Deadly Riposte MTG Card
2022-11-18 - Number 5
2024-02-23 - Number 58
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
Text of card
Deadly Riposte deals 3 damage to target tapped creature and you gain 2 life.
"Automatons are fast, precise, and tireless, but they all share one weakness: predictability. Learn their patterns. Strike when they're vulnerable." —Horance, Urzan general
Cards like Deadly Riposte
When evaluating the nuances of combat tricks in Magic: The Gathering, Deadly Riposte stands as a unique piece in any strategist’s arsenal. Like its cousin, Swift Response, both cards provide the ability to neutralize an opposing creature. However, Deadly Riposte adds a layer of versatility with its mechanic allowing the player to gain life equal to the destroyed creature’s power, which Swift Response lacks.
Maneuvering through the game with cards such as Mortal’s Ardor shows another direction of combat trickery. While Mortal’s Ardor can buff a creature and give lifelink at a lower cost, it doesn’t offer the direct removal capability that makes Deadly Riposte so formidable against larger threats. On the flip side, a comparison could be drawn with Divine Verdict, which also destroys an attacking or blocking creature but at a higher mana cost without the life gain benefit.
In assessing Deadly Riposte within the scope of Magic: The Gathering’s removal spells, its combination of creature elimination and immediate life gain provides a dual advantage that can pivot the game’s momentum, situating it as an interesting option for players who favor control and life strategies.
Cards similar to Deadly Riposte by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Deadly Riposte. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Gruul Humans | Standard | Lifegain | The Pizza Box Open: Standard |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: One of the significant aspects of Deadly Riposte is its potential to swing the board in your favor by replacing itself when cast. By removing a problematic creature and drawing a card, you effectively negate an opponent’s threat while keeping your hand size stable.
Resource Acceleration: While Deadly Riposte doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration in the form of additional mana or tokens, its low casting cost aids in efficient mana usage. This potentially frees up resources to be used elsewhere, indirectly hastening your play development.
Instant Speed: The strength of Deadly Riposte is magnified by its flexibility as an instant. This allows a savvy player to navigate through an opponent’s turn, making calculated decisions on when to strike for maximum effect. Waiting for the perfect moment to cast can disrupt opponent strategies and leave them vulnerable during your turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Implementing Deadly Riposte in your strategy requires a sharp balance as the card necessitates discarding another card from your hand. This trade-off can prove detrimental, especially in game situations where maintaining card advantage is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: Although Deadly Riposte brings a powerful twist to gameplay, its mana cost is specific and somewhat rigid. With a demand for both white and black mana, it may not seamlessly integrate into decks that aren’t finely tuned to accommodate its color requirements.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing three mana, including one white and one black, makes Deadly Riposte a sizable investment within the early to mid-game phase. Given its effect, some players may argue that there are alternative removal or counterplay options that come with a lower mana cost, thus offering potentially greater efficiency for their deck’s curve.
Reasons to Include Deadly Riposte in Your Collection
Versatility: Deadly Riposte stands out because of its flexibility. It’s an instant speed removal that can be slotted into various decks that require quick responses to threats. This card is not only cost-effective but also easily integrates into white-based control or midrange decks.
Combo Potential: Equally important, Deadly Riposte can fuel combos in decks that utilize life gain or death triggers. Since it dispatches creatures and gains you life, it synergizes well with strategies revolving around cards like Ajani’s Pridemate or blood artist effects.
Meta-Relevance: Given the creature-heavy nature of many popular metagame decks, Deadly Riposte carries significant potential. Its relevance increases in environments dominated by aggressive strategies, allowing players to stay alive while developing their board. It is a useful tool for disrupting your opponent’s tempo and maintaining control over the game’s flow.
How to beat
Deadly Riposte is an intriguing card that can provide its controller with significant leverage in combat scenarios in Magic: The Gathering. As a card that can be played during the combat phase, it allows for the destruction of an attacking or blocking creature if you were dealt damage this turn. The key to outmaneuvering Deadly Riposte lies in being able to predict and play around it.
Since Deadly Riposte can only be cast if you have taken damage, one strategy is to minimize damage taken or prevent it altogether, thus negating the card’s activation condition. This can be achieved through effects that prevent damage, counterspells that can interrupt Deadly Riposte before it takes effect, or by simply not attacking into open mana that could represent the card. Additionally, instant-speed creature removal or bounce spells used during the beginning of combat can remove potential blockers or attackers before damage is dealt, reducing the odds that the card can be used successfully.
Understanding when to apply pressure and when to hold back is crucial against decks that utilize Deadly Riposte. Adjusting your playstyle to be more reactive can depreciate the value of Deadly Riposte, as it thrives on opponents committing heavily to combat. By managing the combat phase carefully, you can mitigate the impact of this card on the game’s outcome.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Deadly Riposte MTG card by a specific set like The Brothers' War 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 Deadly Riposte 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
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Printings
The Deadly Riposte Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2022-11-18 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by Olena Richards.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2022-11-18 | The Brothers' War | BRO | 5 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Olena Richards | |
| 2 | 2024-02-23 | Ravnica: Clue Edition | CLU | 58 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Olena Richards |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Deadly Riposte has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |