Single Combat MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Single Combat provides a distinct form of card advantage by forcing each player to choose one creature or planeswalker to keep, effectively clearing the board of excess threats. This swing can tilt the game in your favor if planned correctly, especially when you’re behind.

Resource Acceleration: While Single Combat doesn’t directly accelerate your resources, it effectively acts as a reset button. By limiting each player to one creature or planeswalker, it allows you to better utilize the resources you have available, and may grant you the time needed to marshal your forces unimpeded.

Instant Speed: Though Single Combat is a sorcery, the advantage it conveys can be just as pivotal as an instant-speed interaction. After casting Single Combat, your opponent cannot cast creature or planeswalker spells until the end of their next turn, granting you a crucial window to advance your board state or find answers to future threats without immediate retaliation.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While not needing to discard upon casting, Single Combat can indirectly lead to discarding if you are forced to choose between valuable creatures or planeswalkers, effectively acting as a detriment to your hand resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Single Combat demands a strict combination of one white and four generic mana, which can be a challenge in multicolored decks not heavily focused on white mana production.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of five mana to play, Single Combat may come into play later than desired, especially if early game tempo is crucial for your strategy. Its late-game utility may not compensate for the loss of board presence earlier in the game.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Single Combat is an excellent addition to any deck that aims to control the board. It forces each player to choose one creature or planeswalker and then sacrifices the rest, which can be a game-changer in a tight match.

Combo Potential: This card works well in strategies that revolve around keeping a single powerful creature or planeswalker on the field. It can create favorable scenarios for you while disrupting opponents’ plans.

Meta-Relevance: In a playing environment where players tend to build up a vast array of creatures and planeswalkers, Single Combat shines by leveling the playing field. It’s especially relevant when against go-wide strategies or superfriends decks.

How to beat

Dealing with Single Combat in Magic: The Gathering requires strategic planning as it limits players to casting only one creature or planeswalker spell during their next turn, while also instigating a battlefield purge where each player chooses a creature or planeswalker they control, then sacrifices the rest. The trick to circumventing the restrictive effects of Single Combat is to favor instant speed spells and abilities that allow you to build a board presence after the card resolves. Enchantment and artifact synergies are unaffected by Single Combat, therefore leaning on these permanent types can help maintain your game tempo.

Moreover, deck building with redundancy in mind, that is having multiple copies of critical cards, can mitigate the impact of Single Combat’s forced sacrifice. Implementing a strategy with versatile spells or creatures that offer value when entering or leaving the battlefield can also soften the potential blow dealt by this powerful sorcery. Finally, having sacrifice outlets can transform Single Combat’s downside into an advantage by triggering endearing effects or death triggers on your own terms. Adaptability is key when facing down the challenge of Single Combat.

BurnMana Recommendations

The strategic implications of Single Combat extend well beyond the battlefield exchange it sanctions. Whether you harness this card to flip the momentum of a stalled match, or utilize it as a tool to orchestrate your dominance in control-heavy setups, its value is undeniable. Grasping the intricacies of when and how to play this imposing sorcery can shift the tide in your favor, presenting an opportune opening for victory. If you’re intrigued by the nuanced layers of gameplay that Single Combat introduces, or keen to find out how to integrate it into your collection effectively, we’re here to guide you through. Discover how to incorporate this powerful card into your archetype and refine your MTG strategy by learning more with us.