Working Stiff MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Mummy
Released	2004-11-19
Set symbol
Set name	Unhinged
Set code	UNH
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	68
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Silver
Illustred by	Darrell Riche
Un-set :-)	This card is part of an Un-set

Key Takeaways

Working Stiff enhances flexibility, becoming a creature without spending extra mana, improving board presence.
It requires a discard to activate, potentially impacting late-game tactics by depleting hand resources.
Instant speed transformation allows for unexpected combat tricks and opponent strategy disruption.

Text of card

As Working Stiff comes into play, straighten your arms. When you bend an elbow, sacrifice Working Stiff.

Oh, does your nose itch?

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Working Stiff adds a layer of flexibility in gameplay by potentially transforming into a creature with more value. This transformation can provide an edge by expanding your board presence without losing hand resources.

Resource Acceleration: As a low-cost artifact, Working Stiff seamlessly fits into the early game, allowing you to set up your resources efficiently. Its later ability to become a creature can be activated without sinking mana into it, which helps keep your resources free for key plays.

Instant Speed: The capability of Working Stiff to become a creature at instant speed offers strategic depth, allowing you to surprise your opponent by creating a blocker or an attacker when least expected. This can result in advantageous combat situations or disrupt your opponent’s strategy.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Working Stiff comes with the stipulation that you have to discard another card to enable its ability. This can create an unfavorable situation, particularly in the late game when each card in hand is vital for maintaining an edge over opponents.

Specific Mana Cost: Necessitating both colorless and black mana, Working Stiff’s mana cost may not fit seamlessly into multicolored decks. This limitation can potentially disrupt a deck’s mana curve and overall strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The four mana needed to cast this card might be considered inefficient when weighed against other cards with similar or more impactful abilities at the same or lower mana value.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Working Stiff offers flexibility in deck-building, seamlessly integrating into various strategies that value creature control and board presence.

Combo Potential: Skillfully maneuvered, Working Stiff may align with specific abilities or mechanics, enriching synergies within decks that thrive on creatures with tap abilities or death triggers.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to function as an early blocker or a sacrificial component for larger plays, its place within the evolution of the game can shift, making it a card to watch and potentially capitalize on as metagames develop.

How to beat

Shrewd players recognize that Working Stiff, a unique card in MTG, presents a nuanced challenge on the battlefield. To effectively counter this card, adversaries need to consider its ability that nullifies death under specific circumstances. The key therefore lies in overriding this feature by forcing a sacrifice or applying exile effects, bypassing its indestructibility clause. By employing removal spells that don’t destroy but rather pluck Working Stiff from play, opponents can ensure its effect becomes a non-factor.

Cards such as Path to Exile are excellent examples, as they offer a clean solution to remove permanents without triggering destruction-related abilities. Moreover, incorporating board-wiping spells that mandate a player to sacrifice creatures, like Merciless Eviction, can sweep aside Working Stiff with one fell swoop. Timing these actions effectively will render your opponent’s carefully laid plans null, achieving a strategic victory and showcasing a thorough understanding of MTG’s more intricate aspects.

To summarize, by utilizing non-destructive removal and targeted sacrifice spells, players can efficiently work around the resilience of Working Stiff. This approach not only neutralizes the immediate threat but also preserves the tempo of the game in the controlling player’s favor, tipping the scale for a definitive win.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Working Stiff MTG card by a specific set like Unhinged, 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 Working Stiff and other MTG cards: