Steam Catapult MTG Card
1998-06-24 - Number 22
2011-01-10 - Number 29
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Human Soldier |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Steam Catapult leverages card advantage by efficiently managing opponent’s creatures without sacrificing one’s own.
- The card’s activation operates at virtual instant speed, enabling strategic responses to your opponent’s actions.
- While providing board control benefits, it requires a card discard, which can affect hand advantage.
Text of card
On your turn, before you attack, you may tap Steam Catapult to destroy any one tapped creature.
"You idiots! Turn it around! Turn it around!"
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Steam Catapult delivers a strategic edge by removing key creatures from your opponent’s battlefield, effectively diminishing their resources while maintaining your own board presence.
Resource Acceleration: By controlling a card that can potentially eliminate a threat each turn, it helps you preserve the mana and cards that might otherwise be spent on removal spells. This in turn accelerates your ability to deploy more significant threats or answers.
Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, Steam Catapult provides the advantage of acting at a speed akin to instant due to its ability to be activated at any time you could cast an instant, giving you the flexibility to respond to your opponent’s moves during their turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Steam Catapult’s activation not only demands a specific board state but also comes with the drawback of discarding a card. This condition can deplete your hand, making it challenging to maintain card advantage over your opponent.
Specific Mana Cost: Including Steam Catapult in your deck requires a commitment to both white mana and a sufficient mana base to consistently cast it. This necessity could complicate your deck’s mana curve and reduce its flexibility in responding to various game states.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its targeted creature destruction ability, Steam Catapult’s cost to activate may seem excessive when compared to other removal options available. More efficient alternatives might free up mana for additional plays, thus maximizing your turn’s potential.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Steam Catapult offers a flexible removal option in decks focusing on creature control. With the ability to pick off smaller creatures each turn, it serves as a continual threat to opponents’ strategies.
Combo Potential: This card works well with strategies that untap permanents, allowing you to use its ability multiple times in a cycle. It can also be a part of a tap-and-untap combo engine, enhancing its utility.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based aggro decks are prevalent, Steam Catapult can maintain board control for slower, more control-oriented plays. It’s an asset in keeping pace with the constantly evolving MTG battlefield dynamics.
How to beat
The Steam Catapult card presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. Its ability to tap and destroy target tapped creature makes it an efficient removal tool that can change the tide of the game. Overcoming this card can be crucial to maintaining a strong presence on the board.
One strategic approach is to play creatures with hexproof or shroud, which would be impervious to the Steam Catapult’s targeted ability. Similarly, leveraging creatures that can’t be destroyed, such as those with indestructible, will nullify the Catapult’s effect. Another method is to keep your most valuable creatures untapped whenever possible unless you’re sure the coast is clear.
Disruption spells that force your opponent to sacrifice the Steam Catapult, or direct artifact destruction spells, are key as well. Such spells can preemptively eliminate the Catapult before it becomes a threat. In addition, using instant-speed spells and abilities that can untap your creatures in response to the Catapult’s ability can save them from destruction and leave your opponent’s defenses open.
Cards like Steam Catapult
Steam Catapult stands out in the realm of creature control within Magic: The Gathering. Looking closely at cards of the same ilk, we can find Royal Assassin as a functional parallel, both aiming to destroy tapped creatures. The Royal Assassin, however, edges out with its ability to be activated at instant speed and without a monetary cost, though it trades off the Catapult’s higher toughness.
Alternatively, examining the Ballista Squad reveals parallels in the mana-for-effect relationship, where more mana investment means more potential impact on the board. Unlike the Catapult, the Squad deals damage instead of outright destruction, offering more flexibility against creatures with specific destruction protections.
Taking these comparisons into account, Steam Catapult has its place in a strategy seeking to capitalize on the destruction of tapped creatures. While not as flexible as some alternatives, its straightforward destruction mechanic can be a definitive answer to particular threats on the battlefield.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Steam Catapult MTG card by a specific set like Portal Second Age and Masters Edition IV, 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 Steam Catapult 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 Magic products
Printings
The Steam Catapult Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1998-06-24 and 2011-01-10. Illustrated by Mark Tedin.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1998-06-24 | Portal Second Age | P02 | 22 | 1997 | normal | black | Mark Tedin | |
| 2 | 2011-01-10 | Masters Edition IV | ME4 | 29 | 1997 | normal | black | Mark Tedin |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Steam Catapult 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 Steam Catapult card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-09-20 | If a turn has multiple combat phases, the ability can only be activated before the beginning of the declare attackers step of the first combat phase in that turn. |
