Final Strike MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery
Released	1997-05-01
Set symbol
Set name	Portal
Set code	POR
Number	94
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	John Coulthart

Key Takeaways

Final Strike turns creatures’ power into devastating direct damage, perfect for closing games quickly.
Requiring both black and red mana, Final Strike demands specific deck construction for optimal use.
Despite its power, the card disadvantage and high mana cost can deter its inclusion in some decks.

Text of card

Choose one of your creatures. Final Strike deals to your opponent damage equal to that creature's offense. Then, put the creature in your discard pile.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Final Strike provides a decisive edge when you’re looking to finish off an opponent, converting the far-reaching power of creatures packed with strength into direct damage.

Resource Acceleration: While Final Strike doesn’t offer traditional resource acceleration, it effectively accelerates the game to a conclusion by using existing resources—namely your creature’s power—as a resource for damage.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Final Strike at instant speed offers flexibility, allowing you to wait for the most opportune moment during the battle to deliver an unexpected blow that could very well be the last your opponent feels.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside of the Final Strike card is that it necessitates discarding a card, which can be a strategic setback when your hand is already running thin. Losing an additional card might mean relinquishing a critical play or resource.

Specific Mana Cost: This particular card requires both black and red mana for its activation, making it a less flexible option for decks that don’t consistently generate both types of mana. As such, it can be a challenging fit in multicolored decks that aren’t specifically tailored to accommodate its cost.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment needed to cast Final Strike is significant when compared to other options in the game. For the same mana cost, players may be able to find alternative spells that provide immediate impact on the board state without the additional drawback of card loss.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Final Strike offers flexibility as a game-ending card in various deck builds, fitting neatly into strategies centered around dealing decisive damage.

Combo Potential: This card can work seamlessly with creatures that have high power, double strike, or other damage amplification abilities, creating surprising win conditions.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based combat is prevalent, Final Strike serves as a robust response, allowing players to turn the tide and capitalize on an opponent’s aggressive board state.

How to beat

Final Strike is a potentially devastating card in MTG, capable of leveraging a creature’s power to deal direct damage to an opponent. To counter this, maintaining a strategy that minimizes the power of your opponent’s creatures is key. This can be achieved through cards that consistently control the board, like targeted removals or board wipes. Cards such as Path to Exile or Wrath of God can disrupt the strategy reliant on Final Strike by eliminating creatures before they can become a significant threat. Additionally, counterspells like Negate or Dovin’s Veto can prevent Final Strike and similar game-ending spells from ever resolving.

It’s also wise to limit the number of creatures your opponent controls. Fewer creatures mean fewer targets for Final Strike and a reduced risk of surprise losses from high-power creatures. Utilizing instant-speed interaction allows you to wait until your opponent commits to casting Final Strike before removing the targeted creature, thereby wasting their card and mana investment. Life gain strategies and having a healthy life total can also diminish the impact of a single Final Strike, as it creates a buffer that can absorb the hit and give you more time to stabilize your board and mount a comeback.

Ultimately, Final Strike requires specific conditions to be effective. By managing the board state and keeping a close eye on your life total, you can mitigate the risks posed by this powerful MTG card.

Cards like Final Strike

Final Strike stands out in the realm of decisive damage-dealing spells in Magic: The Gathering. It can be paralleled to other finishing moves like Fling, which similarly capitalizes on sacrificing a creature to deal damage to any target. Yet, Final Strike diverges by dealing damage equal to the sacrificed creature’s power to the creature’s controller instead, giving it a unique twist in redirection of damage.

In the same category, we find Rite of Consumption, another spell that permits sacrificing a creature for a strong effect. While Rite of Consumption also deals damage to an opponent, it offers the life gain benefit, which can be a vital swing in a tight match. Unlike Final Strike, the lifegain connects defensive and offensive tactics together. Then, there’s Essence Harvest, which presents a non-sacrificial approach but still relies on a creature’s power to deal damage and offers lifegain as well.

Assessing the nuances of MTG’s creature-based damage spells, Final Strike presents an intriguing option for players looking to turn their creature’s power against their owner as a surprise element or a game-ending maneuver.

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

Terisiare's Devastation - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

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

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Final Strike has restrictions

Format	Legality
Predh	Legal
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2013-04-15	Players can only respond once this spell has been cast and all its costs have been paid. No one can try to destroy the creature you sacrificed to prevent you from casting this spell.
2013-04-15	You must sacrifice exactly one creature to cast this spell; you cannot cast it without sacrificing a creature, and you cannot sacrifice additional creatures.