Soltari Trooper MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Though the Soltari Trooper itself does not draw cards directly, its main strength lies in its evasion. Shadow allows it to swing in for consistent damage, which contributes to an advantageous board state, potentially leading to card advantage through the pressure it creates.

Resource Acceleration: The Soltari Trooper efficiently uses resources with an inexpensive mana cost. Its low cost allows for a quicker development of your board while leaving mana open for other spells, effectively accelerating your game without a heavy resource investment.

Instant Speed: While the Soltari Trooper isn’t an instant itself, its shadow ability demands immediate answers. This can force your opponent to use removal spells at instant speed, detracting from their ability to respond to your other threats. Additionally, its instant-speed pumping ability ensures that mana can be optimally utilized during the combat phase.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Soltari Trooper doesn’t have a discard requirement itself, it might necessitate additional cards to work effectively. In decks focused on the Trooper, you might find yourself short on cards, which can be a setback if you’re aiming to maintain a hand with ample options.

Specific Mana Cost: Soltari Trooper requires a white mana to cast, which anchors it firmly in white decks or those with a reliable mana base for multicolor strategies. This specificity can potentially restrict its inclusion in some deck builds, particularly those that don’t focus heavily on white mana or have a broad color scope.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although costing two mana might seem moderate, in the fast-paced environment of MTG, using two mana for a 1/1 creature that has to wait a turn to attack due to summoning sickness might not always be the most efficient play. When tempo is key, there may be other two-mana creatures or spells with immediate board impact or higher power and toughness, providing more value right out of the gate.

Reasons to Include Soltari Trooper in Your Collection

Versatility: Soltari Trooper can seamlessly integrate into a variety of White-based aggro or midrange decks due to its shadow ability, allowing it to avoid traditional combat and press an offensive without much resistance from opponents.

Combo Potential: Its ability to get a temporary power boost each time it attacks make it an excellent candidate for synergy with effects that trigger on creature attacks or damage dealt, adding a tactical layer to combat phases.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where ground stalls are common, Soltari Trooper shines by bypassing potential blockers, maintaining a consistent pace of damage that can pressure opponents and shape the way games unfold.

How to beat

Soltari Trooper may not be the flashiest creature in Magic: The Gathering, but it certainly has its strengths. With its shadow ability, it can be quite difficult to block, effectively sneaking past most defenders and connecting with your opponent. To counter this sneaky creature, you’ll want to focus on tactics that don’t rely on blocking. Removal spells are your best ally here. Cards like Lightning Bolt or Fatal Push can eliminate the Trooper before it can chip away at your life total. Alternatively, board wipes like Wrath of God can clear the way regardless of the Trooper’s elusive shadow.

Another strategy is to overpower your opponent with a faster clock. Presenting threats that demand an answer more urgently than the Trooper can force your opponent to switch to a defensive playstyle. Lastly, using creatures with reach or those that can block creatures with shadow, though rarer, can offer a direct way to handle this persistent soldier. Carefully choosing your counters and not letting the Soltari Trooper outpace your game plan is key to coming out ahead.