Collar the Culprit MTG Card
2018-10-05 - Number 5
2019-11-07 - Number 59
2020-09-26 - Number GRN-5
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
Key Takeaways
- Effective against high-threat creatures, Collar the Culprit can upset opponents’ strategies and balance the board.
- Instant speed allows for reactive plays, offering flexibility and surprise elements in matches.
- Limited by specific mana needs and targeting constraints, it’s less versatile against decks with smaller creatures.
Text of card
Destroy target creature with toughness 4 or greater.
"Reports of Gruul rioters in four districts. Start with the big ones and work your way up." —Libuse, Boros sergeant
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Collar the Culprit isn’t typically seen as a card advantage tool in the traditional sense, but it can effectively remove a high-threat creature, potentially disrupting your opponent’s strategy and maintaining the balance on the board.
Resource Acceleration: While Collar the Culprit itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its ability to remove a large blocker can pave the way for your attacks, ultimately leading to more resources gained by connecting with powerful creatures or through combat triggers.
Instant Speed: One key benefit of Collar the Culprit is its instant speed, allowing players to react to opponents’ moves. This can surprise an adversary who may not expect a removal spell during their combat phase or end step, keeping your strategies flexible.
Card Cons
Specific Mana Cost: Collar the Culprit demands a dedicated white mana source as part of its casting cost. This prerequisite may not always align with a player’s mana base, especially in multicolored decks, where the availability of white mana isn’t guaranteed.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a four mana cost, two of which must be white, Collar the Culprit may not be as cost-effective as other removal options available. In situations where speed is crucial, its mana demand might make it a less desirable choice for players looking to optimize their gameplay.
Discard Requirement: While Collar the Culprit doesn’t require discard as a cost, its stringent condition of targeting only creatures with power 4 or greater means it may sit unused in a player’s hand against decks that field swarms of smaller creatures, essentially becoming a card one might wish they could discard for other utilities.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Collar the Culprit is a removal spell that can seamlessly slot into white-based control or midrange decks. Its capacity to eliminate large threats is significant in formats where high-toughness creatures are prevalent.
Combo Potential: This card synergizes with strategies aiming to benefit from removing opponents’ key creatures, enabling smoother play transitions or paving the way for overwhelming assaults.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta dominated by creatures with toughness four or greater, Collar the Culprit proves to be an essential tool. It helps maintain board control and can turn the tide of a game when facing down colossal adversaries.
How to beat
Collar the Culprit is a card that can pose quite the challenge in MTG, particularly for players who lean heavily on creatures with high strength. The card allows a user to destroy a creature with toughness 4 or greater, which can be a game-changer in matches that feature robust, durable creatures. To navigate around Collar the Culprit successfully, it’s essential to diversify your strategy.
One effective tactic is to focus on building a deck with a mix of creatures that have a toughness of 3 or less. This variety ensures that your gameplay isn’t severely disrupted if your opponent uses Collar the Culprit. Moreover, utilizing instant-speed spells that can either increase your creature’s toughness or reduce the opponent’s creature’s toughness in response to Collar the Culprit can be quite beneficial. This timely intervention can negate the spell’s effect, keeping your pivotal creature on the board and maintaining your battlefield presence.
Furthermore, consider including counter-spells in your deck to directly oppose removal spells like Collar the Culprit. Having the ability to counter a spell that targets your key creature can be a defining moment in the match. By being prepared for removal tactics, your deck will be more resilient and capable of outmaneuvering your adversary’s strategies.
Cards like Collar the Culprit
Collar the Culprit is an intriguing removal spell in Magic: The Gathering, bearing resemblance to a range of white creature removal cards. What makes it an interesting card is the specific requirement for targeting creatures with toughness 4 or greater. In comparison, the spell Luminous Bonds can be applied to any creature, regardless of its toughness, restricting it from attacking or blocking but doesn’t remove it outright from the game.
Effects like Pacifism are also worth mentioning, which similarly neutralizes any creature without conditions on its toughness. They provide a comparable outcome in terms of mitigating threats but fall short of permanently dealing with high-toughness creatures. Conversely, Swords to Plowshares excels by exiling creatures with no toughness restrictions, yet it gives the opponent life, a downside absent in Collar the Culprit.
Assessing white removal spells, Collar the Culprit holds its ground by dealing decisively with larger threats, thus carving its niche in Magic: The Gathering. Its situational use is balanced by its ability to eliminate key creatures without compensatory drawbacks for the opponent.
Cards similar to Collar the Culprit by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Collar the Culprit MTG card by a specific set like Guilds of Ravnica and Mystery Booster, 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 Collar the Culprit 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 MTG Products
Printings
The Collar the Culprit Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2018-10-05 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Victor Adame Minguez.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-10-05 | Guilds of Ravnica | GRN | 5 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Victor Adame Minguez | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 59 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Victor Adame Minguez | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | GRN-5 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Victor Adame Minguez |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Collar the Culprit has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
