Death Stroke MTG Card

Death Stroke disrupts opponents by removing threats, providing a strategic board control advantage. It demands a discard, specific mana, and bears a high cost, affecting its play versatility. When part of the right combo or meta, Death Stroke proves to be a formidable card to include.

Stronghold (STH)
1998-03-02 - Number 57

Beatdown Box Set (BTD)
2000-10-01 - Number 22

Tempest Remastered (TPR)
2015-05-06 - Number 100

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery

Text of card

Destroy target tapped creature.

For a sharp second, Selenia froze, and Crovax's blade found home. As the angel shattered like glass, Crovax felt his mind collapse—the curse had been fulfilled.

Cards like Death Stroke

Death Stroke stands out in Magic: The Gathering as an efficient creature removal option. Delving into the pool of similar spells, Doom Blade emerges as a classic comparison. Both share the commonality of targeting creatures for destruction. However, Death Stroke does not have the restriction of nonblack creature imposed by Doom Blade, offering a broader range of targets. Yet, it’s the timing that sets Death Stroke apart; it requires an engaged creature, limiting its use to a narrow time window.

Analogous to this strategy is Murder, a spell that also allows the disposal of any creature, but at the convenience of being an instant with no restrictions on the creature’s engagement status. This propels Murder to a higher flexibility tier than Death Stroke, providing players with a more responsive play style. Conversely, if we look at Go for the Throat, this spell offers a similar destruction effect but is hindered by its inability to affect artifact creatures, a limitation not shared with our initial spell.

Choosing the right removal card involves assessing the meta, timing, and deck synergies. Death Stroke, with its conditional but unrestricted target range, provides a tactical advantage in certain gaming moments within Magic: The Gathering’s vast array of choices.

Cards similar to Death Stroke by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Death Stroke MTG card can disrupt your opponent’s strategy by eliminating their key creatures. This can give you an upper hand in the game, as removing a threat often translates to holding more power on the board and subsequently, maintaining card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Although Death Stroke itself may not provide direct resource acceleration, it contributes to this by efficiently using mana to remove high-threat targets. This optimizes your resource allocation, ensuring that your mana is spent making impactful plays that can accelerate your route to victory.

Instant Speed: The instant speed nature of Death Stroke allows for significant tactical flexibility. You can cast it during your opponent’s turn, which keeps them guessing and can disrupt their plays at critical moments. This element of surprise can be key in swinging the game in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To leverage Death Stroke’s potential, a player must often discard another card from their hand. This can put the player at a disadvantage, especially when hand size is critical for maintaining game presence and options.

Specific Mana Cost: Death Stroke comes with a specific mana cost that requires both black and colorless mana. This can pose a limitation for decks that aren’t tailored to a black mana curve, hindering the card’s versatility across different deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Its total casting cost might be deemed high relative to its immediate impact on the game. Players could find other cards at a lower mana cost that offer similar or greater effects, leading to potential underperformance in fast-paced games.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Death Stroke offers a toolbox approach to gameplay, enabling both offensive and defensive tactics. Its ability to remove creatures at a low-cost investment makes it adaptable to various deck builds, from aggressive strategies aiming for early board control to late-game attrition warfare.

Combo Potential: Death Stroke shines when combined with cards that capitalize on creature removal. It can serve as a cog in an engine that benefits from creatures entering the graveyard, triggering morbid abilities, or enabling reanimation tactics.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based strategies dominate, Death Stroke’s removal utility can prove crucial. It’s a card that can tip the scales against creature-heavy decks, preserving your lead or turning the tide to your favor in a tight match.

How to beat

Victory against the Death Stroke card in MTG can be a strategic challenge. This card can dismantle an opponent’s board presence swiftly, if not addressed properly. The key to surpassing this card lies in preemptive measures and efficient removal. Counterspells are a player’s first line of defense, ensuring that Death Stroke never hits the field. If it does resolve, instant-speed removals become critical before its formidable effects take place.

Having creatures with hexproof or shroud can also render Death Stroke ineffective, as it relies on targeting. Besides, employing cards that limit targeting capabilities or redirect spells can thwart Death Stroke’s potential. Sweepers that clear the board can also minimize the impact of this card, as it desires targets for its optimum functionality. Lastly, being aware of your mana and holding it up for reactive plays against Death Stroke can drastically increase your chances of maintaining a strong board presence and securing your path to victory.

As players navigate these strategies, they learn that MTG not only challenges the mind to build powerful decks but also to counteract and adapt against dominant cards like Death Stroke. Each game becomes an opportunity to demonstrate foresight and cunning in the art of MTG warfare.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Death Stroke MTG card by a specific set like Stronghold and Beatdown Box Set, 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 Death Stroke and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Death Stroke Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1998-03-02 and 2015-05-06. Illustrated by Colin MacNeil.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1998-03-02	Stronghold	STH	57	1997	Normal	Black	Colin MacNeil
2	2000-10-01	Beatdown Box Set	BTD	22	1997	Normal	White	Colin MacNeil
3	2015-05-06	Tempest Remastered	TPR	100	2015	Normal	Black	Colin MacNeil

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Death Stroke has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal