Top-Secret Tunnel MTG Card
Text of card
Whenever you crank Top-Secret Tunnel, target creature can't be blocked this turn.
Cards like Top-Secret Tunnel
Top-Secret Tunnel brings an intriguing dynamic to land cards in MTG. It echoes much the essence of cards like Rogue’s Passage, which confers unblockability to your creatures. However, Top-Secret Tunnel has the added benefit of being a lower cost option to activate, although it can only target creatures with power 2 or less. This constraint positions it uniquely within the pantheon of stealth-enabling lands.
Another card caught in the comparison web is Secluded Steppe. While not directly related to creature interaction, it falls into the category of lands that provide additional options, offering card draw instead of combat benefits. Secluded Steppe cycles to draw a card, a different strategic path compared to the direct tactical advantage of Top-Secret Tunnel.
In reflecting on the function and role across similar cards, Top-Secret Tunnel serves as an exceptional tool for decks that rely on smaller creatures, providing a consistent and cost-effective way to deliver unblocked damage. It may not provide the versatility of card draw or target large creatures, but for the right strategy, its specialized ability shines brightly.
Cards similar to Top-Secret Tunnel by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Enhance your hand swiftly by unearthing more cards directly from your library, bringing you closer to pivotal game-changers.
Resource Acceleration: Push the pace of gameplay by allowing for a quicker deployment of your strategic assets, potentially outpacing your adversary.
Instant Speed: Hold sway over the battlefield’s tempo with the option to wait for the optimal moment, adapting seamlessly to the ever-changing game state.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Top-Secret Tunnel can sometimes feel like a double-edged sword. Its activation dictates that you must discard a card, which can deplete your hand especially when you are trying to maintain card advantage against your opponent.
Specific Mana Cost: One limitation that comes with Top-Secret Tunnel is its mana cost, which requires two colorless and one black mana. This specificity means it effortlessly fits into black-themed decks, but could be a stumbling block for multicolored or off-theme decks not primarily based on black mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that might be considered steep for its effect, some players may find Top-Secret Tunnel less appealing. In a game where efficiency can be key, there are alternatives that could provide similar utility without the same cost, making them potentially more viable options in a wider variety of situations.
Reasons to Include Top-Secret Tunnel in Your Collection
Versatility: Top-Secret Tunnel offers a unique advantage in being able to provide unblockable damage to your opponents. This card fits well in decks that capitalize on dealing direct damage or have creatures that benefit from connecting with an opponent.
Combo Potential: With its ability to make creatures unblockable for a turn, Top-Secret Tunnel is a solid enabler for various combo strategies. It works exceptionally well in combination with creatures that have on-hit effects, potentially turning a well-timed strike into a game-winning move.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment where board stalls are common, having a reliable way to bypass opposing defenses can be critical. Top-Secret Tunnel ensures that your key creatures can reach an opponent, making it a strategic addition to decks that focus on evasion tactics or need to ensure consistent damage.
How to beat
Top-Secret Tunnel adds a strategic layer to Magic: The Gathering gameplay, allowing creatures that might typically be blocked to sneak past defenses. The key to overcoming this card lies in its activation cost and conditions. It requires both a mana investment and an unblocked creature to function, which can be exploited. Increasing your creature count, especially those with reach or “can’t be blocked” abilities, will help prevent your opponent from meeting these conditions. Focused removal spells that target activated abilities or enchantments can also dismantle the card’s utility. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant are prime examples as they can directly counter Top-Secret Tunnel’s impact on the game. Additionally, including instant-speed interaction can catch an opponent off guard and negate the Tunnel’s advantage by eliminating the creature before it becomes unblockable. Finally, enhancing your board presence with creatures that have vigilance can maintain a strong defense while applying offensive pressure, making the Tunnel’s effect less relevant.
Understanding your opponent’s strategy is crucial; anticipate the Tunnel’s use and prepare your deck accordingly to ensure it doesn’t become a turning point in the match. By considering card efficiency and prioritizing adaptable plays, the puzzle of shutting down Top-Secret Tunnel can become a manageable task in your next Magic: The Gathering game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Top-Secret Tunnel MTG card by a specific set like Unstable, 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 Top-Secret Tunnel 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
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Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Top-Secret Tunnel card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-01-19 | Any Contraption that’s on the battlefield and wasn’t assembled immediately heads to the scrapyard. However, if it’s a not an actual Contraption card (like Copy Artifact isn’t), it goes to your graveyard as normal. Non-Contraption cards can’t be in the scrapyard. |
| 2018-01-19 | At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control any Contraptions, move the CRANK! counter to the next sprocket. You may then crank any number of Contraptions on that sprocket, causing their abilities to trigger. Cranking a Contraption is always optional. |
| 2018-01-19 | Contraptions are artifacts. Anything that interacts with artifacts will interact with Contraptions. |
| 2018-01-19 | Contraptions aren’t put into your main deck. They go into a separate deck called the Contraption deck. |
| 2018-01-19 | If a Contraption would leave the battlefield and go to any zone other than exile, it instead goes to the scrapyard, the Contraption deck’s version of the graveyard. Things that affect the graveyard do not affect the scrapyard. You can exile Contraptions just fine. |
| 2018-01-19 | If you crank multiple Contraptions, their abilities can be put onto the stack in any order. The ability put onto the stack will resolve first. |
| 2018-01-19 | If you or a permanent you control are instructed to assemble a Contraption, reveal the top card of your Contraption deck. Put it onto the battlefield on one of the three sprockets. |
| 2018-01-19 | If you or a permanent you control assembles a Contraption and your Contraption deck is empty, nothing happens. You don’t lose the game. |
| 2018-01-19 | In Constructed formats, a Contraption deck must have at least fifteen different Contraption cards and no more than one of each. |
| 2018-01-19 | In Limited formats, a Contraption deck may include any number of Contraption cards in your card pool. You don’t have to include every Contraption card you draft or open in sealed deck. In those formats, your Contraption deck may include duplicates. |
| 2018-01-19 | In silver-bordered games using Contraptions, you have three sprockets, illustrated on the back of Contraption cards. At the start of the game, put a CRANK! counter on sprocket 3. |
| 2018-01-19 | While Contraptions you control are on the battlefield, the Contraption deck is not, even if you are using it to signify the three sprockets. |