Sokenzan Renegade MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Ogre Samurai Mercenary |
| Abilities | Bushido |
| Released | 2005-06-03 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Saviors of Kamigawa |
| Set code | SOK |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 114 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Alan Pollack |
Key Takeaways
- Sokenzan Renegade provides card draw and tactical board presence, enhancing your strategic options in play.
- The card requires careful deck construction due to its mana demands and potential hand depletion risks.
- Its versatility and synergy potential make it a formidable card worthy of collection consideration.
Text of card
Bushido 1 (When this blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.) At the beginning of your upkeep, if a player has more cards in hand than any other, the player with the most cards in hand gains control of Sokenzan Renegade.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Sokenzan Renegade offers players the ability to replace itself in your hand when it deals combat damage to a player, ensuring that you’re able to maintain a balanced card economy during the match. This consistent draw mechanism can give you the upper hand, keeping the options available in your hand fresh and plentiful.
Resource Acceleration: Upon entering the battlefield, Sokenzan Renegade grants two boosts of mana in the form of Spirit tokens that can later be sacrificed. This not only provides immediate resource acceleration, which is crucial for outpacing your opponents but also enables synergies with strategies that benefit from token creation or sacrifice mechanics.
Instant Speed: While Sokenzan Renegade itself isn’t an instant, it synergizes well with instant speed spells. The dash ability allows you to wait until the perfect moment to introduce the Renegade into the fray, retaining mana flexibility and keeping opponents guessing. This tactical advantage lets you exploit the best timing to disrupt your opponent’s strategy while progressing your own game plan.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Sokenzan Renegade comes with a discard condition that could deplete your hand, making it a risky play if you’re already behind in the card advantage game.
Specific Mana Cost: This card’s demand for a strict red mana composition makes it less flexible, potentially clashing with multi-color strategies where a more diversified mana base is essential.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost to get Sokenzan Renegade on the field is substantial when weighed against other creatures in its casting range, which may yield greater impact or offer additional abilities with less stringent requirements.
Reasons to Include Sokenzan Renegade in Your Collection
Versatility: Sokenzan Renegade is an asset to decks that thrive on casting numerous spells or require creatures with haste. Its ability to enable both aggressive plays and act as a quick defense makes it a flexible card for various game situations.
Combo Potential: With the right setup, this card can become a key part of a winning strategy. Its potential to boost up quickly in power makes it a fearsome ally when combined with spells that benefit from high-powered creatures on the field.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where aggression and speed are king, Sokenzan Renegade fits right in. Its quick pace and immediate impact on gameplay help players to stay ahead in fast-paced matches, making it a relevant choice in many competitive scenes.
How to beat
Sokenzan Renegade arrives on the battlefield setting a brisk pace for red decks in the arena of MTG. An integral part of its strength lies in its modified ability, where it gains power as you control more artifacts. To effectively challenge this nimble combatant, prioritizing the removal of artifacts becomes a strategic must. Cards that offer artifact destruction, such as Abrade or Shatterstorm, can drastically reduce the Renegade’s threat level and clip its wings before it soars out of control.
Controlling the board state is another viable tactic. Ensuring you maintain removal spells or creatures that can block and survive or trade with Sokenzan Renegade puts you at an advantage. Prioritize maintaining board presence to deter its attacks. Moreover, utilizing instant-speed removal allows you to respond to the Renegade’s modified trigger, mitigating potential damage and maintaining pressure on your opponent.
Utilizing these strategies can help to neutralize Sokenzan Renegade, ensuring that your opponent’s red deck doesn’t overrun you with its swift and potent attacks, keeping your gameplay steady and resolute against such aggressive strategies in MTG.
Cards like Sokenzan Renegade
Sokenzan Renegade is a compelling addition to the Magic: The Gathering roster, offering players a unique blend of aggression and resourcefulness. It shares similarities with other red creatures, such as Rakdos Cackler. Both cards are designed to hit the battlefield fast, with the Cackler also presenting a quick threat. Sokenzan Renegade, though, brings a nuanced advantage by potentially equipping a Samurai or Warrior you control when it enters the battlefield.
Taking a different angle, we see Aether Chaser, another two-mana creature with an aggressive stance. While the Chaser generates energy and utilizes it to create Servo tokens, Sokenzan Renegade takes a more direct approach to enhance your combat capabilities. What’s more, the Renegade’s capacity to upgrade another creature’s equipment can change the course of a game, a strategic edge that Aether Chaser does not provide.
To sum up, Sokenzan Renegade doesn’t simply establish early board presence; it also offers tactical depth to creature-based decks. In the context of two-drop creatures, Sokenzan Renegade stands out for its pronounced synergetic potential, particularly in decks designed to maximize the prowess of Samurai and Warriors.
Cards similar to Sokenzan Renegade by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Sokenzan Renegade MTG card by a specific set like Saviors of Kamigawa, 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 Sokenzan Renegade 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 MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Sokenzan Renegade has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sokenzan Renegade card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2005-06-01 | If multiple players are tied for the most cards in hand, either when Sokenzan Renegade’s ability triggers or as it resolves, the ability does nothing. |
