Creepy Puppeteer MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Rogue
Abilities Haste
Power 4
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Gaining card advantage via the Creepy Puppeteer can decisively shift the game’s dynamic in your favor.
  2. The card’s instant speed offers flexibility and surprise elements, significantly altering the battlefield.
  3. Despite its higher mana cost, the strategic benefits of including Creepy Puppeteer in your deck are considerable.

Text of card

Haste Whenever Creepy Puppeteer attacks, if you attacked with exactly one other creature this combat, you may have that creature's base power and toughness become 4/3 until end of turn.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Explores the theme of audience manipulation. Completing the spectacle by harming an opponent’s creature also allows you to draw a card, tipping the scales of card advantage in your favor. It’s an excellent way to ensure you continue to have options as the game progresses.

Resource Acceleration: Helps accelerate your resources by potentially untapping your lands with each spectacle successfully executed. This can lead to a significant advantage, allowing for more actions to be taken in a single turn than would normally be possible.

Instant Speed: The card shines with its instant speed, providing the flexibility to create surprise interactions during an opponent’s turn. Having instant speed can be the difference between a defended position and an unexpected victory, making it a formidable part of your tactical arsenal.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Creepy Puppeteer necessitates a discard from your hand to activate one of its core abilities. This requirement could cause you to deplete valuable cards that you would otherwise need to maintain a strategic advantage or momentum during gameplay.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting this card requires a precise mana arrangement, including both red and other colors. The necessity for red mana can make it a challenging fit for decks that are not centered around red or for those that struggle with mana flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost to get the Creepy Puppeteer on the battlefield, some players might find themselves at a disadvantage, especially when other cards with lower mana cost could generate similar or better effects on the game. This can hinder your overall deck efficiency, particularly in fast-paced matches where lower-cost creatures can make a significant impact quicker.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Creepy Puppeteer can be a dynamic addition to decks that capitalize on human synergies or simply need a powerful red creature. Its ability to dish out extra damage during combat gives it a multifaceted role in many strategies.

Combo Potential: This card has the ability to work with self-mill or graveyard strategies, as it can grant haste to human creatures that are brought back to the battlefield from the graveyard. This can create unexpected and fast-paced interactions that can catch opponents off guard.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where human tribal decks or red aggro strategies are prominent, the Creepy Puppeteer can be a significant addition. Its unique mechanic of enhancing humans during combat phases integrates well with aggressive decks that need to stay one step ahead of the opponent.


How to Beat Creepy Puppeteer

The Creepy Puppeteer looms as an ominous presence on the battlefield, shifting the tide with its unique ability to transform non-token creatures that hit the opponent into hasty copies. To tilt the scales back in your favor, you’ll need to think strategically. Addressing the immediate threat it presents requires quick removal. Cards such as Murder or Doom Blade can eliminate the Creepy Puppeteer before it orchestrates a potentially lethal performance. Keeping up instant-speed interaction is key, so your opponents never get the chance to capitalize on the Puppeteer’s ability.

Moreover, edict effects which force the opponent to sacrifice a creature, such as Diabolic Edict, can be crucial, especially in a game where your opponent might have buffed a single creature intending to copy it. Ensnaring in a web of creature control spells, including Frogify or Darksteel Mutation, also diminishes the frightful impact of this card without having to send it directly to the graveyard. As long as you stay one step ahead of your opponent’s plotlines, the Creepy Puppeteer’s potential for havoc can be effectively neutralized, and your path to victory stays clear.


Cards like Creepy Puppeteer

The Creepy Puppeteer stands out in the lineup of MTG creatures that amplify your attacking forces. It draws immediate parallels with cards like the Hamletback Goliath, which also benefits whenever another creature attacks. While the Goliath grows perpetually in size without any mana investment, the Puppeteer’s strength lies in its ability to create a 2/2 token with haste on every successful hit, although it requires mana to trigger.

Next is the fervent War-Name Aspirant, which, alike the Puppeteer, thrives in aggressive strategies. However, the Aspirant’s advantage lies in its ability to bypass blockers if you’ve raided. Unlike the Creepy Puppeteer, the Aspirant doesn’t require additional mana to exert its influence but also doesn’t contribute additional tokens for sustained board presence.

Assessing their place in the MTG arena, it’s evident that the Creepy Puppeteer offers a unique blend of token generation and offensive acceleration. It provides a persistent threat that can tip the scales in a game where maintaining a robust attacking squad is key. Therefore, while there are multiple cards that echo elements of the Puppeteer’s functionality, few match its particular brand of battlefield puppetry.

Hamletback Goliath - MTG Card versions
War-Name Aspirant - MTG Card versions
Hamletback Goliath - Resale Promos (PRES)
War-Name Aspirant - Khans of Tarkir (KTK)

Cards similar to Creepy Puppeteer by color, type and mana cost

Keldon Warlord - MTG Card versions
Crimson Manticore - MTG Card versions
Márton Stromgald - MTG Card versions
Reckless Embermage - MTG Card versions
Wildfire Emissary - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Giant - MTG Card versions
Rathi Dragon - MTG Card versions
Mogg Bombers - MTG Card versions
Warmonger - MTG Card versions
Bloodfire Kavu - MTG Card versions
Whipkeeper - MTG Card versions
Anger - MTG Card versions
Nalathni Dragon - MTG Card versions
Everquill Phoenix - MTG Card versions
Lesser Gargadon - MTG Card versions
Krark-Clan Engineers - MTG Card versions
Shimatsu the Bloodcloaked - MTG Card versions
Ogre Taskmaster - MTG Card versions
Ogre Gatecrasher - MTG Card versions
Reckless One - MTG Card versions
Keldon Warlord - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Crimson Manticore - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Márton Stromgald - Ice Age (ICE)
Reckless Embermage - Mirage (MIR)
Wildfire Emissary - Mirage (MIR)
Flowstone Giant - Tempest (TMP)
Rathi Dragon - Tempest (TMP)
Mogg Bombers - Stronghold (STH)
Warmonger - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Bloodfire Kavu - Apocalypse (APC)
Whipkeeper - Odyssey (ODY)
Anger - Judgment (JUD)
Nalathni Dragon - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Everquill Phoenix - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)
Lesser Gargadon - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Krark-Clan Engineers - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Shimatsu the Bloodcloaked - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Ogre Taskmaster - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Ogre Gatecrasher - Dissension (DIS)
Reckless One - Duel Decks: Elves vs. Goblins (DD1)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Creepy Puppeteer MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Innistrad: Crimson Vow, 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 Creepy Puppeteer and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Creepy Puppeteer Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-11-19 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Marie Magny.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 953652015normalblackMarie Magny
22021-11-19Innistrad: Crimson VowVOW 3762015normalblackMarie Magny
32021-11-19Innistrad: Crimson VowVOW 1512015normalblackMarie Magny
42022-01-28Innistrad: Double FeatureDBL 4182015normalblackMarie Magny

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Creepy Puppeteer has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

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