Acidic Dagger MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Artifact
Released	1996-10-08
Set symbol
Set name	Mirage
Set code	MIR
Number	291
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Stuart Beel

Key Takeaways

Acidic Dagger offers card advantage and strategic hand disruption against opponents.
Its mana ramp potential and instant speed activation provide tactical versatility.
Balancing the high cost is essential; knowing its place in your deck is key.

Text of card

o4, oc T: Destroy any non-Wall creature receiving combat damage from target creature this turn. If targeted creature leaves play, bury Acidic Dagger. Use this ability only before defense is chosen.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Acidic Dagger gives players an edge by allowing them to potentially discard an opponent’s card at random, which can disrupt their strategy and tilt the balance in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Equipping the Acidic Dagger can significantly boost your mana resources when the equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, presenting an opportunity to cast more spells or deploy heavier threats on the board early in the game.

Instant Speed: One of the abilities tied to Acidic Dagger can be activated at instant speed, offering versatile responses to an opponent’s actions or end-of-turn maneuvers, keeping them guessing about your capabilities even when you’re tapped out.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For the Acidic Dagger to be fully utilized, a player must often forgo a valuable card from their hand, which could potentially put them at a strategic disadvantage if their hand size is already depleted or if they’re unable to maintain card advantage against their opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: The Acidic Dagger has an activation requirement that is color-intensive, necessitating a dedicated mana base. This may not sync well with multicolor decks or those that have a mana base not heavily skewed towards the specific colors needed to cast and utilize this card effectively.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: In a format where efficiency is paramount, the Acidic Dagger’s cost could be a deal-breaker. Despite its potential benefits, players might hesitate to invest such a significant amount of mana, especially when other options are available that either cost less or offer more versatility or impact at a similar cost threshold.

Reasons to Include Acidic Dagger Mtg Card in Your Collection

Versatility: Acidic Dagger proves highly adaptable for deck strategies that favor repeated direct damage or removal of problematic creatures. This equipment card can seamlessly integrate into different gameplay styles, enhancing utility on the battlefield.

Combo Potential: When synced with cards that allow multiple attacks or untapping, Acidic Dagger’s ability to deal damage evolves into a powerful engine. Its interactions with certain cards can significantly elevate the potency of your plays, creating new avenues for synergy.

Meta-Relevance: Given a meta that rewards control strategies and tight board states, Acidic Dagger grants players a persistent source of pressure. This can be a game changer in dismantling opponent defenses or disrupting creature-based combos, making it a card worth having at the ready.

How to beat

Acidic Dagger stands as a tactical artifact that can define combat outcomes in an MTG match. Its ability to potentially weaken or even eliminate opposing creatures constructs a pathway for strategic plays. However, circumnavigating the perilous edge of this dagger requires understanding and exploiting its weaknesses.

Targeted removal spells like Disenchant or Naturalize can dismantle this artifact before its power becomes overwhelming. You also have the option to employ counterspells, such as Cancel or Mana Leak, to pre-emptively prevent your opponent from ever wielding the dagger. Another approach is to capitalize on creatures that boast hexproof or shroud, ensuring they remain untouchable by the dagger’s corrosive touch. Alternatively, rushing your opponent with rapid creature deployment can overwhelm them before the dagger even becomes a significant threat.

Whatever your chosen line of defense, always keep in mind the tempo and resource management of the game. Staying one step ahead of this Acidic Dagger can be the difference between victory and defeat, so always be prepared to adapt your strategy and beat this cunning artifact.

Cards like Acidic Dagger

The Acidic Dagger may be an intriguing artifact in the world of MTG, finding its kinship with cards that have abilities to deal damage indirectly or sabotage opponent strategies. A notable comparison would be with the card Viridian Longbow, which also offers a way to ping creatures or players by tapping the equipped creature. The key difference lies in the absence of the mana cost associated with each use, making the Longbow more economical in prolonged matches.

Another relative to consider is the Quietus Spike which shares the theme of dealing damage through equipped creatures. While the Spike deals damage proportional to the creature’s power, the Acidic Dagger takes it further by potentially destroying the creature if the opponent refuses to pay a set amount of life. Yet, the steep equip cost of the Dagger can be a hindrance, unlike the Quietus Spike which can be readily shifted from creature to creature.

Each of these artifacts has unique merits and uses, with the Acidic Dagger being no different. Its capacity to force difficult decisions upon an opponent can turn it into a strategic advantage, especially when an MTG player maximizes its potential within their deck’s framework.

Cards similar to Acidic Dagger by color, type and mana cost

Krark-Clan Ironworks - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Acidic Dagger MTG card by a specific set like Mirage, 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 Acidic Dagger and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Acidic Dagger has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Acidic Dagger 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	Acidic Dagger does not affect the creature if all damage is prevented or redirected.
2013-09-20	If a turn has multiple combat phases, the ability can only be activated before the beginning of the Declare Blockers Step of the first combat phase in that turn.