Stronghold Arena MTG Card


Grants card draw when creatures engage in successful combat, bolstering your hand advantage. Can indirectly ramp up resources, setting the stage for dominant plays and board control. Enhances instant speed gameplay, synergizing with surprise effects and flash creatures.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment
Abilities Kicker

Text of card

Kicker and/or When Stronghold Arena enters the battlefield, you gain 3 life for each time it was kicked. Whenever one or more creatures you control deal combat damage to a player, you may reveal the top card of your library and put it into your hand. If you do, you lose life equal to its mana value.


Cards like Stronghold Arena

Stronghold Arena is an intriguing entry into Magic: The Gathering’s breadth of resource denial cards. A close counterpart to this card can be found in the form of Citadel of Pain. Both cards operate on the principle of punishing opponents for unspent mana, but there are subtle yet critical differences. Citadel of Pain deals damage to players for each untapped land during their end step, whereas Stronghold Arena selects the creature with the lowest power from those controlled by the player with the highest life total and destroys it each turn.

Another relevant comparison is with Call to the Grave, which forces each player to sacrifice a creature during their upkeep unless they pay a specific cost. While offering a different strategic angle, Stronghold Arena mainly targets players who have established board presence and aims to balance the playing field, rather than providing an upkeep cost dynamic. Arena of the Ancients is a noteworthy mention as well, restricting creatures’ ability to untap but not directly removing any threats.

The direct removal aspect of Stronghold Arena gives it a unique position within the game’s control strategies. By continuously keeping the strongest player’s board in check, it can significantly alter the course of a match, positioning it as a card worth considering for decks that can capitalize on such ongoing creature control.

Citadel of Pain - MTG Card versions
Call to the Grave - MTG Card versions
Arena of the Ancients - MTG Card versions
Citadel of Pain - MTG Card versions
Call to the Grave - MTG Card versions
Arena of the Ancients - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Stronghold Arena encourages strategic creature combat, rewarding you with additional card draw whenever your creatures successfully battle opponents’ creatures. This capability helps maintain hand superiority, ensuring you’re well-equipped for ongoing clash.

Resource Acceleration: Each turn, Stronghold Arena can potentially ramp up your resources indirectly by enabling the deployment of creatures which can then be used for its ability. Wisely navigating the arena sets the stage for powerful plays and a dominating board state.

Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, Stronghold Arena supports instant speed gameplay by interacting favorably with abilities and spells you can activate or cast during any player’s turn. This synergizes well with flash creatures or effects that can surprise opponents and tilt the arena’s balance in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Stronghold Arena card necessitates discarding another card as part of its activation. This can severely impact your hand, leaving you at a disadvantage, especially if you’re already struggling to maintain card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Being locked into a specific mana requirement means that Stronghold Arena needs both red and black mana to be cast. This can be limiting for decks that aren’t specifically tailored to meet such color demands or for players who face a mana base disruption.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that’s on the high side for its abilities, Stronghold Arena may not be the most mana-efficient option available. Players may find themselves opting for alternatives that offer similar benefits without as significant an investment of resources.


Reasons to Include Stronghold Arena in Your Collection

Versatility: Stronghold Arena offers a unique gameplay advantage by potentially dealing damage to creatures your opponents control. This ability makes it a fitting choice for various deck types, particularly those that seek to control the board or synergize with damage-based triggers.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to selectively deal damage can be combined with effects that trigger upon creature death or damage, creating powerful interactions. It’s an excellent addition to strategies leveraging life-loss or sacrifice mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Stronghold Arena shines by consistently disrupting your opponent’s board presence. It can tilt the scales in your favor by weakening adversaries’ creatures each turn, maintaining a strategic advantage throughout the game.


How to Beat Stronghold Arena

Stronghold Arena, known for its strategic fortitude in Magic: The Gathering, can be an imposing card to confront. This powerful card often commands the board by turning creatures into damage-dealing tools. Facing this card requires a tactical approach to limit its influence. Interference with creature control, such as removal spells or bounce effects, can significantly weaken the potency of Stronghold Arena. Additionally, employing cards that grant hexproof or shroud can prevent your creatures from being targeted, thus nullifying the Arena’s effect.

Enchantment destruction spells also play a pivotal role in dismantling the advantage provided by Stronghold Arena. By targeting the Arena itself, you can remove the threat at its source. Another effective tactic is to reduce the number of creatures on the board, thereby minimizing the damage potential every turn. Cards like board wipes can reset the playing field, making it more difficult for the opponent to leverage Stronghold Arena’s power to their favor.

Mastery of the game includes understanding not only how to utilize your cards but also how to negate the advantages of your opponent’s key plays. Overcoming a card like Stronghold Arena requires foresight, deliberate counter-strategies, and the knowledge of your deck’s capabilities to turn the tide of the duel in your favor.


BurnMana Recommendations

Stronghold Arena is an asset for MTG enthusiasts aiming for control and card advantage in their decks. Its synergies with creature-based strategies and the ability to alter board states make it a card worth exploring. As MTG continues to evolve, understanding the nuanced interplay of cards provides a significant edge. We encourage players to assess their deck’s potential for including Stronghold Arena, considering its unique damage-dealing capacity and potential to disrupt opponents’ strategies. Dive deeper with us into the multifaceted world of MTG, refine your deck-building skills, and become adept at turning the tides of play to your advantage.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Stronghold Arena MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Dominaria United, 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 Stronghold Arena and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Stronghold Arena Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2022-09-09 and 2022-09-09. Illustrated by Alexander Mokhov.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 1034282015NormalBlackAlexander Mokhov
22022-09-09Dominaria UnitedDMU 4042015NormalBlackAlexander Mokhov
32022-09-09Dominaria United PromosPDMU 110p2015NormalBlackAlexander Mokhov
42022-09-09Dominaria UnitedDMU 1102015NormalBlackAlexander Mokhov
52022-09-09Dominaria United PromosPDMU 110s2015NormalBlackAlexander Mokhov

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Stronghold Arena has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Stronghold Arena card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2022-09-09 As Stronghold Arena’s last ability resolves, you don’t get to see what the card of your library is before deciding whether to reveal it. If you choose to reveal it, you must put it into your hand and will lose life.
2022-09-09 Normally, combat damage is dealt all at the same time. In that case, Stronghold Arena’s last ability triggers once for each opponent that creatures you control dealt combat damage to, regardless of how many creatures were dealing that damage. If any of those creatures have double strike or first strike, the ability will trigger once for each opponent dealt damage in each combat damage step.
2022-09-09 You may kick Stronghold Arena only once for its cost and only once for its cost. You can kick it twice by paying , but you can’t kick it twice by paying or . You can’t kick it more than twice.