Mardu Strike Leader MTG Card
2015-01-23 - Number 75
2015-01-23 - Number 75s
2022-06-10 - Number 761
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Human Warrior |
| Abilities | Dash |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
Whenever Mardu Strike Leader attacks, put a 2/1 black Warrior creature token onto the battlefield. Dash (You may cast this spell for its dash cost. If you do, it gains haste, and it's returned from the battlefield to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.)
Understanding Mardu Strike Leader’s Mechanics
Mardu Strike Leader is an ambitious card in Magic the Gathering, holding its ground in the category of creature cards with a dash effect. When you dive into the world of aggressive creature-based strategies, the Mardu Strike Leader emerges as an intriguing figure. Its ability to create 2/1 black Warrior creature tokens with dash is a unique mechanic that distinguishes it from others.
Compared to similar cards like Ambuscade Shaman and War-Name Aspirant, the Mardu Strike Leader offers more than just enhancing your army on the battlefield. While Ambuscade Shaman grants your dashed creatures a power boost, it doesn’t contribute additional creatures to your ranks. On the other hand, War-Name Aspirant provides a potential roadblock bypass with raid, assuming you’ve attacked with a creature this turn. However, it falls short in generating further board presence.
Cards like Mardu Strike Leader
Mardu Strike Leader stands out for its capability to generate momentum and widen your army, a pivotal aspect in matches where board presence equals power. It aligns closely with cards like Ponyback Brigade, which also delivers multiple bodies to the field. Yet, Mardu Strike Leader holds a key advantage in flexibility, being deployable through its dash ability for immediate impact. Ponyback Brigade, albeit a provider of three tokens, requires a substantial mana investment or a morph unveiling to bring its full benefit into play.
Cards such as Utter End or Crackling Doom also find their place in the Mardu spectrum, dealing with threats directly and providing immediate removal. These cards have a lessened ability to alter board state in terms of creature presence. The Strike Leader’s continued utility in producing tokens, therefore, becomes a significant recurring threat over time that such removal spells can’t match in prolonged games.
In essence, the Mardu Strike Leader finds a unique niche. It combines the aggressive nature of Mardu card strategies with the incremental advantage of token generation, marking it as a formidable choice among creature spells in Magic the Gathering.
Cards similar to Mardu Strike Leader by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Mardu Strike Leader’s ability to create a 2/1 black Warrior creature token with every attack not only adds to your board presence but effectively grants additional cards in the form of creatures, ensuring you stay ahead in resources.
Resource Acceleration: Deploying additional creature tokens without expending cards from your hand accelerates your resource allocation. This continual token creation pressures your opponents by amassing an army while conserving your hand for crucial plays.
Instant Speed: While Mardu Strike Leader itself isn’t an instant-speed card, the tokens it generates provide immediate board presence that can be used defensively on the next turn, effectively working as an instant surprise for blockers or additional damage.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While not applicable to Mardu Strike Leader directly, it is worth considering that this card may necessitate a discard strategy to optimize its dash ability, potentially putting you at a card disadvantage.
Specific Mana Cost: The Mardu Strike Leader requires a specific mana combination (one black, one red, one white), making it less flexible and harder to cast in a deck that isn’t finely tuned to those colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana and an additional cost to utilize its dash ability, there are other creatures or spells in the same mana range that could provide immediate board impact without the recurrent investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Mardu Strike Leader can be a dynamic addition to a variety of decks, fitting well into aggro and midrange strategies. Its ability to create 2/1 Warrior creature tokens not only provides board presence but allows for flexibility in responding to the state of the game.
Combo Potential: This card exudes synergy with strategies that capitalize on creature tokens. Its Dash ability ensures it can appear at opportune moments, enhancing its combination potential with other cards that reward you for summoning creatures or attacking with a certain number of warriors.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based strategies are dominant, Mardu Strike Leader shines by consistently adding creatures to the board, making it more difficult for opponents to stabilize. This card’s capability to apply pressure each turn makes it a contender in various metas.
How to beat
Mardu Strike Leader is a solid card known for its ability to create additional 2/1 Warrior creature tokens with its dash ability, which can quickly amass an intimidating board presence in Magic: The Gathering. Facing off against this aggressive card requires a strategy that neutralizes its advantages. Controlling the battlefield with removal spells like Fatal Push or board wipes such as Supreme Verdict can effectively clear out the tokens before they become overwhelming. Alternatively, spot removal spells can target the Strike Leader directly to prevent the token generation from occurring.
Enchantment-based strategies also offer a reliable answer. Pacifism and its ilk can disable Mardu Strike Leader without having to remove it from the battlefield, preventing dash and the associated token creation. Ensuring you have answers ready in your deck to address both the leader and its tokens will be crucial. In essence, consistency in controlling the board and removing key threats quickly will hold the Mardu Strike Leader’s impact at bay.
Remember, inclusion of flexible responses in your deck forms the backbone of a successful strategy against aggressive MTG cards like Mardu Strike Leader. Time your plays well and maintain board control to emerge victorious.
BurnMana Recommendations
The strength of Mardu Strike Leader in MTG lies in its unique blend of aggression and incremental token generation, suited for players who enjoy strategically growing their armies. Leveraging its dash ability, you can create surprise advantage and exert pressure on each turn. If you’re curious about using this card to its full potential, enhancing your gameplay, and shaping your deck to outmaneuver opponents with clever token tactics, we’re here with deep insights and tips. Immerse yourself in strategic discussions, masterful plays, and the art of the win with Mardu Strike Leader at BurnMana. Let’s advance your MTG prowess together.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Mardu Strike Leader MTG card by a specific set like Fate Reforged and Fate Reforged 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 Mardu Strike Leader and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Mardu Strike Leader Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2015-01-23 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by Jason Rainville.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2015-01-23 | Fate Reforged | FRF | 75 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jason Rainville | |
| 2 | 2015-01-23 | Fate Reforged Promos | PFRF | 75s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jason Rainville | |
| 3 | 2022-06-10 | Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate | CLB | 761 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jason Rainville |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Mardu Strike Leader has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Mardu Strike Leader card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2014-11-24 | If a creature enters the battlefield as a copy of or becomes a copy of a creature whose dash cost was paid, the copy won't have haste and won't be returned to its owner's hand. |
| 2014-11-24 | If you choose to pay the dash cost rather than the mana cost, you're still casting the spell. It goes on the stack and can be responded to and countered. You can cast a creature spell for its dash cost only when you otherwise could cast that creature spell. Most of the time, this means during your main phase when the stack is empty. |
| 2014-11-24 | If you pay the dash cost to cast a creature spell, that card will be returned to its owner's hand only if it's still on the battlefield when its triggered ability resolves. If it dies or goes to another zone before then, it will stay where it is. |
| 2014-11-24 | You don't have to attack with the creature with dash unless another ability says you do. |