Stinkdrinker Bandit MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Goblin Rogue
Abilities Prowl
Power 2
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Enhances Rogue decks by rewarding successful attacks with power boosts to creatures.
  2. Prowl ability offers cost reduction, providing a mana efficiency advantage.
  3. Demands careful planning due to the precise mana requirement and condition-driven mechanics.

Text of card

Prowl (You may play this for its prowl cost if you dealt combat damage to a player this turn with a Goblin or Rogue.) Whenever a Rogue you control attacks and isn't blocked, it gets +2/+1 until end of turn.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Stinkdrinker Bandit doesn’t draw cards directly but synergizes well with decks focused on Rogues, enabling multiple creatures to hit the opponent, which in turn can lead to drawing more cards with other Rogue-centric abilities.

Resource Acceleration: While not a mana accelerator, Stinkdrinker Bandit can reduce the cost of your other Rogue spells with its Prowl ability, effectively making your plays more mana-efficient and allowing you to deploy threats more quickly.

Instant Speed: As a creature itself, Stinkdrinker Bandit doesn’t operate at instant speed, but its triggered ability to give attacking Rogues +2/+1 until end of turn can create unexpected combat math, which can be leveraged similar to instant speed tricks, disrupting your opponent’s strategy during the combat phase.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Stinkdrinker Bandit powers up your Rogues, it does so at a potential cost. The Prowl mechanic requires you to either disrupt your hand by discarding or rely on successfully dealing combat damage with a Rogue—a condition that can be challenging against decks with robust defense.

Specific Mana Cost: Stinkdrinker Bandit demands a precise mana alignment, costing one black and one generic mana to cast normally. This cost becomes restrictive in multicolored decks that need flexibility in their mana base, especially since the Prowl cost still requires black mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: If you’re unable to meet the Prowl condition, a four generic and one black mana cost for a 2/1 creature is steep. This could slow your tempo, as other cards within the same mana range may provide you with greater board presence or more impactful effects.


Reasons to Include Stinkdrinker Bandit in Your Collection

Versatility: Stinkdrinker Bandit is not just a staple for Rogue decks but also finds its place in strategies that capitalize on evasiveness. Its ability to boost unblocked creatures makes it a game-changer on the battlefield.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes exceptionally well with other Rogue cards, amplifying their damage output significantly. Pair it with cards that ensure your Rogues are unblockable, and you create a swift and deadly combination that can dismantle opponents.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-oriented decks prevail, Stinkdrinker Bandit shines by empowering your attacking force. Its low mana cost and substantial impact on damage output make it a card to watch and incorporate as the meta shifts towards aggressive playstyles.


How to beat

Stinkdrinker Bandit presents a unique challenge on the battlefield, boosting the power of attacking Rogue creatures under its stealthy veil. With its prowl ability, not only does it sneak onto the field at a reduced cost, but it also amplifies the threat of Rogue swarms. Removing it quickly becomes crucial – and the best strategies hinge on pinpoint removal spells or board wipes to flush out this clandestine threat. Cards like Path to Exile or Wrath of God can effectively neutralize the card’s advantage over the match.

Keeping a vigilant eye on the board state is essential, as this card thrives alongside a band of Rogues. Preventing these creatures from connecting with your life total is imperative, and defensive cards such as Ghostly Prison can stymie their assault. Efficient blockers with reach or those that have effects upon blocking can deter the boosted attacks, safeguarding your position. Ultimately, denying the synergy that Stinkdrinker Bandit aims to create among Rogue creatures is the key to dismantling its strategy and maintaining control of the game.

Understanding the dynamics of Rogue-heavy decks can turn the tide in your favor. Prioritize your removal, disrupt their connections and watch as the advantage of Stinkdrinker Bandit dissipates, leaving your opponent grasping for their stealthy strategy that no longer holds the power it once promised.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the art of MTG requires not only knowing your cards but also understanding their synergies and how they can be utilized to dominate the battlefield. Stinkdrinker Bandit is a perfect example of a card that, while nuanced in its application, can be leveraged to significantly bolster your game. If you’re intrigued by the potential of this quirky rogue, we encourage you to delve deeper into our content. Here, you’ll discover ways to optimize your deck around Stinkdrinker Bandit, ensure your rogues hit hard and fast, and outmaneuver opponents with tactical prowess. Enhance your strategy and collection by learning more with us.


Cards like Stinkdrinker Bandit

Stinkdrinker Bandit holds its own among the MTG rogues, offering a unique twist on the tribe’s dynamics. Its ability to give a significant power boost to unblocked rogues parallels the mechanics of other tribal lords like Lord of Atlantis, that similarly uplifts its kind with across-the-board bonuses. However, Stinkdrinker Bandit’s conditional trigger — based on the successful evasion of your rogues — situates it in a more tactical niche.

In contrast to Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive, which guarantees unblockability for creatures with low stats, Stinkdrinker Bandit rewards you after your creatures have slipped past the opposition. Where Tetsuko Umezawa lays the ground for an offense, Stinkdrinker Bandit swoops in to amplify the impact. Another kin in this vein is Metallic Mimic, gifting incoming allies with additional strength. While the Mimic indiscriminately buffs creatures as they arrive, Stinkdrinker Bandit patiently waits for the perfect strike moment, effectively staging a surprise assault.

Rounding out this comparison, Stinkdrinker Bandit’s kinship support approach shapes gameplay, inserting a layer of strategy in rogue decks and confirming its spot as a formidable role-player in MTG’s rogue-themed strategies.

Lord of Atlantis - MTG Card versions
Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive - MTG Card versions
Metallic Mimic - MTG Card versions
Lord of Atlantis - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive - Dominaria Promos (PDOM)
Metallic Mimic - Aether Revolt Promos (PAER)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Stinkdrinker Bandit MTG card by a specific set like Morningtide and Zendikar Rising Commander, 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 Stinkdrinker Bandit and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Stinkdrinker Bandit Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2008-02-01 and 2020-09-25. Illustrated by Brandon Dorman.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12008-02-01MorningtideMOR 802003normalblackBrandon Dorman
22020-09-25Zendikar Rising CommanderZNC 552015normalblackBrandon Dorman

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Stinkdrinker Bandit has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Stinkdrinker Bandit card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2008-04-01 This ability triggers after blockers are declared during the declare blockers step. Each attacking Rogue you control gets +2/+1 if no creatures were assigned to block it. That creature will get the bonus even if an effect causes it to become blocked.
2013-04-15 An ability that triggers when something “attacks and isn’t blocked” triggers in the declare blockers step after blockers are declared if (1) that creature is attacking and (2) no creatures are declared to block it. It will trigger even if that creature was put onto the battlefield attacking rather than having been declared as an attacker in the declare attackers step.

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