Trip Wire MTG Card
1999-05-01 - Number 156
2009-09-07 - Number 137
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Sorcery |
Text of card
Destroy any one creature with horsemanship.
Trip wire, hooked poles, and sunken pits were commonly used to unhorse riders during the Three Kingdoms period.
Cards like Trip Wire
Exploring the diverse landscape of utility spells in Magic: The Gathering, Trip Wire introduces an intriguing dynamic to controlling the battlefield. Its functionality draws close parallels with cards like Kismet, an older favorite that also sought to hinder opponents’ battle strategies by keeping creatures and even other card types tapped down. While Kismet has a broader effect by including artifacts and lands, Trip Wire zeroes in on creatures, making it more tailored to shutting down creature-heavy decks efficiently.
Blind Obedience is another card that offers a comparative effect, exerting control by ensuring opponents’ creatures and artifacts enter the battlefield tapped. However, Blind Obedience has the advantage of extort, allowing players to gain life and deal damage to opponents whenever they cast spells. Although Trip Wire does not have this life-swinging feature, its pinpoint focus on creatures can be crucial in maintaining tempo against creature-centric strategies. The choice between these cards often comes down to the deck’s overall design and the player’s tactical needs at that moment in the game.
Ultimately, Trip Wire holds its ground among MTG control cards for its creature-specific lockdown potential, providing players with targeted options to shape the battle to their advantage.
Cards similar to Trip Wire by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: One of the key strengths of Trip Wire is its potential to disrupt your opponent’s board presence while also replacing itself in your hand, thereby not costing you card economy.
Resource Acceleration: Trip Wire can be instrumental in propelling your game forward by hindering your adversary’s development, effectively setting them back and giving you the chance to lead the pace of the match.
Instant Speed: The ability to play Trip Wire at instant speed is crucial. It provides the flexibility to respond to your opponent’s actions during their turn, making it a versatile tool in any player’s arsenal.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Engaging in gameplay with Trip Wire often requires a player to discard another card, which can be particularly taxing when your hand is already running thin. This can lead to difficult decisions especially in tight game situations where every card in hand counts towards potential victory or defeat.
Specific Mana Cost: Trip Wire’s effectiveness is tethered to a precise mana arrangement, necessitating both colorless and black mana. This restricts its compatibility, generally confining it to decks that are designed around or can accommodate its mana needs, thereby potentially excluding it from a range of deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana requirement resting above the curve for its effects, players often evaluate Trip Wire against other options within the same mana bracket. There are alternative cards in MTG that may present more economical or widely regarded powerful effects for the same, or even a lower, mana investment, thus making Trip Wire a less favorable choice for some players.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Trip Wire offers unique flexibility across various deck builds, especially for those relying on instant-speed interactions to disrupt opponent strategies. Its ability to affect the battlefield dynamically makes it a favorable choice for flexible defense tactics.
Combo Potential: This card can synergize effectively with decks designed to capitalize on opponent movements or creature taps. It’s a keystone for creating and enhancing combos where timing and creature control can flip the game in your favor.
Meta-Relevance: Given the evolving meta, where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Trip Wire’s potential to counteract such tactics by deterring attacks or punishing aggressive plays can be a strategic advantage, ensuring it remains a relevant and cunning addition to your arsenal.
How to beat
Trip Wire is a unique card in Magic: The Gathering that can throw a wrench into fast-paced or aggro strategies. Understanding your opponent’s deck and anticipating the conditions in which Trip Wire activates are crucial to countering its disruptive potential. Players often pair Trip Wire with other control elements to stop creature-heavy decks in their tracks.
To tackle Trip Wire effectively, consider running cards that can neutralize or bypass its triggered ability. Instant-speed removal allows you to clear Trip Wire before it becomes an issue, much like how you’d handle any problematic enchantment. Similarly, counterspells are an excellent pre-emptive solution, nipping the threat in the bud before it can affect the board state. Also, employing creatures with hexproof or shroud can invalidate Trip Wire’s control effect, enabling a more consistent rhythm of play without hindrance.
Remember that key knowledge about your own deck’s weaknesses and strengths can be your best asset. Prepare sideboard options for control matchups where Trip Wire might be prominent, and don’t let this subtle obstacle dismantle your winning strategy. Effective sideboarding and timely reactions are the keys to overcome this particular hurdle in your Magic: The Gathering matches.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Trip Wire MTG card by a specific set like Portal Three Kingdoms and Masters Edition III, 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 Trip Wire and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- 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
Printings
The Trip Wire Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1999-05-01 and 2009-09-07. Illustrated by Hong Yan.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999-05-01 | Portal Three Kingdoms | PTK | 156 | 1997 | Normal | White | Hong Yan | |
| 2 | 2009-09-07 | Masters Edition III | ME3 | 137 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Hong Yan |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Trip Wire has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |