Trap Runner MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Soldier |
| Released | 1999-10-04 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Mercadian Masques |
| Set code | MMQ |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 55 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | normal |
| Border | black |
| Illustred by | Ron Spencer |
Key Takeaways
- Trap Runner’s instant speed activation offers strategic flexibility during crucial phases of the game.
- While powerful, its activation cost and specific mana need can limit its gameplay viability.
- Inclusion in decks thrives on Trap Runner’s versatility and combo potential within the current meta.
Text of card
oc T: Target attacking unblocked creature becomes blocked. (This ability works on unblockable creatures.)
"How could I catch her when the trees conspired to stop me?"
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Trap Runner provides the strategic benefit of potentially redirecting an opponent’s spell or ability, which may lead to card advantage by saving one of your key cards from being targeted.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting resource acceleration, Trap Runner can indirectly assist by protecting your mana-producing creatures or other permanents that contribute to your resource pool.
Instant Speed: The ability to activate Trap Runner at instant speed offers flexibility, allowing you to adapt to threats mid-combat or during your opponent’s turn without tipping your hand early.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Trap Runner necessitates the discard of another card to activate its ability. This can pose a challenge during gameplay, particularly if your hand is already depleted or if you’re holding onto key cards for your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost for Trap Runner demands a precise combination of colors, making it less flexible in mana bases not tailored specifically to accommodate its requirements. This can restrict the card’s inclusion to decks that can consistently generate the required mana colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that sits on the higher end of the spectrum for its abilities, Trap Runner may lag behind other options that can provide similar effects at a lower cost. Players might find the mana investment into Trap Runner could impede the speed and efficiency of their gameplay.
Reasons to Include Trap Runner in Your Collection
Versatility: Trap Runner can function in diverse strategies with its ability to become unblockable. It seamlessly fits into rogue or evasion-centric decks that prioritize dealing combat damage to opponents.
Combo Potential: Notably, this card can be paired with various card draw mechanics or damage multipliers, enabling you to maximize value from each unblocked attack, thereby enhancing synergies within these deck archetypes.
Meta-Relevance: Given the current climate of formats where quick, evasive creatures are key, Trap Runner’s presence can tip the scales in matchups by bypassing creature-heavy boards and consistently chipping away at your opponent’s life total.
How to beat
Trap Runner stands out as a unique challenge on the battlefield, adept at evading single-target removal spells. In a game where precise control can tip the balance, having a strategy against such elusive creatures is crucial. Unlike spells that destroy or exile without targeting, like Wrath of God, which can sweep the board clean regardless of targeting restrictions, Trap Runner makes targeted spells such as Murder ineffectual.
One effective method to counter Trap Runner is through the use of board-clearing effects or spells that don’t target individual creatures. Considering cards like Supreme Verdict that can bypass Trap Runner’s protection by not discriminating in their destruction, offers a viable solution. On another note, the use of enchantments that affect all creatures, such as Authority of the Consuls, can equally provide a way to mitigate the advantages that Trap Runner brings to the game by applying broader control measures.
To sum up, circumventing the protective nature of Trap Runner requires a shift in tactics. Incorporating non-targeting removals and applying global effects proves to be an effective counter-strategy, ensuring that even the most elusive creatures can be addressed. Proper deck construction and strategic foresight are key in maintaining the upper hand against cards like Trap Runner.
Cards like Trap Runner
Trap Runner offers Magic: The Gathering players an intriguing layer of strategic defense within their decks. Its ability to neutralize the attack of a creature without flying each turn finds kinship with cards like Ghostly Prison, which also complicates combat equations for opponents. While Ghostly Prison requires mana payment from the attacker for each creature, Trap Runner simply negates an attack once each turn for no additional cost.
We can look to Maze of Ith as another comparative piece. This land-based card doesn’t employ mana to inhibit aggression, but rather removes a solitary attacker from combat altogether. However, Maze of Ith doesn’t offer the continuous creature presence on the battlefield that Trap Runner does. Lastly, there’s Blinding Fog, which serves a similar protective function. Though it provides one-time blanket protection with its hexproof and indestructible effects, it doesn’t match the repetitive use that Trap Runner promises turn after turn.
In evaluating Trap Runner against its counterparts, we see it holds a special place in MTG for players who favor ongoing defensive strategies without committing additional resources each time, making it a unique asset in creature-based control decks.
Cards similar to Trap Runner by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Trap 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 Trap Runner 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 Magic products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Trap Runner has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Trap Runner card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | If the ability is used on a creature with Trample, the damage still comes through. |
| 2004-10-04 | This ability will trigger any creature’s “whenever this becomes blocked” ability. |
| 2013-09-20 | If a turn has multiple combat phases, the ability can be activated during any of them as long as it’s after the beginning of that phase’s Declare Blockers Step. |
