Suncrusher MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	9
Rarity	Rare
Type	Artifact Creature — Construct
Abilities	Sunburst
Released	2004-06-04
Set symbol
Set name	Fifth Dawn
Set code	5DN
Power	3
Toughness	3
Number	159
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Dave Dorman

Key Takeaways

Leveraging Suncrusher can lock down the battlefield, creating a significant card advantage by destroying opponent’s permanents.
Its demanding mana cost and discard requirement may restrict deck integration, emphasizing strategic deck building.
Combines raw power with artful strategy, offering a resilient board control mechanism to shape game outcomes.

Text of card

Sunburst (This comes into play with a +1/+1 counter on it for each color of mana used to pay its cost.) , , Remove a +1/+1 counter from Suncrusher: Destroy target creature. , Remove a +1/+1 counter from Suncrusher: Return Suncrusher to its owner's hand.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When you have the Suncrusher in play, its ability to obliterate permanents can steadily deplete your opponent’s cards, effectively giving you control over the field. This can lead to significant card advantage as your opponent is forced to spend more resources to recuperate.

Resource Acceleration: The Suncrusher can also act as a deterrent, slowing down your opponent’s development. This allows you to potentially speed up your own game plan with fewer threats at bay, giving you the time needed to access greater mana resources or deploy key pieces.

Instant Speed: Although the Suncrusher itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its presence compels opponents to play as though it could. Knowing that the Suncrusher could decimate a permanent at any moment means opponents must carefully consider each move, often leading to a slower, more predictable game that benefits you.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Suncrusher necessitates players to discard another card, which might deplete valuable resources, particularly in the late game where every card’s strategic value is maximized.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s activation requires a precise blend of colorless and white mana, restricting its integration into multicolored or color-flexible strategies and potentially limiting the decks it can optimize.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sporting a nine-mana cost for summoning, Suncrusher is positioned on the higher end of the mana curve, which could hinder pacing and may not align with the tempo of more agile or low-curve strategies where early board presence is vital.

Reasons to Include Suncrusher in Your Collection

Versatility: Suncrusher is a unique artifact creature that can seamlessly integrate into artifact-centric decks or be a standalone powerhouse. With the ability to deal with creatures and to be reborn, it provides utility across multiple game situations.

Combo Potential: This card has an innate ability to synergize with decks that capitalize on creature destruction or artifact recursion, amplifying existing strategies or enabling new combos.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where indestructible and persistent creatures prevail, Suncrusher offers a recurring solution. Its repeatable removal and reset option maintain its relevance and can sweep the board leading to game-winning states.

How to beat

Suncrusher is a formidable artifact creature in Magic the Gathering that can send ripples across the battlefield with its potent abilities to destroy creatures and deal damage to players. However, even the most daunting of cards have their Achilles’ heel, and for Suncrusher, it’s all about playing the right counters.

As an artifact, Suncrusher is vulnerable to artifact removal spells. Cards like Disenchant or Naturalize can effectively remove Suncrusher from the game before its controller can capitalize on its destructive powers. Another strategy is to employ instant-speed removal spells like Doom Blade or Path to Exile, which can take care of Suncrusher before it becomes a significant threat.

Countering its activation abilities is another method to keep Suncrusher at bay. Activated ability disruption through cards such as Stifle or Trickbind can help you avoid those devastating blows. Lastly, since Suncrusher requires substantial mana to operate, utilizing land destruction or mana disruption can inhibit your opponent’s ability to use Suncrusher effectively. Keeping these tactics in mind can turn the tide of the game in your favor when facing this powerful card.

Cards like Suncrusher

Within the vast repertoire of MTG artifacts, the Suncrusher stands out as a behemoth capable of decimating opponent’s creatures. Its direct counterpart is the infamous Triskelion, which also operates on a counter-based system for dealing damage. Nevertheless, Suncrusher boasts a unique resurrection ability, allowing it to come back from the graveyard by removing counters—a feature Triskelion lacks.

In terms of sheer destructive power, Darksteel Colossus bears similarity with its indestructible nature and overwhelming presence on the battlefield. However, Suncrusher’s potential for board control with its creature-destroying ability is not shared by Darksteel Colossus, which plays a more straightforward beatdown role. Additionally, Suncrusher holds the flexibility of being able to target creatures or players, giving it a tactical edge in certain gameplay scenarios.

Considering these aspects, Suncrusher earns its place in decks looking for assertive control elements combined with staying power. It may require a significant mana investment but the controlling versatility and resilience it brings to the game can be well worth the cost.

Cards similar to Suncrusher by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Suncrusher MTG card by a specific set like Fifth Dawn, 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 Suncrusher and other MTG cards: