Salt Road Ambushers MTG Card
2015-03-27 - Number 198
2024-02-09 - Number 184
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Dog Warrior |
| Abilities | Megamorph |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Enhances creatures, offering significant advantages as part of a morph-centric strategy in MTG.
- Instant speed morph can unexpectedly swing games, but requires careful hand management.
- While potent, the high mana cost and specific color requirement could limit deck flexibility.
Text of card
Whenever another permanent you control is turned face up, if it's a creature, put two +1/+1 counters on it. Megamorph (You may cast this card face down as a 2/2 creature for . Turn it face up any time for its megamorph cost and put a +1/+1 counter on it.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Salt Road Ambushers have a game-changing ability to bolster other creatures, strengthening your board presence without depleting your hand. This can swing the game in your favor by building your army while maintaining a robust set of options in your hand.
Resource Acceleration: By virtue of the Megamorph mechanic, flipping Salt Road Ambushers face up not only gives you a creature with augmented power, but can also put you ahead by transforming other morph creatures, essentially providing you with more power on the board faster than your opponent might be capable of handling.
Instant Speed: With its morph capability, Salt Road Ambushers can be turned face up at instant speed, allowing you to ambush an unsuspecting opponent during combat or end of their turn, resulting in favorable trades or surprise blocks that can pivot the game’s momentum in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Salt Road Ambushers can impose deck constraints as it compels you to discard at specific instances, potentially depleting your hand when you need resources the most.
Specific Mana Cost: The card requires a precise mana arrangement to cast—a combination of green and others—making it a less flexible choice for decks that aren’t centered around green mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost demanding significant mana investment, Salt Road Ambushers might not be as resource-efficient compared to other cards in the same mana range, which can impact your tempo in-game.
Reasons to Include Salt Road Ambushers in Your Collection
Versatility: Salt Road Ambushers shines in decks that capitalize on morph mechanics or require surprise elements to outmaneuver opponents. It can adapt to various situations, whether you are on the defensive or pushing for a tactical advantage on the board.
Combo Potential: This card transforms face-down creatures into more potent threats, creating opportunities for powerful combos. It synergizes exceptionally well with other morph cards, effectively turning a modest morph setup into a force to be reckoned with.
Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to catch opponents off guard and significantly enhance creatures, Salt Road Ambushers holds a place in certain gameplay environments. It’s particularly relevant in metas where morph-based strategies can thrive against prevalent control or tempo decks.
How to beat
Salt Road Ambushers is a creature card that thrives in decks with a focus on morphing, rewarding players whenever a creature is turned face up. Since Salt Road Ambushers itself can morph, it often flies under the radar, only revealing its full potential when conditions are favorable. This Surprise element makes it quite the adversary in MTG.
To effectively counter this card, it’s essential to disrupt the morph strategy. This could be done by employing removal spells that can target and eliminate creatures regardless of their face-down status. Counterspells are also effective tools, capable of stopping Salt Road Ambushers from hitting the battlefield in the first place. Strategic use of board wipe spells can clear multiple morphed creatures at once, mitigating the advantages Salt Road Ambushers provides to a morph-centric deck.
Understanding the deck archetype Salt Road Ambushers fits into and anticipating the key turns where morph plays are critical can be the lynchpin in crafting a successful strategy against it. Knowing when to time your removal or when to hold back and wait for more creatures to hit the board can turn the tide in your favor. So keep your wits sharp and your spells ready when facing down this shifty creature.
Cards like Salt Road Ambushers
Salt Road Ambushers holds a distinct position within the realm of Magic: The Gathering creature cards, with its ability to bolster your board presence upon a morph reveal. This is slightly reminiscent of Ambush Krotiq, another creature that grants an advantage when turned face-up, yet Salt Road Ambushers provides this boost as a consistent passive ability rather than a singular trigger.
Den Protector is another notable card to consider, which similarly offers a face-up mechanic, returning a card from your graveyard to your hand. While not directly enhancing your creatures like Salt Road Ambushers, it provides valuable card recursion. There’s also Hidden Dragonslayer, which delivers immediate impact by destroying a target creature with power 4 or greater upon reveal, contrasting with Salt Road Ambushers’ long-term board development focus.
Comparing these mechanics shows how Salt Road Ambushers is tailored for players seeking steady creature growth, favoring a more strategic build-up over the more reactive and singular effects provided by its counterparts.
Cards similar to Salt Road Ambushers by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Salt Road Ambushers MTG card by a specific set like Dragons of Tarkir and Murders at Karlov Manor Commander, 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 Salt Road Ambushers 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 Salt Road Ambushers Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2015-03-27 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by Joseph Meehan.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2015-03-27 | Dragons of Tarkir | DTK | 198 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Joseph Meehan | |
| 2 | 2024-02-09 | Murders at Karlov Manor Commander | MKC | 184 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Joseph Meehan |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Salt Road Ambushers has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Salt Road Ambushers card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2015-02-25 | If a face-down creature with megamorph is turned face up some other way (for example, if you manifest a card with megamorph and then pay its mana cost to turn it face up), you won’t put a +1/+1 counter on it. |
| 2015-02-25 | Megamorph is a variant of the morph ability. You can find more information on morph on cards with morph from the Khans of Tarkir set. |
| 2015-02-25 | The face-down permanent must be a creature both before it’s turned face up and when the triggered ability resolves to have +1/+1 counters placed on it. |
| 2015-02-25 | Turning a face-down creature with megamorph face up and putting a +1/+1 counter on it is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. |
