Unified Strike MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2002-10-07
Set symbol
Set name	Onslaught
Set code	ONS
Number	58
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Dave Dorman

Key Takeaways

Unified Strike provides dual-creature threat removal at instant speed for dynamic and responsive play.
It requires careful hand management due to the discard trade-off and restrictive mana cost.
Despite its limitations, its versatility and meta-relevance make it a valuable addition to any deck.

Text of card

Remove target attacking creature from the game if its power is less than or equal to the number of Soldiers in play.

The tall, reedy grass of the Daru Plains rustles loudly in the winds, a perfect cover for any ambush.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Unified Strike grants an edge by potentially removing two creatures from the battlefield, depleting an opponent’s resources while maintaining your board presence.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting mana resources, the efficient mana cost of Unified Strike ensures you can deploy other threats or answers alongside it, effectively accelerating your game plan.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Unified Strike at instant speed allows for strategic play, enabling you to respond to threats on the fly or completely disrupt an opponent’s combat phase.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Leveraging Unified Strike requires parting with another card from your hand. This trade-off may not always be in your favor, especially when your options are limited, leading to a potential deficit in your hand size or loss of critical plays.

Specific Mana Cost: With its color-specific mana requirement, Unified Strike demands white mana, which might not always align with your deck’s mana base. This can challenge deck diversity and force players into more rigid mana structures to accommodate such spells.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The efficiency of Unified Strike is measured against mana spent for the impact it provides. Other cards available at similar or lower mana costs may present a greater threat or more robust defense, which puts this card at a disadvantage when deckbuilding with mana efficiency in mind.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Unified Strike slides seamlessly into a broad range of decks, serving as an efficient removal tool. With its capability to target both creatures and planeswalkers, it can be a game-changer regardless of the opposing deck’s composition.

Combo Potential: It particularly shines in decks that capitalize on spell-slinging synergies. Casting Unified Strike can contribute to triggering prowess or magecraft abilities, amplifying the potential for devastating combo plays.

Meta-Relevance: Given the high pace of competitive play, having removal options that can keep up with various threats is essential. In environments where creatures and planeswalkers are key to opponents’ strategies, Unified Strike offers timely and flexible answers, maintaining its relevance across different metagames.

How to beat

Unified Strike is a distinctive tool in the arsenal of spells for Magic: The Gathering players. It’s a tactical spell that can definitively remove a creature that’s attacking or blocking. A head-to-head comparison would place it alongside other removal spells such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, which are both known for their efficiency. However, these alternatives do not carry the same condition of targeting only attackers or blockers.

When facing Unified Strike, it’s essential to understand its limitations. Unlike unconditional removals like Fatal Push or Doom Blade, Unified Strike can’t affect creatures that stay back to fortify a player’s defenses. This offers a strategic insight: by holding back key creatures or by employing non-combat tactics such as burn spells or abilities, players can effectively navigate around Unified Strike’s narrow focus. Additionally, creatures with hexproof or shroud are inherently out of Unified Strike’s reach, rendering them powerful assets against decks relying on this reactive spell.

Summing up, outmaneuvering Unified Strike requires a thoughtful approach to combat and the use of creatures’ abilities outside of battle. Diversifying threats and carefully selecting when to press the attack can ensure your key creatures survive and maintain your momentum on the board.

Cards like Unified Strike

Unified Strike enters a broad array of creature control spells within Magic: The Gathering. It’s relatively analogous to Swords to Plowshares, a classic, low-cost spell that exiles a creature at the mere cost of its controller gaining life equal to the creature’s power. Unified Strike, however, has a noteworthy requirement – it can only target a creature that has already damaged you this turn. This conditional use is a significant departure from the more flexible Swords to Plowshares.

In this context, Condemn is also worth mentioning. Condemn provides a similar reactive defense mechanism, shuffling the attacking creature into its owner’s library instead of offering straight exile. This can be favorable in circumventing death-triggered abilities, but doesn’t fully remove the threat as Unified Strike does. Sunlance is another comparable spell but limits its targeting to nonwhite creatures and deals damage rather than exiling.

Each spell comes with its own strategic implications, shaping deck build decisions. Despite its conditional trigger, Unified Strike’s ability to exile at a low cost makes it a compelling choice for players facing aggressive strategies, emphasizing its role in the meta where such timely interaction can turn the tides of a match.

Swords to Plowshares - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Unified Strike by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Unified Strike MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught, 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 Unified Strike and other MTG cards: