Stronghold Confessor MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Cleric |
| Abilities | Kicker,Menace |
| Released | 2018-04-27 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Dominaria |
| Set code | DOM |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 105 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Igor Kieryluk |
Text of card
Kicker (You may pay an additional as you cast this spell.) Menace (This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.) If Stronghold Confessor was kicked, it enters the battlefield with two +1/+1 counters on it.
Cards like Stronghold Confessor
Stronghold Confessor is a versatile creature card in MTG, bringing flexibility to black decks. It runs parallel to another black creature, Vampire Lacerator, which provides an aggressive early game option. However, Stronghold Confessor can be played as a 1/1 creature with menace for one mana or can be kicked for an additional three mana, transforming it into a more formidable 3/3. This flexibility is not seen in the strictly 2/2 Vampire Lacerator.
Dusk Legion Zealot enters the fray as a comparable card, with a different upside. For two mana, this creature allows you to draw a card upon entering the battlefield, albeit at the cost of one life. While not as combat-oriented as Stronghold Confessor, it’s a solid choice for decks that emphasize card advantage. Similarly, Kitesail Freebooter interacts with the opponent by disrupting their hand, offering a different kind of utility while carrying the same menace ability as Stronghold Confessor. However, it lacks the scalable power and toughness.
Assessing the benefits of these creatures reveals Stronghold Confessor’s potential to be a game-changer in both early aggression and mid-game power spikes, a unique duality that caters to dynamic black deck strategies in MTG.
Cards similar to Stronghold Confessor by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Stronghold Confessor can grant multiple creatures menace, making it harder for opponents to block and enabling you to swing in confidently. This can effectively disrupt opponent strategies by requiring them to allocate more resources for blocks, indirectly preserving your hand while depleting theirs.
Resource Acceleration: This card can synergize well with decks focused on creature-based strategies. By entering the battlefield with additional +1/+1 counters when kicked, Stronghold Confessor fuels synergistic interactions, potentially accelerating your board presence and the effects of other abilities tied to creatures’ power and toughness.
Instant Speed: With the flexibility to be cast as a quick creature at instant speed when kicked, Stronghold Confessor provides responsive play options. You’re empowered to adapt to the battlefield’s state, making strategic decisions on whether to deploy it as a sudden blocker or attacker during times that could be most inconvenient for your opponent.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Stronghold Confessor’s kicker ability demands extra cards from your hand, potentially diminishing your options later in the game, which isn’t always a favorable trade-off.
Specific Mana Cost: Needing a black mana to cast can restrict its inclusion in multicolored decks, confining it mostly to black-centric strategies where its impact might be more predictable.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Allocating four mana for its kicker cost to gain menace and additional +1/+1 counters can be quite steep, especially when pitted against other creatures in the same mana range that might provide a more immediate effect on the battlefield.
Reasons to Include Stronghold Confessor in Your Collection
Versatility: Stronghold Confessor offers flexibility in deck building. With its kicker ability, you can choose to play it early as a one-mana 1/1 creature or invest more for a powerful late game presence. It matches well with decks that capitalize on speed or require creatures on the board to enable various strategies.
Combo Potential: The card’s ability to come into play with +1/+1 counters opens it up to synergies with proliferate mechanics and other counter-centric cards. This makes it a great fit for strategies looking to multiply its power or utilize its potential as a growing threat.
Meta-Relevance: In metagames teeming with noncreature spells, Stronghold Confessor can be an asset. Given that it has menace, it becomes harder to block, enabling it to apply pressure on opponents using strategies that are light on creatures.
How to beat
Stronghold Confessor can be a tricky card to counter in Magic: The Gathering due to its kicker ability that allows it to come into play with additional +1/+1 counters. This versatility allows players to cast it as an early threat or a more formidable creature in the late game. The key to overcoming Stronghold Confessor lies in the timing and choice of removal spells.
One effective strategy is to deploy cheap removal spells before the kicker cost becomes relevant. For instance, Shock and Fatal Push are excellent at dispatching the Confessor before it gets buffed. If the Confessor has already been kicked, broader removal like Shatter the Sky or Doom Blade could be more efficient, handling it regardless of its size. Control decks can also rely on countermagic such as Essence Scatter to negate the Confessor entirely, ensuring it never hits the battlefield.
In essence, understanding your opponent’s mana and the potential for a kicked Stronghold Confessor is vital. Responding with appropriate timing and removal can keep this versatile creature in check and maintain control over the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Stronghold Confessor MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria, 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 Confessor and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Stronghold Confessor has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |