Stronghold Zeppelin MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human
Abilities	Flying
Released	2000-02-14
Set symbol
Set name	Nemesis
Set code	NEM
Power	3
Toughness	3
Number	47
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Arnie Swekel

Key Takeaways

Stronghold Zeppelin enhances decks by reusing creatures with impactful abilities, boosting card advantage.
Instant-speed activation allows strategic plays, making this card a versatile tool in games.
Despite its higher mana cost, its benefits can justify its inclusion, enriching versatile strategies.

Text of card

Flying Stronghold Zeppelin can block only creatures with flying.

As long as the stronghold controlled the sky, the rebels were doomed.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Stronghold Zeppelin can potentially offer card advantage by enabling you to reuse creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects. This tandem can help sustain a steady flow of benefits each time the Zeppelin becomes blocked.

Resource Acceleration: By allowing you to effectively ‘reset’ a creature for further use, the Stronghold Zeppelin indirectly contributes to resource acceleration. Each reactivation is an opportunity to maximize the use of the creatures you have on board, which in a way, ramps up your available resources without additional cost.

Instant Speed: The ability of the Stronghold Zeppelin to return a creature to its owner’s hand can be activated at instant speed. This allows for strategic retreats and re-deployments in response to your opponent’s actions—ultimately providing an edge by utilizing timing to your advantage.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The need to discard a card can be detrimental, particularly when hand size is already depleted. This requirement can put you at a card disadvantage, making it challenging to maintain momentum against opponents who may not be facing the same limitation.

Specific Mana Cost: Stronghold Zeppelin commands a specific mana investment. The deck construction must account for this, potentially restricting the variety of decks that can accommodate it. If your mana base is not tailored to this cost, you might find yourself unable to deploy it when needed most.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Stronghold Zeppelin brings certain benefits to the battlefield, its mana cost is on the higher side when compared to other options available within the game. Players may find that the cost doesn’t align with the pace they intend for their deck, or that there are alternative cards that provide similar benefits without the hefty mana investment.

Reasons to Include Stronghold Zeppelin in Your Collection

Versatility: The Stronghold Zeppelin has the capability to fit harmoniously into a variety of deck builds, particularly those that value flight and the evasion of blockers. Its ability to remain untapped can also lead to strategic, unpredictable moves during gameplay.

Combo Potential: This card easily integrates with strategies aiming to capitalize on untapped creatures, enhancing combos that synergize with abilities that refer to the state of being tapped or untapped.

Meta-Relevance: With aerial threats being a consistency in current competitive play, the Stronghold Zeppelin offers a reliable addition to decks looking to break through defenses or defend against other flying creatures, keeping your board state versatile and reactive to the ever-changing meta.

How to beat

Stronghold Zeppelin presents an interesting challenge in MTG with its evasion ability, making it a slippery target on the battlefield. To effectively counter this crafty card, it’s crucial to utilize removal spells that don’t rely on targeting, such as board wipes. Cards like Wrath of God or Damnation can clear the field, including the untargetable Stronghold Zeppelin. Alternatively, forcing your opponent to sacrifice creatures can work around its evasion – think Diabolic Edict or Liliana of the Veil.

Another strategy is to overpower the Zeppelin. Deploy creatures with reach or flying to guard the skies. Cards such as Silklash Spider or Windstorm can deter or eliminate aerial threats, ensuring the Zeppelin’s impact is minimized. In decks that lack direct removal, consider using enchantments like Gravity Well or artifacts like Spiderweb Net to neutralize its flying advantage, grounding the Zeppelin for easy elimination.

Though Stronghold Zeppelin can indeed pose a persistent threat, these strategies offer several pathways to dealing with it efficiently. Understanding its strengths and weaknesses will help you keep the skies clear and maintain control of the game.

Cards like Stronghold Zeppelin

Stronghold Zeppelin carves out a unique role in the Magic: The Gathering sky-themed arsenal. It bears some resemblance to flying creatures like Snapping Drake, which also comes with a straightforward air attack for four mana. Yet, Stronghold Zeppelin stands out with its potential for unblockability when playing against a deck with nonbasic lands. Unlike Snapping Drake, that ability offers strategic advantages in multi-colored formats where nonbasic lands are prevalent.

Looking at Skyship Stalker, another flyer, we notice that it offers more versatility with varied abilities, including firebreathing and gaining first strike. While it shares the flying trait with Stronghold Zeppelin, it demands a larger mana investment for those additional perks. Additionally, Stormchaser Chimera introduces a scry and potential power boost based on spells, diverging from Stronghold Zeppelin’s focus on evasion. Both show distinct approaches to leveraging the flying trait.

Assessing them side by side, Stronghold Zeppelin presents itself as a reliable choice for evasion-centric strategies, especially useful in environments rich with nonbasic lands. It balances the scale between cost and tactical adaptability, marking its spot in the aerial warfare of Magic: The Gathering.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Stronghold Zeppelin MTG card by a specific set like Nemesis, 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 Stronghold Zeppelin and other MTG cards: