Repel Intruders MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant
Released	2008-05-02
Set symbol
Set name	Shadowmoor
Set code	SHM
Number	147
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Trevor Hairsine

Key Takeaways

Repel Intruders enables card advantage while simultaneously advancing your board state with token generation.
The card demands strategic hand management and can restrict deck-building due to specific mana requirements.
It’s a versatile tool, fitting into multiple strategies, and remains relevant in creature-centric metagames.

Text of card

Put two 1/1 white Kithkin Soldier creature tokens into play if was spent to play Repel Intruders. Counter up to one target creature spell if was spent to play Repel Intruders. (Do both if was spent.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Repel Intruders is strategically crafted to flip the momentum of the game in your favor. When you play this card, you’re not just stopping a single threat; you’re setting up potential for future plays. Block an attacker and get a creature on board. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone, keeping your hand full and the battlefield under control.

Resource Acceleration: This card doesn’t just halt an offensive. It plants the seeds for your own. With every successful defense, Repel Intruders fuels your resources. Each spirit token created is another unit for defense or aggression, bolstering your presence and possibilities on the battlefield with each turn.

Instant Speed: The true power of Repel Intruders comes alive at instant speed. With the flexibility to launch a surprise counter during your opponent’s turn, you can efficiently manage your mana and keep your options open. It’s the perfect ambush, ensuring you’re always a step ahead and poised to capitalize on any slip-up from the other side of the table.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Repel Intruders asks you to part with another card from your hand which can be costly. In situations where your hand is already depleted, triggering this card’s ability may be more harmful than beneficial, hindering your ability to maintain card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires two blue mana to play, which can be restrictive for multi-color decks that may not consistently have the necessary blue mana available when needed. This demand for blue mana can make it challenging to seamlessly fit Repel Intruders into a diverse mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of four mana, this card is on the pricier side for its effect. In a game where tempo can be pivotal, spending four mana for its specific return and token generation effect may not be the most mana-efficient play, especially when there are alternative spells that could provide more immediate impact on the board state for the same or less investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Repel Intruders offers flexible reactions to opposing threats, efficiently fitting into sideboards or main decks that seek ways to disrupt opponents’ strategies.

Combo Potential: This card works well with decks that capitalize on spell synergies and counterplay, potentially facilitating powerful combinations with cards that reward casting instant spells or controlling the board.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capability to counteract creature-heavy decks or token strategies, Repel Intruders remains a relevant inclusion, aligning well with shifts in the competitive landscape that favor creature-based tactics.

How to beat

Repel Intruders is a unique spell in the realm of MTG that can turn the tide of battle by providing both a countermeasure against creatures and a way to satiate the spell’s alternate cost. The card allows players to stave off attacks by creating two 1/1 white Kithkin Soldier creature tokens, which can be particularly disruptive for opponents who rely on creature dominance to secure victory.

Devising a strategy to overcome Repel Intruders involves focusing on spells that can preemptively remove potential threats or employing abilities that benefit from the opponent casting spells, such as prowess. It’s also effective to use cards that grant your creatures unblockable abilities, thereby bypassing the newly created tokens altogether. Utilizing instant-speed removal can also be pivotal, removing the soldiers before they can affect combat outcomes. Another angle is to embrace strategies that are less reliant on creatures to achieve victory, such as those revolving around direct damage or mill tactics, thus reducing the effectiveness of Repel Intruders in your matches.

When engaging in matchups that include Repel Intruders, attuning your deck and game plan accordingly is key. The flexibility in strategies and the variety of cards available in MTG ensure that players can adapt and showcase their prowess, even when facing off against the tactical defenses this card provides.

Cards like Repel Intruders

Repel Intruders stands out in Magic: The Gathering as an intriguing defensive instant. This card parallels with other defensive spells like Negate or Essence Scatter in its ability to interfere with an opponent’s strategy. Though it can’t counter non-creature spells like Negate or target specific creature spells like Essence Scatter, Repel Intruders compensates by offering versatility. It allows players to counter a spell that targets multiple things, or can create two 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens, providing a means to either interrupt complex strategies or fortify one’s defense on the fly.

Another card that shares some similarities is Raise the Alarm. It delivers an instant creation of two 1/1 tokens, yet lacks the countering utility which Repel Intruders brings. Conversely, while Unified Will also counters spells, it requires you to have more creatures than your opponent, a condition that Repel Intruders does not demand. This flexibility can be crucial in the heat of battle, making Repel Intruders a powerful and adaptable tool in many defensive strategies.

Assessing these comparisons, it’s evident that Repel Intruders offers a unique blend of disruption and board presence, making it a choice pick for players who want to maintain flexibility and control in their matches.

Cards similar to Repel Intruders by color, type and mana cost

Twining Twins // Swift Spiral - MTG Card versions

Threadbind Clique // Rip the Seams - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Repel Intruders MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor, 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 Repel Intruders and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Repel Intruders has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2008-05-01	If you choose to target a creature spell, Repel Intruders has a target. If that target becomes illegal by the time Repel Intruders resolves, the entire spell won’t resolve. You won’t get any tokens.
2008-05-01	You choose whether or not to target a creature spell before you decide whether or not to spend on Repel Intruders. You may target a creature spell and then not spend to cast Repel Intruders; if you do, Repel Intruders simply won’t affect that creature spell. Similarly, if you don’t target a creature spell but then you spend to cast Repel Intruders, that part of Repel Intruders has no effect.
2016-06-08	If this spell is copied, the copy will not have had any colors of mana paid for it, no matter what colors were spent on the original spell.
2016-06-08	This spell cares about what mana was spent to pay its total cost, not just what mana was spent to pay the hybrid mana symbol in its cost.
2016-06-08	This spell checks on resolution to see if any mana of the appropriate colors were spent to pay its cost. It doesn’t matter how much mana of that color was spent; the effect isn’t multiplied.