Slaughter Specialist MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Vampire Warrior
Power 3
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Can grow by leveraging opponents’ creature deaths, leading to a potential game-changing board presence.
  2. Its lack of immediate impact and requirement for black mana can limit deck-building flexibility.
  3. Excels in current metagames focused on creatures, adding a resilient and escalating threat.

Text of card

When Slaughter Specialist enters the battlefield, each opponent creates a 1/1 white Human creature token. Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Slaughter Specialist.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Slaughter Specialist offers potential card advantage by growing stronger with each opponent’s creature that dies. This can pressure your opponent into not playing weaker creatures to avoid bolstering your board presence.

Resource Acceleration: While not providing direct resource acceleration, the growing threat of Slaughter Specialist can lead to a more efficient use of your removal spells. You can target high-value threats while Slaughter Specialist discourages opponents from deploying further creatures, effectively slowing them down.

Instant Speed: Though Slaughter Specialist itself is not an instant, it benefits from instant speed interaction at your disposal. You can remove an opponent’s creature during their turn to buff the Specialist, turning it into a formidable force by the time your turn comes back around.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In Magic the Gathering, managing resources is crucial, and the Slaughter Specialist carries the potential disbenefit of bolstering your opponent’s creature pool each time an opponent’s creature dies. This can result in a disadvantageous exchange if you’re not equipped with strategies to utilize or mitigate the additional creatures under your opponent’s control.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both black mana in its casting cost, Slaughter Specialist’s utility is inherently limited to black-centered or compatible multicolor decks. This requirement can restrict deck-building options and may not fit seamlessly into a strategy not heavily utilizing black mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Slaughter Specialist offers an enticing 3/3 body that can grow over time, its initial investment of two mana might compete with other slots in your curve. In competitive play, where efficiency is prized, this may tip the balance unfavorably compared to other two-drop creatures that offer immediate value or possess lower mana costs with comparable impact.


Reasons to Include Slaughter Specialist in Your Collection

Versatility: Slaughter Specialist has a home in many deck archetypes due to its aggressive stats and the ability to grow larger each time an opponent’s creature dies. This black creature card thrives in decks that manipulate the board state to their advantage.

Combo Potential: When included in sacrifice-focused decks or those utilizing death-triggered abilities, Slaughter Specialist becomes a significant threat. Its synergy with cards that benefit from creature deaths can create powerful combos and escalate your board presence rapidly.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment rich with creature-based decks, Slaughter Specialist shines by not only being a formidable creature itself but also by offering a persistent threat that must be answered. Its relevance grows as it punishes opponents for every creature they lose, making it a solid choice in the current gameplay dynamics.


How to beat

Slaughter Specialist is a challenging creature that can quickly become a formidable threat in Magic: The Gathering. This daunting vampire grows stronger with every creature that dies, offering a unique challenge on the battlefield. Understanding the mechanics of Slaughter Specialist is critical, as it can snowball out of control if left unchecked. It’s essential to minimize the number of creatures that die, thereby stifling the card’s ability to power up.

To best navigate around this powerful foe, consider strategies that bypass the creature’s strength. Utilize spells that exile it from the battlefield or that change its base power and toughness. Board control is another effective approach, where you can use sweepers that don’t destroy creatures or manipulate combat to your advantage, avoiding needless deaths of your creatures. Spot removal, particularly instant spells allowing you to act on your opponent’s turn, can catch the opponent off-guard, neutralizing the threat before it grows too strong. Similarly, counterspells can prevent the Specialist from ever entering the battlefield.

Ultimately, facing Slaughter Specialist requires strategic plays and keeping a cool head. By employing thoughtful removal or control strategies, you can mitigate the risks this card presents and maintain dominance in your MTG matches.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into your MTG card knowledge and strategy with our exploration of Slaughter Specialist. This unique vampire creature offers a dynamic playstyle that rewards careful board management. Enhance your black-centered or multicolor decks with its potential to become an ever-growing threat. Whether it’s through finding perfect deck synergies or understanding how to effectively counter it in battle, we’ve got insights that could turn the tides of your games. Ready to sharpen your skills and expand your MTG prowess? Join our community and uncover the full potential of Slaughter Specialist in your collection.


Cards like Slaughter Specialist

Slaughter Specialist has carved its niche in the pantheon of creature cards in Magic the Gathering. It can be paralleled with Vampire Nighthawk, another creature that provides significant value. Both have deathtouch, yet Slaughter Specialist’s unique strength lies in its growing potential, gaining +1/+1 counters as opponents’ creatures perish. Unlike the flying and lifelink abilities of Vampire Nighthawk, Slaughter Specialist is purely offensive, designed to intensify threats on the battlefield.

Considering other creature cards, Wight of Precinct Six is a creature that also thrives on the death of others, growing in power with each creature card in your opponents’ graveyards. It shares the incremental growth trait with the Slaughter Specialist but lacks the immediacy of the Specialist’s power boost, which occurs the moment an opponent’s creature dies. No waiting is needed to capitalize on a power increase.

Ultimately, Slaughter Specialist holds its own among MTG creatures that benefit from opposing losses, offering a proactive force that demands an answer. Balancing offense and counters is key, making the Slaughter Specialist a formidable presence the moment it hits the board.

Vampire Nighthawk - MTG Card versions
Wight of Precinct Six - MTG Card versions
Vampire Nighthawk - Wizards Play Network 2009 (PWP09)
Wight of Precinct Six - Gatecrash (GTC)

Cards similar to Slaughter Specialist by color, type and mana cost

Drudge Skeletons - MTG Card versions
Nether Shadow - MTG Card versions
Erg Raiders - MTG Card versions
Cuombajj Witches - MTG Card versions
Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions
Bog Imp - MTG Card versions
Wall of Corpses - MTG Card versions
Blighted Shaman - MTG Card versions
Rabid Rats - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Bat - MTG Card versions
Ravenous Rats - MTG Card versions
Flesh Reaver - MTG Card versions
Bloodcurdler - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Shade - MTG Card versions
Piper of the Swarm - MTG Card versions
Undead Augur - MTG Card versions
Shepherd of Rot - MTG Card versions
Swarm of Rats - MTG Card versions
Skullsnatcher - MTG Card versions
Nezumi Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Drudge Skeletons - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Nether Shadow - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Erg Raiders - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Cuombajj Witches - Chronicles (CHR)
Order of the Ebon Hand - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Bog Imp - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Wall of Corpses - Mirage (MIR)
Blighted Shaman - Mirage (MIR)
Rabid Rats - Stronghold (STH)
Dakmor Bat - Portal Second Age (P02)
Ravenous Rats - Invasion (INV)
Flesh Reaver - Urza's Saga (USG)
Bloodcurdler - Odyssey (ODY)
Nantuko Shade - Commander 2014 (C14)
Piper of the Swarm - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Undead Augur - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Shepherd of Rot - Onslaught (ONS)
Swarm of Rats - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Skullsnatcher - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Nezumi Cutthroat - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Slaughter Specialist MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, 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 Slaughter Specialist and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Slaughter Specialist Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2021-09-24 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Kari Christensen.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 939722015normalblackKari Christensen
22021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight HuntMID 3492015normalblackKari Christensen
32021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight HuntMID 1222015normalblackKari Christensen
42021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight Hunt PromosPMID 122p2015normalblackKari Christensen
52021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight Hunt PromosPMID 122s2015normalblackKari Christensen
62022-01-28Innistrad: Double FeatureDBL 1222015normalblackKari Christensen

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Slaughter Specialist has restrictions

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

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