Bomb Squad MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Dwarf |
| Released | 2001-10-01 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Odyssey |
| Set code | ODY |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 179 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Greg Hildebrandt & Tim Hildebrandt |
Key Takeaways
- Bomb Squad’s gradual creature removal provides strategic depth and board control possibilities.
- Considerations like mana cost and deck synergy are crucial when incorporating Bomb Squad.
- In the right meta, Bomb Squad can be a potent sideboard addition or even a main deck card.
Text of card
oc T: Put a fuse counter on target creature. At the beginning of your upkeep, put a fuse counter on each creature with a fuse counter on it. Whenever a creature has four or more fuse counters on it, remove all fuse counters from it and destroy it. That creature deals 4 damage to its controller.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Bomb Squad has the potential to tip the scales in a drawn-out match by eliminating key creatures over time. This slow but steady trundle towards card advantage can pressure your opponent to find an answer or watch their board presence dwindle.
Resource Acceleration: Although Bomb Squad doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it offers a unique form of mana investment. By spending mana upfront to place fuse counters, you can manage resources efficiently and plan for future turns, potentially removing multiple threats with a single card over the lifespan of the game.
Instant Speed: While Bomb Squad’s ability operates at sorcery speed, its impact is felt like an imminent threat that must be accounted for at all times. This continuous pressure can dictate the pace of the game, forcing your opponent to play around its activation and expend resources at less than favorable moments.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Bomb Squad demands a consistent stream of creatures to tap that not all decks can sustain, potentially taxing your board presence and resources.
Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that includes double red, Bomb Squad can be challenging to cast in multicolored decks, particularly if red isn’t a primary color.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a four mana cost that is exclusively red, there are alternative removal options that may be more mana-efficient or offer immediate results without the need for a buildup of time counters.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Bomb Squad fits a niche role in decks that focus on manipulating counters or dealing damage over time. Its ability to place fuse counters on creatures across the battlefield allows for a flexible response to various threats.
Combo Potential: With the capability to consistently put fuse counters on creatures, Bomb Squad can synergize with strategies that involve counter manipulation or with cards that benefit from destroying creatures, such as those triggering on death effects.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-heavy strategies are prevalent, Bomb Squad’s deterrent effect can be a game-changer. Its potential for board control makes it a card to consider for sideboards or main decks to counter specific metas.
How to beat
Bomb Squad is an intriguing utility card that places fuse counters on creatures and has the potential to systematically dismantle an opponent’s board presence over time. To effectively defeat this strategy, it is important to disrupt the counter accumulation or hasten your game plan before your creatures are decimated.
One effective tactic is to utilize instant-speed removal on Bomb Squad itself. Cards like Disenchant or Naturalize can dismantle the Bomb Squad before it activates. Alternatively, employing hexproof or shroud on your important creatures can protect them from being targeted. Moreover, countering Bomb Squad when it’s being cast is also a viable strategy. Ensuring you have counter spells like Negate or Mana Leak in your deck can prevent it from ever hitting the board.
Speed is another ally. Bomb Squad takes time to rev up its destructive power. Aggressive decks can capitalize on that by pushing for swift damage, presenting a clock that is faster than Bomb Squad’s ability to interact. The key is to maintain pressure while keeping an eye on counterplay that directly interferes with your opponent’s long-game tactics.
Cards like Bomb Squad
Bomb Squad slots into the MTG realm of creature control, much like its cousins Goblin Sharpshooter and Cunning Sparkmage. Each comes with the ability to chip away at your opponents’ creatures, though the methods differ slightly. Bomb Squad’s unique tactic lies in placing fuse counters on creatures, leading to a delayed yet explosive removal, promising to dismantle more robust threats given enough time.
Conversely, Goblin Sharpshooter doesn’t wait for a fuse to blow; it can pick off weaker creatures immediately, making it a more direct, albeit less powerful, approach. Cunning Sparkmage shares this immediacy, pinging creatures or players the moment it comes into play. Yet, it lacks the cumulative destructive potential Bomb Squad offers.
While not as swift as its counterparts, Bomb Squad provides a relentless ticking clock that can monopolize an opponent’s strategy, especially when faced with indestructible creatures. It’s this strategic depth and scaling impact that set Bomb Squad apart within the MTG arsenal of creature control cards.
Cards similar to Bomb Squad by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Bomb Squad MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey, 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 Bomb Squad 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Bomb Squad has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Bomb Squad card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | If the creature regenerates, the fuse counters are still removed and the four damage is still dealt. |
| 2004-10-04 | If there are two Bomb Squads on the battlefield when a creature ends up with 4 or more fuse counters, both Bomb Squad abilities will trigger causing 4 damage each even though the first to resolve will destroy the creature. |
