Artful Takedown MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2018-10-05
Set symbol
Set name	Guilds of Ravnica
Set code	GRN
Number	151
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Mike Bierek

Key Takeaways

Artful Takedown provides dual action, targeting two creatures, key for tempo and control decks.
Its instant speed allows for reactive play, adding depth to your strategic decisions.
Due to specific mana requirements, it excels mainly in blue and black mana decks.

Text of card

Choose one or both — • Tap target creature. • Target creature gets -2/-4 until end of turn.

Dimir assassinations are choreographed like dance routines. Each challenge is anticipated and countered with graceful ease.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Artful Takedown card offers the flexibility to affect multiple targets, giving you the ability to address more than one threat on the board. Utilizing just one card to potentially remove a creature from combat and tap another can tip the scales in your favor during complex board states.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana or ramp, the utility of Artful Takedown can lead to resource acceleration by preserving your creatures and life total. This conservation of resources is key to enabling a more efficient and potent gameplay in the turns that follow.

Instant Speed: The power of instant speed spells cannot be overstated. Artful Takedown’s ability to be played at the end of your opponent’s turn or during combat creates surprise interactions and strategic depth. This flexibility allows you to make more informed decisions and respond appropriately to your opponent’s actions, keeping you one step ahead.

Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Artful Takedown demands a precise combination of blue and black mana to cast. This specificity can restrict deck building flexibility, limiting the card’s use to only those decks that can consistently provide both colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a converted mana cost of four, which includes two color-specific mana, Artful Takedown can be considered expensive for its effects. Players often evaluate other options that could provide more impactful board control or versatility for the same or lower mana investment.

Discard Requirement: While Artful Takedown itself does not demand a discard, its inclusion in a deck indicates a need for careful hand management. In instances where the game drags on or resources become scarce, players might be less inclined to hold onto a situational removal spell, potentially leading them to discard it over more immediately useful cards.

Reasons to Include Artful Takedown in Your Collection

Versatility: Artful Takedown is a multifaceted card that performs two actions in one casting, offering both a creature tap and a debuff. This allows for tactical plays in a variety of situations, making it a valuable addition to control decks or any deck that benefits from tempo plays.

Combo Potential: With its ability to manipulate combat by tapping a potential blocker or weakening an attacker, Artful Takedown synergizes well with cards that capitalize on tapped creatures or reduced power. This opens up opportunities for creative and powerful combinations within your deck construction.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where tempo can dictate the winner, Artful Takedown’s utility cannot be overstated. Especially in a meta with creatures that have the potential to turn the tide of battle, being able to control the board and maintain momentum is crucial, and Artful Takedown provides just that.

How to beat

Artful Takedown is an interesting control spell in MTG, known for its dual utility in disrupting the opponent’s battlefield. This card allows a player to tap one target creature an opponent controls and give another target creature -2/-4 until end of turn. This unique combination can swing the game’s momentum, making it essential to devise strategies against it. To circumvent the effects of Artful Takedown, consider using creatures that have hexproof or indestructible to mitigate its impact. Additionally, save instant-speed removal or protection spells until your opponent commits to casting Artful Takedown, ensuring you can respond effectively and protect your key creatures from being targeted.

It’s also advisable to maintain a wider board presence. Since Artful Takedown can only affect two creatures at a time, having more creatures on the field reduces the overall setback that this card can cause. Moreover, playing creatures with an enter-the-battlefield effect can help you gain value even if they end up being tapped or weakened by the spell, further cushioning the blow and allowing you to maintain the upper hand.

By anticipating Artful Takedown and preparing your deck with resilient creatures and reactive spells, you can successfully navigate around its controlling power and keep commanding the battlefield.

Cards like Artful Takedown

The strategic landscape of Magic: The Gathering is replete with versatile removal options, and Artful Takedown stands out as a control player’s ally. When examining its functionality, it brings to mind other cards such as Agony Warp. Both cards boast the utility of impacting multiple creatures, but Artful Takedown provides the additional benefit of tapping an opposing creature, possibly foiling opponent’s plans or combat strategies.

Comparing further within the multiverse of removal spells, Grisly Spectacle is another relative. Although it offers the definitive end of destruction rather than mere stat reduction, Artful Takedown shines with its instant speed advantage, allowing reactive plays during the opponent’s turn. Moreover, unlike Grisly Spectacle’s restrictive mana cost, Artful Takedown is more mana-efficient, catering to a swift and more circumspect play style.

Ultimately, cards like Artful Takedown establish their worth through dual utility, combining creature disruption with artful combat maneuvers. It situates itself as a card of choice for tacticians seeking to destabilize an adversary’s battlefield presence while keeping the game’s tempo firmly within their grasp.

Cards similar to Artful Takedown by color, type and mana cost

Clutch of the Undercity - MTG Card versions

Spellscorn Coven // Take It Back - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Artful Takedown MTG card by a specific set like Guilds of Ravnica, 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 Artful Takedown and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Artful Takedown has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Artful Takedown card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.