Tonic Peddler MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Spellshaper |
| Released | 1999-10-04 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Mercadian Masques |
| Set code | MMQ |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 54 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Adam Rex |
Text of card
o W, oc T, Discard a card from your hand: Target player gains 3 life.
"The price is written at the bottom of the cup."
Cards like Tonic Peddler
The Tonic Peddler offers Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts a unique gameplay experience, with parallels to other notable cards in its category. Much like Tonic Peddler, cards like Veteran Motorist also provide an ability that triggers upon entering the battlefield. However, whereas Veteran Motorist offers deck scrying and potential to boost vehicle power, Tonic Peddler bestows life to its controller, setting the stage for potential lifegain strategies.
Alms Collector is another interesting comparison. While Alms Collector limits opponents’ card draw and presents card advantage in multiplayer scenarios, the Tonic Peddler focuses more directly on fortifying the player’s own life total, favoring a more defensive playstyle. Comparatively, the Peddler’s stat line may not be as impactful, but its ability to synergize with life-modifying mechanics in MTG could be seen as an inspirational design choice for those crafting lifegain decks.
Examining the utility and strategic implications, Tonic Peddler slots comfortably into decks focusing on lifegain or serving as an early game defender. Its distinctive life-gaining capability marks its territory in Magic: The Gathering as a potentially underrated yet valuable asset to the right deck composition.
Cards similar to Tonic Peddler by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Tonic Peddler card provides a subtler, but steady way to gain card advantage. By converting excess mana into card draw, it allows players to maintain a full hand, keeping the pressure on opponents.
Resource Acceleration: Tonic Peddler offers utility on the battlefield by helping you ramp up resources. The ability to tap, perhaps paired with untapping effects or other synergies, can lead to surprising bursts of mana, propelling you ahead in the game.
Instant Speed: Being flexible enough to activate at instant speed, Tonic Peddler fits into a dynamic playstyle. This adaptability lets players optimize their turns for maximum efficiency, choosing the most opportune moments to leverage its abilities.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Tonic Peddler is its demand that players discard another card. This action can backfire, especially in tight situations where every card in hand is crucial for your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: Tonic Peddler’s casting cost includes colors that may not fit seamlessly into all deck archetypes. This specificity can constrain deck-building options, restricting this card’s versatility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While offering an interesting effect, the mana investment for Tonic Peddler might be steep when compared to other options. Players might opt for alternatives that provide a similar benefit without such a significant cost.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Tonic Peddler can slide effortlessly into various deck builds, particularly those looking for ways to gain life and manipulate their graveyard. Its capacity to integrate into several strategies makes it a distinctive addition.
Combo Potential: With the right synergies, Tonic Peddler’s ability to gain you life can unlock potential in decks that thrive on life changes, enabling intricate combos, and bolstering your win conditions.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where life totals are always in flux, a card like Tonic Peddler that provides consistent life gain can pivot crucial matches in your favor, aligning well with the current meta that emphasizes resilience and sustainability.
How to beat
The Tonic Peddler may not make headlines as the most formidable adversary in the MTG arena, but it packs a unique punch with its lifelink capability and synergies in life-gain decks. To counter this crafty merchant, you must disrupt its utility. Employing removal spells that can target creatures with a low cost is effective. Consider spells like Shock, which can eliminate the Tonic Peddler before its lifelink ability becomes a repeated nuisance.
Artifact removal can also dismantle any equipment or auras that may be buffing the Tonic Peddler, stripping it of enhancements that make it more than just an ordinary blocker or attacker. Cards such as Disenchant or Naturalize serve this purpose without straining your mana pool. Moreover, employing countermeasures to negate life gain, such as Tibalt, Rakish Instigator, ensures that your opponent doesn’t capitalize on the lifelink feature of the Tonic Peddler or any similar effects.
Ultimately, while the Tonic Peddler has potential in the right deck, it crumbles against swift and targeted spells that address either its presence on the board or the benefits it seeks to provide. Quick action is key to ensuring that this seemingly harmless merchant does not tip the scales in your opponent’s favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Tonic Peddler MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques, 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 Tonic Peddler 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 Tonic Peddler has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |