Twinstrike MTG Card


Twinstrike - Dissension
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant
Abilities Hellbent
Released2006-05-05
Set symbol
Set nameDissension
Set codeDIS
Number134
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byChristopher Rush

Key Takeaways

  1. Twinstrike provides card advantage by potentially removing two opponent creatures at once.
  2. It facilitates game momentum and aggressive plays through its instant speed.
  3. However, the discard condition and specific mana costs pose strategic challenges.

Text of card

Twinstrike deals 2 damage to each of two target creatures. Hellbent Destroy those creatures instead if you have no cards in hand.

They're dying left and right.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Twinstrike allows the player to potentially remove two creatures from the battlefield, effectively reducing the opponent’s resources while maintaining your own creature count.

Resource Acceleration: By eliminating key threats early on, this card can pave the way for a smoother game progression, keeping the momentum in your favor and potentially accelerating your board state without opposition.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Twinstrike at instant speed offers the strategic advantage of responding to threats on the fly, disrupting the opponent’s plays, and keeping them guessing about your capabilities.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Twinstrike comes with a discard condition that you must fulfill to activate it. This can deplete your hand, leaving you with fewer options later in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Twinstrike’s casting cost demands both red and black mana, making it less flexible and potentially hard to cast on curve outside of dedicated two-color decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With Twinstrike’s mana value taking up a significant portion of your mana resources, it might not always represent the best use of your turn compared to other removal or threat options available at a lower cost.


Reasons to Include Twinstrike Mtg Card in Your Collection

Versatility: Twinstrike offers players an adaptable removal option, suitable for a variety of deck archetypes that need to control the board by eliminating multiple threats at once.

Combo Potential: As an instant card, Twinstrike can be a key piece in combos, effortlessly linking with cards that benefit from spell casting or direct creature removal to gain strategic advantages during the game.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where creature-based strategies prevail, Twinstrike becomes invaluable by providing a solution to simultaneously tackle two creatures, keeping you one step ahead of the competition.


How to beat

Confronting Twinstrike in a game can be a delicate maneuver for any MTG player. As a card that offers the unique ability to deal damage and potentially draw cards when played with Ferocious, it poses quite the challenge. The key is to limit its effectiveness by reducing the opportunity for its controller to meet the Ferocious condition, which requires creatures with power 4 or greater.

Moreover, maintaining a strong board presence with creatures that have more than 2 toughness can prevent Twinstrike from easily removing them. Watch out for instants that can unexpectedly pump a creature’s power, giving your opponent the upper hand. Counterplay strategies such as counterspells, protective instants, or simply playing around your opponent’s mana availability are also effective ways to mitigate Twinstrike’s impact. Staple cards with effects that prevent damage or counter target spells can frustrate Twinstrike strategies. Lastly, always be mindful of your opponent’s mana and cards in hand—forewarned is forearmed.

Ultimately, though Twinstrike is undoubtedly a potent card, understanding and anticipating your adversary’s plays will go a long way in helping you maintain the upper hand during the match.


Cards like Twinstrike

Twinstrike is a unique piece in Magic: The Gathering’s arsenal of removal spells. When considered alongside similar cards, its flexibility shines through. Murder is a classic example, offering straightforward removal with no frills attached. Both cards allow you to remove a creature, but Twinstrike’s ability to divide its damage or potentially remove two smaller creatures gives it a tactical edge in certain game scenarios.

Another card worth comparing is Go for the Throat, which embodies efficiency with its lower casting cost. However, Go for the Throat is restricted to nonartifact creatures, while Twinstrike does not discriminate, targeting any creature type. Twin Bolt is also a member of this comparison, with its similar distributed damage option, though it lacks the Exile clause that Twinstrike possesses, making Twinstrike a stronger deterrent against graveyard retrieval strategies.

In assessing the functionality against various in-game demands, Twinstrike emerges as a versatile card. It accommodates different strategies with its split damage potential and exile feature, placing it as a rather adaptive choice within the realm of creature removal spells in MTG.

Murder - MTG Card versions
Go for the Throat - MTG Card versions
Twin Bolt - MTG Card versions
Murder - Magic 2013 (M13)
Go for the Throat - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Twin Bolt - Dragons of Tarkir (DTK)

Cards similar to Twinstrike by color, type and mana cost

Bituminous Blast - MTG Card versions
Skeletonize - MTG Card versions
Breath of Malfegor - MTG Card versions
Get the Point - MTG Card versions
Carnival // Carnage - MTG Card versions
Kill! Maim! Burn! - MTG Card versions
Bituminous Blast - Warhammer 40,000 Commander (40K)
Skeletonize - Masters 25 (A25)
Breath of Malfegor - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Get the Point - Ravnica Allegiance (RNA)
Carnival // Carnage - Ravnica Allegiance (RNA)
Kill! Maim! Burn! - Warhammer 40,000 Commander (40K)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Twinstrike MTG card by a specific set like Dissension, 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 Twinstrike and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Twinstrike has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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