Covert Cutpurse // Covetous Geist MTG Card
2021-09-24 - Number 92
2022-01-28 - Number 92
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Rogue |
| Abilities | Disturb,Transform |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
When Covert Cutpurse enters the battlefield, destroy target creature you don't control that was dealt damage this turn. Disturb (You may cast this card from your graveyard transformed for its disturb cost.)
Cards like Covert Cutpurse // Covetous Geist
Covert Cutpurse // Covetous Geist is a unique addition to the creature pool within Magic: The Gathering. It shares some similarities with other flip cards such as Delver of Secrets that transforms into a more powerful creature. Covert Cutpurse, in its initial form, offers a death-touching thief that, upon landing a hit, can exile an opponent’s card from their graveyard, mirroring the functionalities of Nighthawk Scavenger in its graveyard interaction. On the flip, Covetous Geist offers a spectral plunderer that not only can steal creatures when it dies but also presents an evasive threat much like the beloved Spectral Sailor.
Much like the versatile Delver of Secrets, Covert Cutpurse provides flexibility in gameplay, being a formidable early game drop with a tangibly impactful late-game presence as Covetous Geist. While Thraben Inspector does not flip, it compares as an early creature that influences the resource game, albeit in a less directly aggressive manner than Covert Cutpurse. Looking further, there’s Disturbed Departed, functioning differently with its ‘disturb’ mechanic but sharing the thematic of death-triggered transformation that delivers additional board presence.
In assesssing creature dynamics, Covert Cutpurse // Covetous Geist stands out due to its offering of both an impactful early play and a potential game-changing effect post-transformation, marking its place as a card of strategic duality within the gameplay arena of Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Covert Cutpurse // Covetous Geist by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Covert Cutpurse // Covetous Geist provides a significant boost in card advantage, with its Disturb ability transforming it into Covetous Geist, which enables repeated card draw each time it deals combat damage to a player. This consistent draw mechanism can keep your hand replenished, a crucial tactic in maintaining dominance throughout the game.
Resource Acceleration: The front side, Covert Cutpurse, offers a strategic bonus upon entering the battlefield by generating a Clue token. This token not only represents potential card draw but also serves as an additional resource that can be tapped and sacrificed to help accelerate your overall mana pool, allowing for more flexibility and quicker deployment of your strategies.
Instant Speed: The flip card’s design grants access to Covetous Geist at instant speed, thanks to the Disturb mechanic. This instantaneity gives you the upper hand by allowing for strategic plays during the opponent’s turn or at the end of their turn, making it easier to catch them off guard and ensuring that your mana is utilized efficiently throughout the match.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Covert Cutpurse demands a card from the opponent’s hand to be discarded when it deals combat damage, but this only happens if you’ve completed the daybound/nightbound transformation. This conditional discard can be a hindrance if the opponent has no cards left, reducing its effectiveness.
Specific Mana Cost: Covetous Geist has a mana cost that includes one blue mana. This cost means that it fits primarily in blue-related or multicolor decks, potentially limiting its versatility across various deck types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When assessing its 3 mana value, considering both its initial cost and Disturb ability, some players might find the aggregate cost a touch too steep for the advantages it brings, particularly when measured against other options that can provide similar benefits for a lower mana investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Covert Cutpurse // Covetous Geist offers a unique two-sided feature that allows for different playstyles. As a creature, Covert Cutpurse can disrupt early game plans, while its reverse side, Covetous Geist, can fit into strategies looking to capitalize on card advantage and match tempo with opponents.
Combo Potential: With the ability to exile cards from an opponent’s graveyard and create copies, it has the potential to be a key piece in decks that exploit graveyard strategies or wish to disrupt them, benefiting from its transformative nature.
Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to interact with the graveyard, a relevant aspect in many competitive formats, incorporating this card could give you the edge in a meta that relies heavily on graveyard tactics, making it a smart addition for anyone looking to remain competitive.
How to beat
Dealing with Covert Cutpurse // Covetous Geist in Magic: The Gathering can truly test a player’s resourcefulness. This pesky creature is a unique card that embodies two sequential forms. Starting as Covert Cutpurse, a creature that offers death-triggered card advantage, it then transforms into Covetous Geist when exiled from the graveyard, becoming an unblockable threat that can chip away at an opponent’s life total.
To thwart this card, it’s essential to employ strategies that bypass its exile condition. Instant-speed removal can be effective if timed before the death trigger. Counterspells also serve as a strong check, preventing the Cutpurse from ever entering the battlefield. Graveyard hate cards are especially potent, as they can exile this creature before it transforms, disrupting the intended sequence. Additionally, cards with the “deathtouch” mechanic can dissuade attacks by posing a lethal consequence to the Geist form.
Playing around this card also involves assessing when to attack. An exposed life total could lead to unnecessary damage from the unblockable Geist. Thus, a tight defense can keep your life points secure while you set up the board to adequately manage this double-faced menace.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Covert Cutpurse // Covetous Geist MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Innistrad: Double Feature, 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 Covert Cutpurse // Covetous Geist and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Covert Cutpurse // Covetous Geist Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-09-24 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by John Stanko.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-09-24 | Innistrad: Midnight Hunt | MID | 92 | 2015 | Transform | Black | John Stanko | |
| 2 | 2022-01-28 | Innistrad: Double Feature | DBL | 92 | 2015 | Transform | Black | John Stanko |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Covert Cutpurse // Covetous Geist has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Covert Cutpurse // Covetous Geist card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-09-24 | "Disturb -ost]" means "You may cast this card transformed from your graveyard by paying -ost] rather than its mana cost." |
| 2021-09-24 | A spell cast this way enters the battlefield with its back face up. |
| 2021-09-24 | Disturb is found only on the front faces of some double-faced cards. |
| 2021-09-24 | If you copy a permanent spell cast this way (perhaps with a card like Double Major), the copy becomes a token that's a copy of the card's back face, even though it isn't itself a double-faced card. |
| 2021-09-24 | The back face of each card with disturb has an ability that instructs its controller to exile if it would be put into a graveyard from anywhere. This includes going to the graveyard from the stack, so if the spell is countered after you cast it using the disturb ability, it will be put into exile. |
| 2021-09-24 | To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a disturb cost) you're paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of a spell cast using disturb is determined by the mana cost on the front face of the card, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was. (This is a special rule that applies only to transforming double faced-cards, including ones with disturb.) |
| 2021-09-24 | When you cast a spell using a card's disturb ability, the card is put onto the stack with its back face up. The resulting spell has all the characteristics of that face. |