Slagstorm MTG Card


Slagstorm - Mirrodin Besieged
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Released2011-02-04
Set symbol
Set nameMirrodin Besieged
Set codeMBS
Number75
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byDan Scott

Key Takeaways

  1. Slagstorm clears multiple creatures or burns players, providing dual utility in various strategic scenarios.
  2. The card’s requirement for specific mana and lack of card advantage can limit its use in some decks.
  3. Including Slagstorm in your collection can adaptively shift your competitiveness within the MTG meta.

Text of card

Choose one — Slagstorm deals 3 damage to each creature; or Slagstorm deals 3 damage to each player.

"As long as we have the will to fight, we are never without weapons." —Koth of the Hammer


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Slagstorm offers flexibility, with its ability to inflect damage either to each creature or to each player. This flexibility can either clear the board of smaller creatures, maintaining card parity while affecting the board state, or pressuring the opponent’s life total, potentially giving you an edge in racing situations.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana acceleration, Slagstorm can be crucial in removing mana dorks and other creatures that provide resource acceleration to your opponent, effectively slowing them down and disrupting their game plan.

Instant Speed: Although Slagstorm operates at sorcery speed, its effect can be as impactful as an instant in the right scenario. Timing this spell post-combat can capitalize on weakened creatures, ensuring maximum effect and potentially swinging the momentum in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Slagstorm in MTG offers a versatile sweep for either creatures or players, it lacks the potential card advantage other spells may offer. Unlike some counterparts that allow drawing or targeting specific threats, Slagstorm presents no such benefit, which can be a strategic setback.

Specific Mana Cost: Slagstorm’s precise requirement for three red mana can be restrictive, especially in multicolored decks. This constraint might hamper its inclusion in diverse strategies where mana flexibility is key to executing a wide range of plays.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, other options in the format may offer similar or better board control at a lower cost. This factor may make Slagstorm a less attractive choice in fast-paced situations where optimizing mana efficiency is critical.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Slagstorm offers dual modes to either clear the battlefield of smaller creatures or deal direct damage to players. This flexibility allows it to be a useful card in a variety of deck archetypes, from control to burn strategies.

Combo Potential: With the ability to deal widespread damage, Slagstorm works well with cards that benefit from damage triggers or the death of creatures, enhancing your overall strategy while disrupting opponents.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta populated with creature-heavy decks or where life totals can be a race, Slagstorm serves as a crucial tool. It can swing games by removing multiple threats at once or pushing through the final points of damage to secure a win.


How to beat

Slagstorm is a powerful card in MTG that presents both a challenge and an opportunity during gameplay. With its versatility in dealing 3 damage to each creature or each player, it has the potential to disrupt board presence significantly. To navigate against this red sorcery, advance in card advantage and maintain a higher life total to withstand its impact. Creatures with toughness greater than 3 can also prove invaluable, as they will survive the damage. Additionally, employing cards that provide indestructibility or protection from red for the turn can preserve your board state.

Counterplay strategies might include instant-speed removal to disrupt their mana base before Slagstorm can be cast. Similarly, cards that redirect or prevent damage can neutralize its effects, while spells that counter sorceries deny its casting altogether, leading to a significant loss of tempo for your opponent. It’s crucial to recognize Slagstorm’s flexibility and plan for both of its modes, adapting your play to maximize your own position while minimizing the benefits that the card offers to your opponent.

The tactic of holding back on playing out your hand when suspecting an impending Slagstorm can also pay dividends, allowing you to rebuild quickly after the board is cleared while your opponent may be left at a resource disadvantage. Assessing the situation and adapting your strategy will often tip the scales in your favor.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into the nuances of Slagstorm as you sculpt your MTG strategy. This potent red sorcery can define matches with its dual damage options, impacting both board state and life totals. Whether leveraged for its creature-clearing capability or as a means to race against your opponent, this card requires astute timing and format awareness to optimize its potential. With insights into card interaction and meta shifts, Slagstorm can be a deck’s linchpin or its Achilles’ heel. Explore our extensive collection for synergies and counterplays that elevate Slagstorm’s impact within your arsenal. Discover more and harness the full might of your MTG deck.


Cards like Slagstorm

Slagstorm is a dynamic force in Magic: The Gathering, falling within the realm of powerful damage-dealing spells. It bears resemblance to cards like Pyroclasm and Anger of the Gods, which are also designed to sweep away multiple creatures in one fell swoop. Slagstorm is versatile, offering a choice between dealing 3 damage to each creature or 3 damage to each player, a tactical decision that could alter the course of a game.

When you consider Earthquake, another comparable card, it has the capacity to deal damage to each creature without flying and each player. However, the total damage scales with the mana invested, making it potentially more powerful yet costlier. Cards like Inferno and Rolling Thunder also serve a similar purpose but lack Slagstorm’s dual-functionality that allows players to adapt to the current battlefield scenario.

Understanding the strategic depth of these sorcery-speed sweepers reveals Slagstorm’s valuable role. It situates itself as a utility card with the ability to shift roles from a crowd controller to a direct threat to an opponent’s life total, proving its worth in MTG deck strategies that value flexibility and power.

Pyroclasm - MTG Card versions
Anger of the Gods - MTG Card versions
Earthquake - MTG Card versions
Inferno - MTG Card versions
Rolling Thunder - MTG Card versions
Pyroclasm - Ice Age (ICE)
Anger of the Gods - Theros (THS)
Earthquake - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Inferno - The Dark (DRK)
Rolling Thunder - Tempest (TMP)

Cards similar to Slagstorm by color, type and mana cost

Stone Rain - MTG Card versions
Game of Chaos - MTG Card versions
Evaporate - MTG Card versions
Steam Blast - MTG Card versions
Goblin Offensive - MTG Card versions
Desert Sandstorm - MTG Card versions
Arc Lightning - MTG Card versions
Pillage - MTG Card versions
Search for Survivors - MTG Card versions
Searing Rays - MTG Card versions
Rupture - MTG Card versions
Tundra Fumarole - MTG Card versions
Browbeat - MTG Card versions
Erratic Explosion - MTG Card versions
Threaten - MTG Card versions
Sizzle - MTG Card versions
Hammer of Bogardan - MTG Card versions
Fiery Gambit - MTG Card versions
Flamebreak - MTG Card versions
Panic Attack - MTG Card versions
Stone Rain - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Game of Chaos - Ice Age (ICE)
Evaporate - Homelands (HML)
Steam Blast - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Goblin Offensive - Urza's Saga (USG)
Desert Sandstorm - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Arc Lightning - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Pillage - Arena League 2000 (PAL00)
Search for Survivors - Prophecy (PCY)
Searing Rays - Invasion (INV)
Rupture - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Tundra Fumarole - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Browbeat - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Erratic Explosion - Planechase 2012 (PC2)
Threaten - Tenth Edition (10E)
Sizzle - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Hammer of Bogardan - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Fiery Gambit - Mirrodin (MRD)
Flamebreak - Darksteel (DST)
Panic Attack - Ninth Edition (9ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Slagstorm 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 Slagstorm and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Slagstorm has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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