Sly Instigator MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sly Instigator opens the door for strategic plays by giving you the upper hand with its ability to temporarily gain control of an opponent’s creature. This unexpected shift can disrupt your adversary’s plans and grant you a precious advantage in card utility on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: While Sly Instigator itself may not produce additional resources, it allows for a more robust mana curve by efficiently utilizing your blue mana. This can lead to a resource acceleration in later turns, as you’re able to deploy your hand more effectively with the tempo created.

Instant Speed: While the activation of Sly Instigator’s ability isn’t at instant speed, it pairs well with instant spells by creating open avenues for direct attacks or potentially clearing a path for damage to get through. This strategic play at sorcery speed can influence and dictate the pace of the game, aligning perfectly with the tactical demands of control-focused decks.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Sly Instigator forces a discard when activating its ability, potentially depleting your hand when you might need to hold onto key cards.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s activation requires both blue and generic mana, which can be restrictive for multicolored decks that may struggle with mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost to activate that competes with other impactful spells or creatures, Sly Instigator can be considered a costly investment for its effect.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Sly Instigator is not limited to a single strategy; its ability to turn any creature into a forced combatant means it can disrupt opponents’ plans or clear the way for your attacks in various deck styles.

Combo Potential: This card shows promise when paired with effects that benefit from engaging multiple creatures in combat or when looking to trigger “whenever a creature attacks” synergies, amplifying the effectiveness of your tactical plays.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta teeming with creatures, Sly Instigator can become an asset by compelling unfavorable attacks or blocks from opponents, turning the tide in matches that hinge on creature-centric strategies.

How to beat

Sly Instigator can flip the tides by enabling your opponent’s creatures to become unblockable, propelling their strategy forward. As a Utility Creature card in Magic: The Gathering, its unique ability can catch players off-guard, making it crucial to have countermeasures ready. To mitigate the impact of Sly Instigator, consider using removal spells as a reliable solution. These spells, such as Murder or Path to Exile, can dispatch the Instigator before it activates its unblockable ability.

Alternatively, strategies such as creature counters like Essences Scatter or board wipes like Wrath of God can pre-emptively handle Sly Instigator and other threats on the board. It’s also beneficial to keep instant-speed interaction in your arsenal to respond directly to the activation of its ability, rendering their invested resources fruitless. To outmaneuver opponents leveraging Sly Instigator, keep control elements handy and prioritize the removal of key utility creatures to maintain a fortified position in the game.

BurnMana Recommendations

The art of mastering MTG involves recognizing unique card abilities and how they can tilt the game in your favor. Sly Instigator is a nuanced tool in your arsenal, capable of concocting surprise maneuvers that catch opponents off-guard. Considering the strategic implications of taking temporary control of enemy creatures, this card deserves a spot in decks seeking that element of surprise. Bear in mind its constraints and integrate it into a comprehensive strategy to exploit its full potential. Want to understand the deeper synergies and ways to outwit your foes using Sly Instigator? Embark on this tactical voyage with us, and refine your lineup to secure your next victory.