Clear Shot MTG Card
2016-07-22 - Number 152
2020-08-07 - Number 159
2021-09-24 - Number 176
2022-01-28 - Number 176
2023-03-21 - Number 189
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Instant |
Key Takeaways
- Clear Shot offers a two-for-one utility, providing card advantage with both a buff and damage ability.
- Its instant speed allows for disruptive and flexible responses to opponents’ strategies during their turn.
- Being specific in mana cost, Clear Shot is best suited for decks with a strong green mana base.
Text of card
Target creature you control gets +1/+1 until end of turn. It deals damage equal to its power to target creature you don't control.
"What worked to bring down angels will do the same for these horrors." —Rem Karolus, Slayer of Eldrazi
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Clear Shot is advantageous as it serves a dual purpose. Not only does it deal damage to a target creature an opponent controls, but it also buffs your own creature in the process. This two-for-one capacity means you get more utility out of just one card, potentially swaying the game in your favor.
Resource Acceleration: While Clear Shot does not directly accelerate resources, it helps maintain board presence by allowing your creatures to survive combat that they might otherwise lose. By keeping your creatures on the field and eliminating threats, you effectively save the mana and resources that would have been spent on recasting creatures.
Instant Speed: The value of Clear Shot increases significantly due to its instant speed. It gives you the flexibility to react to your opponents’ actions during their turn. This surprise factor can disrupt their strategies, especially when they commit to an attack, not expecting you to strengthen your creature and take theirs out in one move.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Clear Shot allows players to gain an edge in combat by giving a creature +1/+1 and enabling it to deal damage equal to its power to another creature, it does not require a card to be discarded. This lack of a discard requirement can actually be seen as an advantage, as it keeps your hand intact while resolving the spell.
Specific Mana Cost: Clear Shot demands a precise mana combination to play. Needing both green and generic mana means that only decks with a heavy green influence can reliably cast it, potentially limiting its inclusion in multicolored decks that can’t consistently generate the required mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, including two green, Clear Shot might be considered costly for what it accomplishes. Comparable combat tricks or removal spells might offer similar effects at a lower cost, enabling players to utilize their mana more efficiently in a game where tempo can be crucial.
Reasons to Include Clear Shot in Your Collection
Versatility: Clear Shot stands out for its ability to act both as a removal and a combat trick. This card can give your creatures a pivotal advantage during combat, allowing you to eliminate key threats on your opponent’s side and clear the way for a successful attack.
Combo Potential: It pairs well with creatures that have +1/+1 counters or those that benefit from targeting effects. This opens up various synergies and interactions in decks designed around creature buffs or those which have a focus on combat strategies.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based strategies dominate, Clear Shot provides a significant edge. Its instant-speed interaction can disrupt opponent plays, tilt the combat phase in your favor, and offers flexibility that keeps you always prepared in a changing battlefield.
How to beat
Clear Shot presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. This instant card offers both a power boost to a creature and the ability to directly damage another creature. To counter this dual threat, the key lies in timing and understanding the stack. Having an instant that can either neutralize the creature before it receives the boost or remove the target of the Clear Shot can dampen its impact. Cards such as Path to Exile or Abrupt Decay can respond directly to the Clear Shot, ensuring the creature doesn’t get the chance to benefit from its effects.
It’s also wise to manage the battlefield by keeping the number of creatures your opponent controls to a minimum. This makes Clear Shot less effective as its conditional requirement—a creature to apply the boost to and a target to deal damage to—becomes harder to satisfy. By creating an environment where Clear Shot has minimal targets, its potential is significantly undercut, and your chances of maintaining a strong presence on the board increase.
Lastly, be aware of the mana your opponent has available. Clear Shot requires three mana, including one green. Keeping pressure on their mana resources can limit their ability to play it effectively when it’s most needed.
Cards like Clear Shot
Clear Shot presents an interesting instance of instant-speed creature interaction within the realm of Magic: The Gathering. It lines up against cards like Prey Upon, which share the essential mechanic of having one creature fight another. However, Clear Shot offers the unique advantage of giving the chosen creature a +1/+1 boost until end of turn, increasing its survival odds during the fight.
Comparatively, Rabid Bite steps into the fray as another alternative. It’s a little more conservative, avoiding the fight mechanic by simply having your creature deal damage equal to its power to a target creature. While it comes with less risk, since your creature won’t take return damage, it also lacks the temporary strength increase that can be vital in combat situations, a bonus granted by Clear Shot.
Lastly, Nature’s Way serves as a notable contender, simulating the same idea by allowing a creature to deal damage without a counterattack and granting vigilance and trample. Though Clear Shot doesn’t bestow additional abilities, its ability to influence combat as an instant gives it a strategic edge. Therefore, within the scope of engagement spells that alter the tide of creature battles, Clear Shot is a formidable and flexible option for players.
Cards similar to Clear Shot by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Clear Shot MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Double Masters, 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 Clear Shot and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Clear Shot Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Craig J Spearing.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-07-22 | Eldritch Moon | EMN | 152 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Craig J Spearing | |
| 2 | 2020-08-07 | Double Masters | 2XM | 159 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Craig J Spearing | |
| 3 | 2021-09-24 | Innistrad: Midnight Hunt | MID | 176 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Craig J Spearing | |
| 4 | 2022-01-28 | Innistrad: Double Feature | DBL | 176 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Craig J Spearing | |
| 5 | 2023-03-21 | Shadows over Innistrad Remastered | SIR | 189 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Craig J Spearing |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Clear Shot has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Clear Shot card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-08-07 | As Clear Shot tries to resolve, if either creature is an illegal target, the creature you control won't deal damage. If the creature you control is a legal target but the other creature isn't, your creature will still get +1/+1. |
| 2020-08-07 | You can't cast Clear Shot unless you choose a creature you control and a creature you don't control as targets. |
