Riveteers Decoy MTG Card

Riveteers Decoy aids in gaining card advantage by unsettling opponent defenses and enabling attacks. Instant speed activation provides significant tactical flexibility during combat phases. Despite its power, the discard requirement and specific mana costs may hinder card’s optimal play.

Riveteers Decoy - Streets of New Capenna

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Warrior
Abilities	Blitz
Released	2022-04-29
Set symbol
Set name	Streets of New Capenna
Set code	SNC
Power	3
Toughness	1
Number	156
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Inka Schulz

Text of card

Riveteers Decoy must be blocked if able. Blitz (If you cast this spell for its blitz cost, it gains haste and "When this creature dies, draw a card." Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.)

He keeps the heat off his allies—by drawing it all to himself.

Cards like Riveteers Decoy

Riveteers Decoy is an intriguing creature card that offers strategic advantages in player decks within Magic: The Gathering. It has similarities with other creature cards that provide utility beyond mere combat presence. Goblin Diplomats, for example, also forces opponent creatures to attack if able. Where Riveteers Decoy stands out is its additional ability to block an additional creature, offering a valuable defensive tactic during opponents’ turns.

Cards like Goblin Heelcutter echo a resemblance in disrupting opponents’ defenses by preventing a creature from blocking for a turn. However, Riveteers Decoy brings a repeatable effect at the cost of discarding a card, adding depth to gameplay decisions. Then there’s Taunting Elf, which many veterans will remember; it forces all creatures to block it if able, making room for unimpeded attacks. Despite its frailty compared to Riveteers Decoy, the Elf serves a similar function in clearing a path for attackers.

In essence, Riveteers Decoy contributes unique dynamics to matches, akin to its counterparts, and offers synergies in decks focused on combat manipulation and forcing opponent reactions. By evaluating its blend of offensive and defensive capabilities, Riveteers Decoy finds a distinctive place among MTG creature cards that influence battlefield strategy.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Riveteers Decoy excels at disrupting your opponent’s board while allowing you to pave the way for an efficient attack, potentially leading to card advantage as you dwindle down your opponent’s resources.

Resource Acceleration: This versatile card serves a dual purpose. It can speed up your resource availability by demanding an opponent’s creature block it, potentially freeing up the rest of your attacking creatures to connect with your opponent, due to lessened defenses.

Instant Speed: The ability to activate Riveteers Decoy at instant speed provides tactical advantages, giving you the flexibility to decide the outcome of combat on your terms. This directly influences the pacing of the game, allowing for calculated and favorable trades or to simply throw your opponent off-balance when they least expect it.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Riveteers Decoy demands that players discard a card to activate its ability, which could backfire when hand size is critical for maintaining gameplay options.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that includes red and black, this creature card can be restrictive for decks not tailored to this color combination, thereby limiting its versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost of deploying Riveteers Decoy is quite steep compared to other creatures in the game. This could lead to inefficiencies, especially when faced with lower-cost creatures offering similar or better utility.

Reasons to Include Riveteers Decoy in Your Collection

Versatility: Riveteers Decoy stands out as a flexible addition to any deck that leverages its tap-down ability. With the potential to disrupt your opponent’s board and swing matches in your favor, it’s a tactical card that works well in a variety of circumstances.

Combo Potential: This card has the inherent ability to create beneficial interactions within your deck. By using its tap-down effect, you can seamlessly set up combos, clear a path for your attackers, or simply keep potential blockers at bay, optimizing your strategy at every turn.

Meta-Relevance: In an ever-shifting meta, adapting to dominant deck types is crucial. Riveteers Decoy offers a certain edge against creature-heavy strategies that can stabilize your position and put pressure on your adversaries, making it an apt choice for current gameplay environments.

How to beat

Riveteers Decoy is a card that presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. This resourceful agent can create openings for significant attacks, nudging would-be blockers out of the way. The key to overcoming this tactic lies in maintaining a robust defense or having instant speed removal to respond to its conniving call to action.

Consider employing counterspells or instant removal options such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile before the Decoy’s ability is activated. If you’re after a more preventive approach, cards like Tocatli Honor Guard disrupt abilities triggered upon entering the battlefield, providing a preemptive safeguard. Moreover, enchantments like Pacifism can disable the Decoy without expending removal spells.

In summation, while Riveteers Decoy might disrupt your defenses, strategic use of removals and counters can ensure your lines remain unbroken. Keep a sharp eye and a sharper wit ready to nullify this adversary’s influence on the game’s tide. Savvy players will anticipate and prepare for such tactics, thereby keeping the upper hand against Riveteers Decoy.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Riveteers Decoy MTG card by a specific set like Streets of New Capenna, 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 Riveteers Decoy and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Riveteers Decoy has restrictions

Format	Legality
Standard	Legal
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Future	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2022-04-29	If a creature enters the battlefield as a copy of or becomes a copy of a creature whose blitz cost was paid, the copy won't have haste, won't be sacrificed, and its controller won't draw a card when it dies.
2022-04-29	If you choose to pay the blitz cost rather than the mana cost, you're still casting the spell. It goes on the stack and can be responded to and countered. You can cast a creature spell for its blitz cost only if you could cast that creature spell. Most of the time, this means during your main phase when the stack is empty.
2022-04-29	If you pay the blitz cost to cast a creature spell, that permanent will be sacrificed only if it's still on the battlefield when that triggered ability resolves. If it dies or goes to another zone before then, it will stay where it is.
2022-04-29	The triggered ability that lets its controller draw a card triggers when it dies for any reason, not just when you sacrifice it during the end step.
2022-04-29	You don't have to attack with the creature with blitz unless another ability says you do.