Blockade Runner MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Merfolk
Released	1999-10-04
Set symbol
Set name	Mercadian Masques
Set code	MMQ
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	60
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Carl Critchlow

Key Takeaways

Enhances card draw, helping maintain a robust hand size and increasing game options.
Provides deck filtering, leading to faster access to necessary gameplay resources.
Instant speed activation yields strategic flexibility and unpredictability in games.

Text of card

oo U Blockade Runner is unblockable this turn.

"I need to get back to Mercadia City," said Sisay. "We can get you there," the vizier answered. "Easily."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Blockade Runner can be a useful asset when it comes to increasing your hand size, mainly through its synergy with other cards that favor the drawing mechanism. This card can play a pivotal role in replenishing your resources and providing you with more options each turn.

Resource Acceleration: By potentially allowing you to filter through your deck faster, Blockade Runner could indirectly lead to quicker access to the resources you need. This can result in a more efficient gameplay, helping you place threats or answers on the board in a timely fashion.

Instant Speed: The ability to play Blockade Runner at instant speed gives you the flexibility to adapt to the game’s current state more effectively. You can optimize your turns for maximum impact, respond to opponents’ actions unpredictably, and make decisions with the most up-to-date information available.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: As players pilot their decks, they may find the discard requirement of Blockade Runner to be a steep price. Needing to discard another card to utilize its abilities can lead to a depletion of valuable hand options, putting players at a disadvantage during crucial moments of the game.

Specific Mana Cost: This card comes with a specific mana cost that necessitates both blue and generic mana. This can potentially restrict its integration into multi-color decks that may not consistently produce the required blue mana, thereby affecting its overall flexibility and utility in varied deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When considering mana efficiency, Blockade Runner’s casting cost might appear on the higher side for its offered effects. Deck builders often seek out maximized value for mana expenditure, and there might be alternative creatures or spells that could provide more impactful board presence or abilities for equal or lesser investment.

Reasons to Include Blockade Runner in Your Collection

Versatility: Blockade Runner can be a flexible addition to blue-based decks, offering both a reliable blocker in the air and evasion capabilities to slip past enemy lines.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with strategies that manipulate the top of the deck or benefit from manipulating its own position, making it a clever play in decks that value such interactions.

Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to avoid spot removal through returning to hand, Blockade Runner could hold its ground in metas with heavy removal, maintaining board presence without the fear of being picked off one by one.

How to Beat

Blockade Runner is a unique card that can be a real challenge on the battlefield. With its elusive nature, it often slips past defenders, allowing clever players to draw more cards and maintain the upper hand. When facing this crafty card, it’s crucial to disrupt the synergy it creates. One effective tactic is to limit the opportunities for your opponent to cast it by strategically using counter spells like Dovin’s Veto or Negate to prevent it from hitting the table in the first place.

Staying one step ahead is key. Consider employing removal spells that can target Blockade Runner despite its ability to evade blockers. Spells such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile can eliminate it before it can be a consistent threat. It’s also wise to enhance your deck with cards that force your opponent to sacrifice creatures. That way, even with its elusive skills, Blockade Runner cannot avoid being chosen as a sacrifice, thereby neutralizing its potential impact. Vigilance and staying adaptive to the situation will ensure that Blockade Runner doesn’t run away with the game.

Remember, gaining control over Blockade Runner’s tactical advantages can turn the tide of a match in your favor, reinforcing the importance of having versatile responses in your MTG arsenal.

Exploring the Versatility of Blockade Runner

Blockade Runner shines in the realm of blue flying creatures, offering subtle yet potent effects. It shares the skies with other solid performers such as Welkin Tern, with both creatures boasting the flying attribute. Welkin Tern is a straightforward flyer with a lower mana cost, letting you apply pressure early in the game. Blockade Runner, though, presents tactical depth with its ability to be unblockable, giving it a crucial edge during later stages of a match.

Cards like Blockade Runner

Among creatures capable of becoming unblockable, we have Thalakos Seer, which also carries a utility effect upon leaving the battlefield. Blockade Runner requires an investment to remain unblockable, encouraging strategic mana allocation during gameplay. Another comparable card is Mist-Cloaked Herald, notable for its innately unblockable nature. While it lacks the ability to phase out like the Runner can, its lower cost makes it a go-to for aggressive strategies. On the other hand, the phase-out feature of Blockade Runner provides flexibility, allowing the player to protect their investment from removal spells while setting up for the next turn’s offensive.

When assessing Blockade Runner’s strategic significance, it stands out for its adaptive use in control and mid-range decks, leveraging its repeated use of evasion to whittle down opponents. Its distinction lies in balancing the offensive prowess with defensive tactics, making it a card well-worth considering in deck construction.

Cards similar to Blockade Runner by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Blockade Runner MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques, 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 Blockade Runner and other MTG cards: