School of Piranha MTG Card

Gives players card advantage, ensuring a selection of strategies to counter opponents effectively. Accelerates mana resources, allowing the deployment of significant threats or activation of abilities earlier. Offers instant speed interactions, enhancing flexibility and control over the game’s pace.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Fish
Released	1998-06-15
Set symbol
Set name	Exodus
Set code	EXO
Power	3
Toughness	3
Number	45
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Daren Bader

Text of card

During your upkeep, pay o1o U or sacrifice School of Piranha.

Some schools aren't worth getting into.

Cards like School of Piranha

School of Piranha enters the myriad world of creature-based strategies in Magic: The Gathering, presenting similarities with other fishy counterparts. Comparable to Silvergill Adept, School of Piranha, while lacking the Merfolk synergy, stands out with its potential for mass creature presence. Silvergill Adept prides itself on its merfolk-centric card draw, a facet where our Piranha school does not tread water.

Moving along the current, we encounter Zada, Hedron Grinder, which also amplifies the strength of a swarm of creatures. Although Zada shines in a spell-heavy environment by copying targeted spells for each creature you control, the Piranhas are independent, relying on sheer numbers to overwhelm opponents rather than synergistic spellcasting.

To conclude, School of Piranha may swim in a crowded school of similar creature-based strategies, but it finds its own place in the ecosystem with its unique focus on creature quantity over quality or synergy, offering strategic depth to swarm-style decks within Magic: The Gathering.

Zada, Hedron Grinder - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to School of Piranha by color, type and mana cost

Soratami Cloudskater - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Diving into “School of Piranha,” you’ll find it to be an ace at providing card advantage. This magic card allows players to pull ahead by ensuring that they maintain a full grip of options, ready to outmaneuver the opponent’s strategies.

Resource Acceleration: It’s not just about drawing cards; this card also excels in propelling you forward with resource acceleration. By creating token creatures, it helps in ramping up your mana resources, allowing you to deploy bigger threats earlier in the game or activate key abilities when most needed.

Instant Speed: The ability to act at instant speed with “School of Piranha” is a tactical advantage not to be underestimated. It gives you the flexibility to respond to your opponent’s moves on the fly or end steps, keeping them guessing and you in control of the pace of the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the challenging aspects of the School of Piranha is the need to discard a card to activate certain abilities. This condition can put a strain on your hand, especially when resources are already running low. Discarding cards can cost you essential plays later in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: The School of Piranha card comes with a specific mana requirement that may not seamlessly fit into all deck archetypes. This particular mana cost can hinder the card’s versatility and restrict the variety of decks it can be effectively incorporated into.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment to get the most out of the School of Piranha card is non-negligible. When you consider the range of options available, this card’s cost may seem steep, especially for its specific return on investment in a competitive match where resources are precious and every turn counts.

Reasons to Include School of Piranha in Your Collection

Versatility: School of Piranha offers a unique angle of attack for any water-themed or token deck. Able to be splashed into various build types, this card adapts to strategies that capitalize on creature numbers or require defenses while setting up for a win.

Combo Potential: With School of Piranha, synergies with cards that benefit from the casting of creature spells or those that amplify the presence of tokens on the battlefield are not hard to craft. The spawned Fish tokens can also be a launching pad for sacrifice-based combos or engines that depend on creature count.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that leans towards aggro or tempo, having reliable blockers like the tokens from School of Piranha can be key to stalling opponents. Furthermore, this card can seamlessly integrate into existing meta decks that need to maintain board presence without investing heavily into single creatures.

How to beat

School of Piranha presents a unique challenge in Magic: The Gathering gameplay. This persistent card, known for its ability to amass a large group of attackers, can overwhelm opponents if not addressed quickly. To counter this aquatic menace, players need to develop a strategy that revolves around board control. The use of removal spells such as Wrath of God or Blasphemous Act can prove to be devastating against the School of Piranha’s strategy as it wipes the board clean of creatures, including all tokens generated by the card itself.

Another effective method is to employ spot removal before the School of Piranha tokens become too numerous. Spells like Doom Blade for black decks or Path to Exile for white decks can remove key creatures early on, restricting the opponent’s ability to capitalize on the School of Piranha’s multiplying effect. Additionally, having counterspells at the ready like Counterspell or Negate can stop the card from hitting the battlefield altogether – a preemptive move that protects your side of the board from an unmanageable swarm.

Tackling the School of Piranha requires a blend of proactivity and reactivity. Keeping the board clear and being ready to counteract the card’s deployment will ensure you maintain control and prevent your opponent from leveraging their numbers for an unwanted victory.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase School of Piranha MTG card by a specific set like Exodus, 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 School of Piranha and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where School of Piranha has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal