Cursed Minotaur MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Zombie Minotaur
Abilities Menace
Power 3
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Cursed Minotaur pressures opponents, leading to potential card advantage through unfavorable trades.
  2. While powerful, it demands a card discard, which can impact your hand’s resource management.
  3. Its specific black mana cost limits deck diversity but ensures a strong fit in monoblack decks.

Text of card

Menace (This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)

"Look! That is why we must never waver. That is what awaits us if we fail." —Djeru, initiate of Tah crop


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cursed Minotaur provides solid card advantage in the form of creating pressure on the opponent. Its menacing presence forces opponents to make unfavorable trades, potentially leading you to come out ahead in card economy.

Resource Acceleration: While Cursed Minotaur doesn’t directly accelerate resources like a ramp spell would, it poses a threat that requires an immediate answer. If unanswered, it quickly depletes the opponent’s resources while preserving your own.

Instant Speed: Though not an instant itself, Cursed Minotaur synergizes well with instant-speed removal and combat tricks. By putting pressure on your opponent to block or remove the Minotaur, you open the way for instant-speed interactions that can be much more devastating during combat.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Cursed Minotaur’s abilities can be advantageous, one downside is the discard requirement for it to achieve its maximum potential. This cost means that players have to give up another card in their hand, which can be particularly taxing if they’re already running low on cards or if it forces them to discard a crucial piece of their strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Cursed Minotaur comes with a specific mana cost that can limit its inclusion in decks. Requiring one black mana means it’s primed for monoblack or black-centered decks, potentially not fitting into multicolor decks that might not consistently produce the necessary black mana or may have a different focus in their mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: In the context of competitive play, Cursed Minotaur’s mana cost might be considered high when compared with other creatures in the same mana slot. Evaluating its total cost and the power/toughness it brings to the battlefield, players might find other creatures or spells that provide more impact or versatility for the same or a lower mana investment.


Reasons to Include Cursed Minotaur in Your Collection

Versatility: Cursed Minotaur is a dynamic card with menace, allowing it to slip past blockers. This feature enables it to be a versatile player in numerous aggressive and black-based decks that emphasize direct damage and combat tactics.

Combo Potential: This creature can combo well with tribal boosts or other mechanics that favor Minotaur or zombie-themed decks. Any strategy that benefits from creatures being hard to block could harness the power of this Minotaur’s innate abilities.

Meta-Relevance: In certain meta where control decks are prevalent, Cursed Minotaur’s evasion through menace makes it a relevant threat. Its straightforward damage capabilities align well with the need for consistent board presence against control-focused opponents.


How to beat

Cursed Minotaur features within the aggressive black creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. With its menace ability, this creature can be a real threat, compelling opponents to block with two or more creatures. However, despite its potential for causing a quick drop in your opponent’s life total, the card is not unbeatable. To counter Cursed Minotaur, an emphasis on board control is essential. Cards with deathtouch or those that can create multiple blockers like Doomed Dissenter or Serrated Scorpion can be effective. Board wipes or spot removal spells such as Fatal Push or Cast Down can remove the Minotaur before it becomes a significant threat.

Exploring further combat strategies, deploying creatures with greater toughness can negate the menace of Cursed Minotaur, by comfortably blocking and surviving the attack. Additionally, enchantments that pacify or tap down opposing creatures prove to be reliable answers for neutralizing its impact on the game. Utilizing these tactics effectively can check the advance of Cursed Minotaur and tip the scales of the match in your favor, ensuring that the looming threat of the Minotaur becomes a mere obstacle on your path to victory.


Cards like Cursed Minotaur

The Cursed Minotaur provides a distinct angle to the classic black creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. It peers alongside similarly costed creatures such as Drudge Skeletons, which also offers a form of resilience with its regenerate ability. Yet, Cursed Minotaur boasts the menace ability, compelling opponents to block with two or more creatures, a tactical advantage not found in the skeleton’s skill set.

Further comparison reveals Doom Blade as a creature that delivers immediate impact, removing a nonblack creature from the game for the same cost as deploying a Cursed Minotaur. The Minotaur’s persistent presence on the battlefield, however, can exert continued pressure on the opponent in a way one-time removal spells can’t emulate. Disturbingly similar is the Ammit Eternal, a creature with a bit higher price tag which also carries a negative ability offset by the potential to be a more potent threat. While Ammit Eternal can grow more powerful with each spell the opponent casts, the simplicity of the Cursed Minotaur’s menace gives it easier gameplay and reliability.

Assessing these cards through gameplay scenarios, Cursed Minotaur, with its unique combination of aggressive stats and the ability to challenge an opponent’s defenses, carves out its niche in MTG’s plethora of aggressive black creatures.

Drudge Skeletons - MTG Card versions
Doom Blade - MTG Card versions
Ammit Eternal - MTG Card versions
Drudge Skeletons - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Doom Blade - Magic 2010 (M10)
Ammit Eternal - Hour of Devastation (HOU)

Cards similar to Cursed Minotaur by color, type and mana cost

Nettling Imp - MTG Card versions
Royal Assassin - MTG Card versions
El-Hajjâj - MTG Card versions
Plague Rats - MTG Card versions
Frozen Shade - MTG Card versions
Scathe Zombies - MTG Card versions
Sorceress Queen - MTG Card versions
Wall of Bone - MTG Card versions
Lost Soul - MTG Card versions
Mindstab Thrull - MTG Card versions
Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions
Strongarm Thug - MTG Card versions
Razortooth Rats - MTG Card versions
Ghastly Remains - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Undead - MTG Card versions
Deepwood Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Dross Prowler - MTG Card versions
Nim Lasher - MTG Card versions
Nim Abomination - MTG Card versions
Vesper Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Nettling Imp - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Royal Assassin - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
El-Hajjâj - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Plague Rats - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Frozen Shade - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Scathe Zombies - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Sorceress Queen - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Wall of Bone - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Lost Soul - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Mindstab Thrull - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Mischievous Poltergeist - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Strongarm Thug - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Razortooth Rats - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Ghastly Remains - Legions (LGN)
Lord of the Undead - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Deepwood Ghoul - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Dross Prowler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Lasher - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Abomination - Darksteel (DST)
Vesper Ghoul - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cursed Minotaur MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Mystery Booster, 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 Cursed Minotaur and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Cursed Minotaur Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by David Palumbo.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-04-28AmonkhetAKH 852015normalblackDavid Palumbo
22019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 6072015normalblackDavid Palumbo
32020-09-26The ListPLST AKH-852015normalblackDavid Palumbo

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cursed Minotaur has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

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