Staggershock MTG Card
2006-01-02 - Number 48
2010-04-23 - Number 166
2017-11-17 - Number 147
2019-11-07 - Number 1067
2022-07-08 - Number 125
2002-06-24 - Number 36851
2020-09-26 - Number IMA-147
| Card sets | Released in 7 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Instant |
| Abilities | Rebound |
Key Takeaways
- Double impact from rebound allows removal of multiple threats or key damage across turns.
- Instant speed enhances flexibility, shifts momentum in mid-game scenarios.
- Specific mana cost may limit deck integration, consideration for mana bases necessary.
Text of card
Staggershock deals 2 damage to any target. Rebound (If you cast this spell from your hand, exile it as it resolves. At the beginning of your next upkeep, you may cast this card from exile without paying its mana cost.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Staggershock brings a double impact with its rebound ability, dealing damage both during the turn it’s cast and then again in the following turn. This offers a significant edge by potentially eliminating two threats with just one card.
Resource Acceleration: While this card does not directly offer resource acceleration in terms of mana or tokens, it does indirectly accelerate your game plan by efficiently dealing with opposing creatures, preserving your life total and board presence.
Instant Speed: Staggershock’s versatility is heightened by its instant speed. This feature allows you to respond to your opponent’s actions on their turn, keeping your strategy flexible and reactive. Whether it’s removing a freshly played creature or finishing off a wounded target, instant speed spells like this can shift the momentum of the game in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Staggershock does not require a discard per se, it necessitates that you hold onto the card until the right moment to get maximum value, which can sometimes feel like a card is being held hostage in your hand rather than being an active resource.
Specific Mana Cost: Staggershock demands a specific red mana cost totaling 1RR, which can potentially hinder its integration into multicolored decks that are mana sensitive or have a tight mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its initial impact, Staggershock might seem resource-intensive at three mana, especially when compared to other direct damage spells in MTG that can deal similar damage for less, leaving you potentially behind on the mana curve against faster-paced decks.
Reasons to Include Staggershock in Your Collection
Versatility: Staggershock is a flexible card that can be utilized in multiple deck archetypes. Its ability to deal damage across two turns makes it a useful tool for controlling the board and pacing your strategy.
Combo Potential: With its rebound mechanic, Staggershock offers great synergy with spells that benefit from casting or copying instances of red damage spells, enhancing its potency within combo-focused decks.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creatures are predominant, Staggershock becomes an exceptional choice. Its power to spread damage over two turns allows for efficient removal of small threats, keeping pace with aggressive creature strategies.
How to beat
Staggershock presents a unique challenge on the battlefield, offering a flexible means of dealing damage. As a player, facing off against this instant card means anticipating its rebound effect which can deal significant damage over two turns. Countering Staggershock effectively requires a strategic approach, keeping in mind its ability to split its damage output across multiple targets.
A smart move is to have instant-speed removal or counterspells ready to disrupt its initial cast or rebound trigger. Cards with hexproof abilities can also be invaluable as they provide a safeguard against targeted spells like Staggershock. In addition, adapting your playstyle to maintain a board state with creatures that have toughness higher than two can mitigate the impact of Staggershock, making it less of a threat. It’s crucial to consider these defensive tactics when deck building or during play to neutralize the power of a card like Staggershock.
Remember, like all spells in Magic: The Gathering, Staggershock can be overcome with the right strategy and card choices, reinforcing the depth and adaptability this game offers to every player involved in its complex and ever-evolving battleground.
Cards like Staggershock
Staggershock offers a unique twist in the realm of direct damage spells in Magic: The Gathering, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with an array of similar cards. A prime comparison is with Incinerate, which also delivers an instant three damage to any target. Staggershock, however, adds intrigue with its rebound ability, giving players a second opportunity to deal damage without spending additional mana in a subsequent turn. Incinerate lacks this rebound mechanic, though it carries the upside of preventing damage from being healed that turn.
Another familiar face is Lightning Strike, a straightforward two-mana instant dealing three damage to any target. While it aligns with Staggershock’s initial impact, it doesn’t benefit from the repeated effect. Shock, a classic staple, offers immediate damage at a lower cost but with only half the impact, delivering a quick but less substantial punch to creatures or players compared to Staggershock’s larger damage output over two turns.
In wrapping up, Staggershock’s flair for extended play and strategic timing marks its place in Magic: The Gathering. When weighing options for repetitive damage, Staggershock not only ensures a significant impact on the board but also offers players a tactical edge through its delayed, yet guaranteed, secondary strike.
Cards similar to Staggershock by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Staggershock MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and DCI Promos, 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 Staggershock 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 Staggershock Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2006-01-02 and 2022-07-08. Illustrated by Raymond Swanland.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 36851 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland | ||
| 2 | 2006-01-02 | DCI Promos | PDCI | 48 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland | |
| 3 | 2010-04-23 | Rise of the Eldrazi | ROE | 166 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland | |
| 4 | 2017-11-17 | Iconic Masters | IMA | 147 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland | |
| 5 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1067 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland | |
| 6 | The List | PLST | IMA-147 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland | ||
| 7 | 2022-07-08 | Double Masters 2022 | 2X2 | 125 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Staggershock has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Staggershock card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2010-06-15 | At the beginning of your upkeep, all delayed triggered abilities created by rebound effects trigger. You may handle them in any order. If you want to cast a card this way, you do so as part of the resolution of its delayed triggered ability. Timing restrictions based on the card’s type (if it’s a sorcery) are ignored. Other restrictions are not (such as the one from Rule of Law). |
| 2010-06-15 | If a replacement effect would cause a spell with rebound that you cast from your hand to be put somewhere else instead of your graveyard (such as Leyline of the Void might), you choose whether to apply the rebound effect or the other effect as the spell resolves. |
| 2010-06-15 | If a spell with rebound that you cast from your hand doesn’t resolve for any reason (due being countered by a spell like Cancel, or because all of its targets are illegal), rebound has no effect. The spell is simply put into your graveyard. You won’t get to cast it again next turn. |
| 2010-06-15 | If you are unable to cast a card from exile this way, or you choose not to, nothing happens when the delayed triggered ability resolves. The card remains exiled for the rest of the game, and you won’t get another chance to cast the card. The same is true if the ability is countered (due to Stifle, perhaps). |
| 2010-06-15 | If you cast a card from exile this way, it will go to your graveyard when it resolves, fails to resolve, or is countered. It won’t go back to exile. |
| 2010-06-15 | If you cast a spell with rebound from anywhere other than your hand (such as from your graveyard due to Sins of the Past, from your library due to cascade, or from your opponent’s hand due to Sen Triplets), rebound won’t have any effect. If you do cast it from your hand, rebound will work regardless of whether you paid its mana cost (for example, if you cast it from your hand due to Maelstrom Archangel). |
| 2010-06-15 | If you cast a spell with rebound from your hand and it resolves, it isn’t put into your graveyard. Rather, it’s exiled directly from the stack. Effects that care about cards being put into your graveyard won’t do anything. |
| 2010-06-15 | Rebound will have no effect on copies of spells because you don’t cast them from your hand. |
