Stalking Tiger MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Stalking Tiger shines in scenarios where board presence is key. By slipping past defenses, this creature can consistently apply pressure and potentially lead to drawing additional removal cards from your opponent, indirectly generating card advantage for you.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly offering resource acceleration, the Stalking Tiger’s ability to remain unblockable as the only attacker allows for building a strategy that can utilize equipment or enchantments to ramp or generate additional value efficiently.

Instant Speed: Although Stalking Tiger itself does not have an instant speed ability, it pairs well with instant speed spells. The threat of its unblockable nature encourages opponents to leave mana open, which you can exploit by casting spells at the end of their turn once they’ve opted not to use removal on your Tiger.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Stalking Tiger card doesn’t have a discard mechanic; however, players holding this card in hand might feel pressured to hold onto specific mana resources to play it, possibly leading to suboptimal plays.

Specific Mana Cost: Stalking Tiger requires green mana, which means it fits primarily in green-themed decks or those with sufficient mana-fixing capabilities to accommodate its casting cost.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that requires three generic and one green mana, Stalking Tiger can be less appealing considering other creatures in the same cost range may offer additional abilities or greater power/toughness ratios.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Stalking Tiger shines in deck builds craving steadfast creatures. With the ability to be unblockable as long as it’s attacking alone, it functions well in both aggressive and defensive strategies, offering strategic flexibility.

Combo Potential: Its unique attacking condition pairs excellently with aura and equipment cards that boost its power, turning it into a formidable single-attacker that opponents struggle to block, thereby nurturing various combo possibilities.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where combat-centric play is prevalent, Stalking Tiger can serve as an effective tool for consistent damage delivery, bypassing crowded battlefields and dodging common mass removal tactics.

How to Beat Stalking Tiger

Stalking Tiger presents an interesting challenge on the battlefield, being a creature that can’t be blocked by more than one creature. This characteristic makes traditional creature blocking tactics less effective. However, there are several effective strategies to overcome this elusive feline.

One approach is to use spot removal spells such as Doom Blade or Path to Exile, which can dispatch individual creatures regardless of their blocking restrictions. Board wipes like Wrath of God or Damnation are also effective, as they can clear the field of all creatures, including solitary stalkers like this one.

Controlling the board with enchantments that prevent creatures from attacking, like Pacifism or cards that limit abilities such as Silent Arbiter, can neutralize Stalking Tiger’s advantage. It is also important to note that while Stalking Tiger can avoid multi-creature blocks, it does not have any protection from being targeted directly by spells or abilities, making it vulnerable to direct interactions.

In summary, to nullify the threat of Stalking Tiger, prioritizing targeted removal and controlling the board with strategic enchantments or broader removal spells will ensure that this tiger’s solitary hunting doesn’t become overwhelming.