Pistus Strike MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2011-02-04
Set symbol
Set name	Mirrodin Besieged
Set code	MBS
Number	86
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jaime Jones

Key Takeaways

Instant speed allows disruption of opponent’s plays, adding a tactical layer to your game.
Card draw on removal tilts balance in your favor, maintaining hand advantage.
Specific green mana cost may limit deck inclusion but ensures targeted utility.

Text of card

Destroy target creature with flying. Its controller gets a poison counter.

"Even a nuisance such as the pistus fly has a purpose in our new world." —Glissa

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Pistus Strike gives players an edge by allowing them to not only remove a flying creature from the battle but also draw a card. This dual action ensures a shift in the game’s balance, leaning it towards the player’s favor.

Resource Acceleration: While Pistus Strike itself does not directly accelerate resources, the card advantage it provides can lead to subsequent plays that boost a player’s resources. By drawing a card, the player has a higher chance of accessing land drops or other forms of resource acceleration faster.

Instant Speed: The value of Pistus Strike is significantly heightened by its instant speed, which makes it a dynamic tool in any player’s hand. This characteristic allows for reactive gameplay, providing the opportunity to dismantle an opponent’s strategy during their turn or in response to an action, making it a highly tactical asset.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When you cast Pistus Strike, it does not require you to discard any cards, making it slightly more forgiving in terms of hand management. However, not having a discard requirement means it lacks synergies with strategies that benefit from discarding, such as reanimation or madness.

Specific Mana Cost: Pistus Strike’s casting cost includes green mana, which can be restrictive for non-green or multi-colored decks. This can potentially hinder the inclusion of Pistus Strike in a variety of decks that don’t operate on a green mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At three mana, Pistus Strike is considered to have a high mana cost for the effect it provides. Many players assess that the card’s impact on the game might not justify its mana investment, particularly when there are alternative removal spells that cost less and can be more easily slotted into a player’s curve.

Reasons to Include Pistus Strike in Your Collection

Versatility: Pistus Strike finds a comfortable place in decks that seek to manage flying threats while gaining a card advantage. Its ability to target any creature with flying makes it a useful sideboard card in formats where such creatures are prevalent.

Combo Potential: This card not only dispatches a creature but also draws a card, making it a great enabler in strategies focused on diminishing opponent resources while refilling your own hand. It’s perfect for decks that aim to maintain tempo and control the board state.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where evasive creatures are key components of competitive decks, having an efficient removal spell like Pistus Strike can provide the edge needed to disrupt opponents’ plans. Its low mana cost also ensures that it can be played without setting back your own board development too much.

How to beat

Pistus Strike is a card that showcases the clever interaction between creature control and life points in Magic: The Gathering. Similar to removal spells like Murder, which directly destroy a creature, Pistus Strike adds a twist by dealing with creatures with flying and providing a small life buffer in the form of gaining 2 life. This can be crucial for turning the tide in your favor.

To counteract the threat of Pistus Strike, consider utilizing non-flying creatures as the backbone of your strategy, as this card is specific to creatures with flying. Additionally, spells that grant your creatures hexproof or indestructible for a turn can be instrumental in shielding your valuable flyers from such targeted removal. Dive Down is an economical choice in blue that can protect your key creatures from Pistus Strike’s reach.

Ultimately, understanding the meta and preparing your deck with protective spells can mitigate the disruption caused by Pistus Strike. It’s always important to arm your MTG arsenal with a variety of answers and plan for potential threats your flying creatures might face to maintain aerial supremacy during your matches.

Cards like Pistus Strike

Pistus Strike is a versatile removal tool in the MTG arsenal, reminiscent of effects like Plummet, which also serves the purpose of destroying a flying creature. Both cards are aimed specifically at grounding creatures that take to the skies, providing a safety net against flying threats. Yet, Pistus Strike has an additional layer of defense – it can also take out an artifact, offering a wider range of targets. In contrast, Plummet’s utility is singular, limited to creatures with flight.

Another card in a similar niche is Crushing Vines. It presents the player with an either/or choice between taking down a flying creature or destroying an artifact. While it presents flexibility not seen in Plummet, it does so at an increased mana cost. Pistus Strike maintains an advantage with its toxin counter ability, administering a lasting effect that can inhibit an opponent’s strategies if they rely on recurring creature types.

Considering the strategic depth and adaptability, Pistus Strike finds its place as a cunning inclusion in decks that need to manage both aerial and ground-based theatrics. Its toxin counter can be uniquely disruptive, potentially making it a more attractive option for players aiming to impede their opponent’s long term plans.

Cards similar to Pistus Strike by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Pistus Strike MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin Besieged, 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 Pistus Strike and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Pistus Strike 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 Pistus Strike card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2011-06-01	If the creature is an illegal target when Pistus Strike tries to resolve, the spell doesn’t resolve. No player gets a poison counter.
2013-07-01	If the creature with flying regenerates or has indestructible, its controller will still get a poison counter.