Manic Vandal MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Warrior
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Removing artifacts with Manic Vandal can provide a significant swing in resource advantage.
  2. Its immediate effect on entry can strategically disrupt opponents’ plans at crucial moments.
  3. While potent, Manic Vandal may not fit well in decks that prioritize different mechanics or cost efficiency.

Text of card

When Manic Vandal enters the battlefield, destroy target artifact.

It's fun. He doesn't need another reason.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Manic Vandal might not let you draw cards directly, but by destroying an opponent’s artifact, you effectively remove one of their resources. This can tip the scales in your favor, as you set your opponent back while maintaining your own board state.

Resource Acceleration: While Manic Vandal doesn’t accelerate your own resources, it does the opposite for your opponent. By eliminating key artifacts, you can slow down their game plan significantly. This could mean stopping mana artifacts from ramping up their resources and keeping you ahead in the race.

Instant Speed: Although Manic Vandal can’t be played at instant speed, its effect upon entering the battlefield is immediate. As soon as it lands, you can target and break an artifact. This surprise element can be crucial, especially when dealing with artifacts that have the potential to turn the game in your opponent’s favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Manic Vandal doesn’t require a discard upon casting, it’s essential to consider this lack of card draw or discard utility could be seen as a missed opportunity for synergy in some red-centric decks that thrive on these mechanics.

Specific Mana Cost: Manic Vandal’s mana cost includes two generic and one red mana, which might not effortlessly fit into multi-colored or colorless strategies, potentially restricting its inclusion to red-based or red-focused decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana for a one-time artifact destruction effect, some players may find Manic Vandal’s cost slightly steep, especially when compared to other low-cost artifact removal spells or creatures with recurring artifact destruction abilities.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Manic Vandal finds its place in a variety of red decks that focus on controlling the board by removing key artifacts. Its ability to disrupt opponents’ strategies makes it a flexible addition to sideboards especially in artifact-heavy metas.

Combo Potential: Utilized in conjunction with cards that capitalize on enter the battlefield triggers, Manic Vandal can become part of a potent combo, destroying multiple artifacts in a single turn or even repeatedly with methods to return it to your hand or the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: Artifacts sit as a cornerstone in many powerful decks across different formats. Manic Vandal’s targeted destruction is particularly relevant when the meta is saturated with decks dependent on artifacts for their win conditions. Keeping one in your collection ensures you have the right tool at the right time.


How to beat

Manic Vandal is known for its disruptive entrance in the world of Magic: The Gathering, bringing value by wrecking your opponent’s artifacts the moment it lands on the battlefield. This effect makes it a strategic card against artifact-heavy decks, sniping treasure tokens, equipment, or key combo pieces with ease. It’s a red card that embodies direct action and simple solutions.

Overcoming the setback posed by Manic Vandal involves a few tactics. First off, consider the timing of playing your significant artifacts. Since Manic Vandal has an impact when it enters the battle zone, playing artifacts after it’s been deployed is safer. Additionally, removal spells are your allies here. Removing Manic Vandal before it can attack or prior to it benefiting from buffs or synergies can minimize the disruption it brings to the table. Lastly, having instant-speed answers or counterspells ready can help sidestep the destruction triggered by Vandal’s entrance.

Adapting to Manic Vandal’s powerful artifact-destroying ability is crucial. By having the right strategies and responses in hand, you can mitigate its effects and maintain the delicate balance of your carefully crafted MTG deck strategy.


Cards like Manic Vandal

Manic Vandal holds a niche in MTG as a creature card that serves a dual purpose: a 2/2 body that disrupts opponents by destroying artifacts. This red creature mirrors the functionality of cards like Tin Street Hooligan, which also demolishes an artifact when it enters play. However, Tin Street Hooligan requires green mana to activate its ability, offering a slight variability in gameplay options.

Comparably, Viashino Heretic is another card that deals with artifacts, but with repetitive utility. Unlike Manic Vandal’s one-time use, Viashino Heretic can continually remove artifacts from the game at the cost of mana, making it potent in prolonged games. Additionally, Ingot Chewer comes into play with similar immediate impact. It allows for evasive maneuvers through its evoke ability, giving players the flexibility to destroy artifacts without committing to the board presence of a creature.

Ultimately, each of these cards presents its own advantages within MTG. While Manic Vandal offers a straightforward, single-use artifact removal attached to a creature, other cards like Tin Street Hooligan, Viashino Heretic, and Ingot Chewer provide alternative approaches to managing opponents’ artifacts, thus enriching the strategic depth of red’s disruptive capabilities.

Tin Street Hooligan - MTG Card versions
Viashino Heretic - MTG Card versions
Ingot Chewer - MTG Card versions
Tin Street Hooligan - Guildpact (GPT)
Viashino Heretic - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Ingot Chewer - Lorwyn (LRW)

Cards similar to Manic Vandal by color, type and mana cost

Dwarven Warriors - MTG Card versions
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Wall of Lava - MTG Card versions
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Mannichi, the Fevered Dream - MTG Card versions
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Goblin Chariot - MTG Card versions
Balduvian Barbarians - MTG Card versions
Shinen of Fury's Fire - MTG Card versions
Basalt Gargoyle - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Warriors - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Raging Bull - Legends (LEG)
Wall of Lava - Ice Age (ICE)
Brassclaw Orcs - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Sabretooth Tiger - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Imperial Recruiter - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Uthden Troll - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Hobgoblin Bandit Lord - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos (PAFR)
Goblin Rabblemaster - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Nosy Goblin - Onslaught (ONS)
Goblin Sky Raider - Onslaught (ONS)
Skirk Commando - Archenemy (ARC)
Cosmic Larva - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Mannichi, the Fevered Dream - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Cunning Bandit // Azamuki, Treachery Incarnate - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Ghost-Lit Raider - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Goblin Chariot - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Balduvian Barbarians - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Shinen of Fury's Fire - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Basalt Gargoyle - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Manic Vandal MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2011 and Magic 2012, 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 Manic Vandal and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Manic Vandal Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2010-07-16 and 2011-07-15. Illustrated by Christopher Moeller.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12010-07-16Magic 2011M11 1512003normalblackChristopher Moeller
22011-07-15Magic 2012M12 1512003normalblackChristopher Moeller

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Manic Vandal has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2010-08-15 Manic Vandal’s ability is mandatory. If you’re the only player who controls an artifact, you must target one of them.

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