Slight Malfunction MTG Card
Text of card
Choose one — • Destroy target artifact. • Roll a six-sided die. When you do, Slight Malfunction deals 1 damage to each of up to X target creatures, where X is the result.
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Cards like Slight Malfunction
Slight Malfunction brings its own unique flair to the array of blue control spells in Magic: The Gathering. It’s akin to cards like Ice Over and Claustrophobia, which also deal with incapacitating creatures by keeping them tapped. Slight Malfunction differs by offering the flexibility to target nonland permanents, broadening its range of influence beyond creatures to potentially disrupt opponents’ strategies.
Analogous to these is the card Encrust, which, much like Slight Malfunction, can target artifacts and creatures. However, Encrust adds an additional hurdle for opponents by preventing those permanents from activating their abilities—an aspect Slight Malfunction does not address. Conversely, Slight Malfunction carries a lower casting cost, enhancing its appeal for early game use.
Evaluating the subtleties and utility of these spells, Slight Malfunction emerges as a versatile choice for players seeking to limit their foes’ options. Its capability to immobilize a wider variety of threats often turns it into a pivotal card in blue control decks within Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Slight Malfunction by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Slight Malfunction affords players the opportunity to disable an opponent’s key card, often disrupting their strategy significantly. This ability to affect the board state can translate to an indirect card advantage, as it forces the opponent to deal with the modified state or risk falling behind.
Resource Acceleration: When Slight Malfunction resolves, it can set your opponent back by nullifying their resources. While not directly accelerating your resources, it effectively slows your opponent down, which can give you the time you need to advance your position and ramp up your own resources without interference.
Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Slight Malfunction at instant speed cannot be overstated. It allows strategic players to wait until the most impactful moment – perhaps in response to an activation or in the midst of combat – to surprise opponents and shift the tide of the match without necessitating a pause in their own development.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Slight Malfunction necessitates discarding a card, which could be problematic during crucial moments when maintaining card advantage is key.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Slight Malfunction requires blue mana, potentially restricting its utility to decks that can produce this color reliably.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a higher mana investment compared to other disruption spells, Slight Malfunction may not be the most efficient choice for controlling the early game board state.
Reasons to Include Slight Malfunction in Your Collection
Versatility: Slight Malfunction adds strategic depth to a variety of decks by offering a targeted way to deal with artifacts and creatures. Its flexible nature allows it to slot comfortably into control and tempo-focused decks alike.
Combo Potential: With its ability to temporarily remove a key game piece, the card shines in situations where disrupting opponent’s combos or board presence can turn the tides in your favor, making room for your own strategies to unfold.
Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-present reliance on artifacts and creatures in contemporary MTG metagames, Slight Malfunction provides a tactical edge. It adapts well to shifting meta conditions, potentially sidelining top-tier threats and becoming a crucial addition to any player’s arsenal.
How to beat
Slight Malfunction introduces a unique twist to artifact and enchantment control within Magic: The Gathering. Its capacity to neutralize a target artifact or enchantment offers a strategic advantage, effectively suppressing an opponent’s key noncreature permanents. Similar to cards like Naturalize, which outright destroy these permanent types, Slight Malfunction only temporarily halts their functionality while leaving them on the battlefield.
Other parallels can be drawn with cards such as Revoke Existence, renowned for its ability to exile artifacts or enchantments. Although the removal is more permanent with Revoke Existence, it does not possess the flexibility of affecting multiple permanent types at once. Contrastingly, cards like Disenchant provide the spot removal of Slight Malfunction with the added benefit of being at a lower mana cost. Despite these comparisons, the partial-temporary lock-down effect of Slight Malfunction makes for a nuanced play, requiring a different strategy for the opposition to overcome.
Considering the variety of control tools available, adept players will evaluate when to utilize what’s in their arsenal to manage the board effectively. Slight Malfunction poses a distinctive hurdle, but can be navigated with careful planning and an understanding of when to bait it out or play around its constraints.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Slight Malfunction MTG card by a specific set like Unfinity and Unfinity, 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 Slight Malfunction and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
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- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Slight Malfunction Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2022-10-07 and 2022-10-07. Illustrated by Greg Bobrowski.
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Slight Malfunction has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Slight Malfunction card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2022-10-07 | If you choose the second mode, Slight Malfunction goes on the stack without any targets. As it resolves, you roll a six-sided die. This causes the reflexive triggered ability trigger. You choose the targets for that ability as it goes on the stack. |