial, there are other creatures with equal or lower mana costs that could fulfill a defensive role without the additional sacrifice cost.

Reasons to Include Corpse Blockade in Your Collection

Versatility: Corpse Blockade is a card that can be flexibly used in a variety of deck archetypes. Its role as a defender allows it to protect life totals in slower, more control-oriented decks, while its sacrifice ability can be pivotal in decks that thrive on graveyard synergy or require creatures to be sacrificed for value.

Combo Potential: The ability to sacrifice another creature to grant Corpse Blockade deathtouch until end of turn can be combined with various strategies. This can turn any creature into a potential threat eliminator and plays well with tokens, undying, or persist mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where formidable creatures commonly hit the battlefield, having a reliable blocker like Corpse Blockade can be essential. The deathtouch ability ensures that it can deter attacks or trade up with much larger threats, maintaining a stable board presence in diverse metas.

How to beat

Corpse Blockade presents a unique defensive challenge in MTG due to its deathtouch ability and its potential to sacrifice another creature to gain indestructible until end of turn. Players facing this card on the battlefield might find traditional combat strategies ineffective against it. However, redirecting removal spells that bypass indestructible status, such as Path to Exile or Fatal Push, can efficiently handle the Blockade. Alternatively, using enchantments such as Pacifism to neutralize its abilities or engaging in board wipes that do not destroy per se, like Settle the Wreckage, can effectively circumvent Corpse Blockade’s defense mechanisms, allowing you to advance your board position.

In terms of creature combat, evasive creatures with flying or cards that grant unblockable status are highly effective, as Corpse Blockade can only block creatures that come into contact on the ground. Additionally, consider strategies that limit the opponent’s ability to sacrifice creatures, such as Leyline of the Void, severely weakening Corpse Blockade’s staying power. By adapting your approach and using these tactics, you can overcome the obstacles Corpse Blockade poses, preserving the tempo of your game and leading your deck to victory.