capital offense MTG Card


capital offense - Unstable
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
Typeinstant
Released2017-12-08
Set symbol
Set nameUnstable
Set codeUST
Number52
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Bordersilver
Illustred byMatt Dixon
Un-set :-)This card is part of an Un-set

Key Takeaways

  1. Capital Offense can shift game momentum by removing multiple threats with a single action.
  2. Instant speed casting offers tactical flexibility, allowing disruption during an opponent’s turn.
  3. Discard requirement and specific mana costs may limit Capital Offense’s inclusion in some decks.

Text of card

target creature gets -x/-x until end of turn, where x is the number of times a capital letter appears in its rules text. (ignore reminder text and flavor text.)

part basket case, all lowercase.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Capital Offense provides an opportunity to potentially remove multiple threats at once, keeping your hand full while disrupting your opponent’s board presence.

Resource Acceleration: By eliminating several creatures with a single card, you effectively conserve the mana resources you might otherwise spend on multiple removal spells, accelerating your overall resource management.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Capital Offense at instant speed offers strategic flexibility, allowing you to wait for the optimum moment to upset your opponent’s tactics, possibly during their turn or in response to an attack.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Capital Offense requires players to discard a card, which may deplete valuable hand resources and hamper card advantage, particularly detrimental in control or combo decks that rely on card synergies.

Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost for Capital Offense includes both color-specific and generic mana, which can pose deckbuilding restrictions and potentially slow down its playability, limiting it to decks that support the color identity.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Bearing a considerable mana requirement, Capital Offense competes with other game-changing spells or creatures that might offer stronger board presence or immediate impact, potentially making it a less favorable choice in a tightly curated decklist.


Reasons to Include Capital Offense in Your Collection

Versatility: Capital Offense is a unique addition that can be adapted to various playstyles. Its ability to modify power levels based on the number of colors used to cast it makes it a flexible card for multicolored decks.

Combo Potential: This card’s knack for temporarily increasing a creature’s power creates opportunities for synergies with mechanics like trample or with cards that benefit from high-power creatures.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based strategies prevail, Capital Offense can serve as a crucial combat trick. Its ability to surprise opponents and turn the tide of battle aligns with dynamic metas where creatures often decide the winner.


How to Beat

Capital Offense shines in decks that maximize its potential, punishing blockers with a severity that can tilt the battle in your favor. On the other side of the table, countering this threat requires a strategic approach. Prioritize the removal of key enchantments to weaken the grip of Capital Offense on the game. Board wipes act as a safety net against an army buffed by such enchantments, resetting the playing field.

Another effective tactic is to focus on maintaining a lineup of creatures with hexproof or shroud, which Capital Offense cannot target for destruction. Alternatively, instant-speed removal spells or those with the ability to bypass its effects can swiftly deal with the threat. Timing is critical; act before it fully disrupts your battle plan. Utilizing instant-speed spells during your opponent’s turn can also conserve your resources, only deploying them if Capital Offense threatens to make a significant impact.

In essence, overcoming Capital Offense lies in neutralizing its empowering effects on creatures, either through strategic removals or by playing creatures that naturally evade its reach. This will ensure minimal interference from Capital Offense and preserve the integrity of your defensive lines.


Cards like capital offense

Capital Offense joins the intriguing lineup of combat trick spells in Magic: The Gathering, providing creatures with an unexpected power boost. It echoes the intentions of a card like Giant Growth, which is a classic in the game used to surprising an opponent by bolstering a creature’s strength and toughness during combat. Where Capital Offense takes a divergent path is its conditional power increase, which amplifies the ability based on the number of nonbasic lands the opponent has, thus having the potential to outperform Giant Growth in the right circumstance.

However, we can also parallel it with other cards such as Unnatural Growth. Although Unnatural Growth doesn’t offer the same instant buff, it can consistently double a creature’s power and toughness every combat, representing a long-term strategic advantage. Moreover, while Unnatural Growth influences the whole board and requires a more substantial mana investment, Capital Offense can be a game-changer with fewer resources when facing opponents with developed manabases.

The dynamic nature of Capital Offense within Magic: The Gathering stands out, as, unlike the static buffs of comparable cards, its unique effect scales with the progression of the game, aligning well with decks designed to exploit opponents’ extensive use of nonbasic lands.

Giant Growth - MTG Card versions
Unnatural Growth - MTG Card versions
Giant Growth - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Unnatural Growth - Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Promos (PMID)

Cards similar to capital offense by color, type and mana cost

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Insidious Dreams - MTG Card versions
Hagra Mauling // Hagra Broodpit - MTG Card versions
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Chill to the Bone - MTG Card versions
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Sewers of Estark - HarperPrism Book Promos (PHPR)
Feast or Famine - Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari (DDJ)
Nocturnal Raid - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Slaughter - Exodus (EXO)
Snuff Out - Doctor Who (WHO)
Death Bomb - Planeshift (PLS)
Psychotic Haze - Torment (TOR)
Insidious Dreams - Torment (TOR)
Hagra Mauling // Hagra Broodpit - From Cute to Brute (PCTB)
Hostile Negotiations - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Baleful Mastery - Strixhaven: School of Mages Promos (PSTX)
Death Pulse - Onslaught (ONS)
Irradiate - Mirrodin (MRD)
Burden of Greed - Darksteel (DST)
Shriveling Rot - Darksteel (DST)
Hideous Laughter - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
When Fluffy Bunnies Attack - Unhinged (UNH)
Chill to the Bone - Coldsnap (CSP)
Tendrils of Corruption - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)
Ravenous Trap - The List (PLST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase capital offense 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 capital offense and other MTG cards:

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Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering capital offense card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2018-01-19 ability words are part of the creature’s rules text. any capital letters an ability word has will count.
2018-01-19 all capital letters in the target creature’s rules text count, not just the ones in the first word of each sentence.

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