Viashino Racketeer MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Viashino Rogue
Released	2012-10-05
Set symbol
Set name	Return to Ravnica
Set code	RTR
Power	2
Toughness	1
Number	112
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Slawomir Maniak

Key Takeaways

Looting ability offers card advantage, propelling you forward in the resource game.
Optimizes hand contents, indirectly accelerating resource management and spell access.
Synergizes with instant-speed plays, complementing strategic MTG deck building.

Text of card

When Viashino Racketeer enters the battlefield, you may discard a card. If you do, draw a card.

"You may call me a fool, selling this stuff on Orzhov turf. Well, you need to be a little reckless to survive."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Viashino Racketeer ensures you remain ahead in the card resource battle by letting you loot upon entering the battlefield – that means drawing a card and then discarding one, effectively filtering your deck to get the cards you need sooner.

Resource Acceleration: This creature may not directly produce mana or tokens, but by enabling better card selection through looting, it accelerates your resource management. This can indirectly lead to faster access to vital spells and lands.

Instant Speed: While the Viashino Racketeer itself is a creature and not instant speed, it synergizes well with instant-speed spells by offering card filtering that can help draw into those instants. This optimization of hand contents at sorcery speed complements an instant-speed strategy.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When you cast Viashino Racketeer, you’re prompted to discard a card in order to draw a card. This presents a challenge if your hand is already depleted or if the cards you hold are vital to your game strategy, making the exchange less appealing.

Specific Mana Cost: Positioning itself as a red card, Viashino Racketeer demands a specific mana arrangement to play. This can be troublesome for multi-colored decks that might struggle with mana-fixing or for players who are momentarily mana-flooded or mana-screwed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that may be seen as steep for its abilities, there are other creatures or spells that cost less and provide better board presence or value. Players often look for lower cost cards that could fit the curve of their deck more efficiently than Viashino Racketeer.

Reasons to Include Viashino Racketeer in Your Collection

Versatility: Viashino Racketeer doesn’t just bring a body to the battlefield; its enter-the-battlefield ability allows you to cycle through your deck, making it a useful addition to any deck looking to fine-tune its hand and strategy on the fly.

Combo Potential: It interacts favorably with strategies that revolve around creatures entering or leaving the battlefield. Moreover, as a creature, it can be easily recurred from the graveyard, enabling various combo possibilities in decks that capitalize on such mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: Viashino Racketeer can find its place in metas that encourage incremental advantage. As the game continues to evolve, maintaining card quality can be the edge needed in tight matches, especially when facing control or grindy decks.

How to beat

Confronting the Viashino Racketeer in MTG requires a tactical approach. This particular creature can be tricky because of its card filtering ability, allowing a player to exchange a less useful card for the potential of something better. Understanding its mechanics is key to gaining the upper hand.

To counter this card effectively, consider using removal spells before its ability can be activated, disrupting the opponent’s plan to refine their hand. Additionally, you may want to employ instant-speed interaction to ensure that the Racketeer doesn’t provide your opponent with a card advantage during their turn. Board control strategies that limit the number of creatures your opponent can have in play will also keep the Racketeer from exploiting its full potential.

Finally, it’s essential to manage your resources efficiently. If Viashino Racketeer manages to activate its ability, ensure that you are making equally impactful plays with your cards to maintain or gain a lead. By staying one step ahead, you can mitigate the card’s impact and maintain control of the game.

Cards like Viashino Racketeer

Viashino Racketeer emerges as an interesting creature option in Magic: The Gathering for those looking to implement a loot effect in their deck. When delving into cards with similar functionalities, one cannot help but notice Looters like Merfolk Looter. This particular creature also allows a player to draw and then discard a card, yet it requires no additional mana to use its ability, unlike Viashino Racketeer which necessitates an activation cost.

Additionally, we have Rumaging Goblin at our disposal, a red counterpart that boasts a similar, yet consistent, ability to discard and draw cards. Although it shares the looting effect with Viashino Racketeer, it’s the Goblin’s lower casting cost that can accelerate the looting process earlier in the game. One also can’t overlook the impact of Blazing Rootwalla in this context. Despite the fact that it doesn’t provide card advantage, it offers looting through a discard trigger, plus the potential for a power boost.

To wrap it up, Viashino Racketeer may be overlooked in favor of other looters due to cost and efficiency, but it stands its ground as a viable choice for decks capitalizing on discard strategies and requiring bodies on the board, demonstrating the nuanced balance of options available to players in Magic: The Gathering.

Cards similar to Viashino Racketeer by color, type and mana cost

Hobgoblin Bandit Lord - MTG Card versions

Mannichi, the Fevered Dream - MTG Card versions

Balduvian Barbarians - MTG Card versions

Stinkdrinker Daredevil - MTG Card versions

Mudbutton Torchrunner - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Viashino Racketeer MTG card by a specific set like Return to Ravnica, 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 Viashino Racketeer and other MTG cards: