Stifle MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityRare
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Stifle provides control via countering crucial abilities with just one blue mana.
  2. Its instant speed allows strategic plays at critical game junctures.
  3. Remains relevant across evolving metagames, countering diverse abilities.

Text of card

Counter target activated or triggered ability. (Mana abilities can't be countered.)

"If I wanted your opinion, I'd have told you what it was." —Pemmin, Riptide survivor


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Stifle stands out by turning one card into a potent disruption tool against a range of triggered or activated abilities your opponents control. This can equate to a form of card advantage, as it can negate the benefits of an opponent’s more expensive spell or important game actions with a single blue mana.

Resource Acceleration: While Stifle itself does not directly accelerate resources, its low cost allows players to effectively manage their mana while keeping resources available for other strategic plays. The utility it brings to the table can help maintain a tempo advantage over your opponent.

Instant Speed: The instant nature of Stifle means it can be played at nearly any time, offering flexibility and surprise. This allows players to disrupt opponent strategies during crucial moments, potentially saving them from a game-changing ability or ultimate planeswalker activation without telegraphing their intent.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Not applicable for Stifle as it doesn’t require discarding as part of its cost to cast; however, it does necessitate having the card in hand, which could be a strategic resource you’re reluctant to use prematurely.

Specific Mana Cost: Stifle demands a single blue mana to play, which ties it closely to blue-centric or blue-inclusive decks, potentially excluding it from other deck archetypes that do not support blue mana as readily.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Stifle’s mana cost is low at a single blue mana, the card’s effectiveness is situational. Its utility can feel limited, especially when facing decks that do not rely heavily on activated or triggered abilities, making its inclusion in a deck sometimes more of a meta call rather than a staple choice.


Reasons to Include Stifle in Your Collection

Versatility: Stifle is a multifaceted tool in any deck, capable of disrupting a wide array of strategies. This instant can target not just spells, but also abilities, including activated or triggered ones, making it a flexible response during almost any phase of the game.

Combo Potential: Its ability to interrupt combos by nixing crucial triggers or activated abilities can pivot the tide of a match. Stifle can also slot into combinations of its own, working alongside cards that benefit from spells being cast or countered.

Meta-Relevance: Its usefulness consistently endures as the MTG meta evolves. Whether you’re facing off against fetch lands, Planeswalker abilities, or storm spells, Stifle remains a relevant and tactically sound inclusion capable of giving players an edge in diverse competitive settings.


How to Beat Stifle in MTG

Stifle is a versatile and powerful card in Magic: The Gathering, known for its ability to counter key abilities your opponent might be relying on. It can shut down fetch lands, interrupt combo pieces, and nullify triggers that could turn the game in your opponent’s favor. However, there are strategic ways to play around this disruptive card and maintain the upper hand.

To effectively beat Stifle, players should bait out the card early on. Present multiple abilities that could tempt your opponent into using their Stifle prematurely. Additionally, holding onto instant-speed spells that can interact with it or playing redundant ability sources can mitigate Stifle’s effectiveness. Cards that can’t be countered, such as Supreme Verdict or abilities from creatures with hexproof, are excellent preemptive measures against Stifle. Furthermore, having a counterspell ready for when your opponent aims to Stifle an essential trigger is crucial. Patience is key—once Stifle is out of the way, you’re free to execute your game plan unimpeded.

Remember, knowledge of your opponent’s deck and potential Stifle targets is essential. By playing smart and keeping the pressure up, Stifle can go from a feared card to a minor obstacle on your path to victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Diving deep into the intricacies of Stifle can unlock new avenues for control and disruption in your MTG gameplay. With the strategic edge it provides, understanding how to leverage this card can be the difference between a defeat and a masterful victory. Whether you’re intrigued by its potential to shape the battlefield or seeking to refine your deck with its versatile capabilities, there’s much to explore with Stifle. Join our community of passionate players and enhance your deck-building skills, gain insights into advanced strategies, and learn how to optimize your playstyle with Stifle as a key component in your MTG arsenal.


Cards like Stifle

Stifle stands as a unique and potent spell in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, known for its capacity to disrupt opponents by nullifying a single triggered or activated ability. This card echoes the functionality of cards like Trickbind and Voidslime. Trickbind also prevents an ability from triggering, but carries a split second attribute, which means it can’t be responded to. Unlike Stifle, however, it has a higher casting cost.

Voidslime serves a similar purpose, with the added flexibility of countering a spell, activated, or triggered ability. Despite its steeper mana requirement, which includes green, this versatility can be a game-changer in various situations. Squelch is another card that can be juxtaposed with Stifle, offering the utility of countering an activated ability and the added bonus of drawing a card. Nevertheless, Squelch’s higher mana cost compared to the single blue mana for Stifle is something players must consider when constructing their decks.

Ultimately, the efficiency and low cost of Stifle make it a formidable option for players aiming to strategically disrupt their opponent’s play. It shines in any MTG strategy favoring control and precision, continually validating its place in decks focused on denial and interruption.

Trickbind - MTG Card versions
Voidslime - MTG Card versions
Squelch - MTG Card versions
Trickbind - Time Spiral (TSP)
Voidslime - Champs and States (PCMP)
Squelch - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)

Cards similar to Stifle by color, type and mana cost

Ancestral Recall - MTG Card versions
Jump - MTG Card versions
Sleight of Mind - MTG Card versions
Twiddle - MTG Card versions
Unsummon - MTG Card versions
Siren's Call - MTG Card versions
Power Sink - MTG Card versions
Blue Elemental Blast - MTG Card versions
Spell Blast - MTG Card versions
Magical Hack - MTG Card versions
Sea Kings' Blessing - MTG Card versions
Riptide - MTG Card versions
Winter's Chill - MTG Card versions
Mind Bend - MTG Card versions
Denied! - MTG Card versions
Hydroblast - MTG Card versions
Whispers of the Muse - MTG Card versions
Ertai's Trickery - MTG Card versions
Force Spike - MTG Card versions
Opt - MTG Card versions
Ancestral Recall - Vintage Championship (OVNT)
Jump - Magic 2010 (M10)
Sleight of Mind - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Twiddle - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Unsummon - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Siren's Call - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Power Sink - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Blue Elemental Blast - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Spell Blast - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Magical Hack - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Sea Kings' Blessing - Legends (LEG)
Riptide - The Dark (DRK)
Winter's Chill - Ice Age (ICE)
Mind Bend - Tenth Edition (10E)
Denied! - Unglued (UGL)
Hydroblast - Eternal Masters (EMA)
Whispers of the Muse - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Ertai's Trickery - Planeshift (PLS)
Force Spike - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Opt - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Stifle MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Scourge, 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 Stifle and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Stifle Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2003-05-26 and 2021-05-27. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 435402003normalblackEric Fortune
22003-05-26ScourgeSCG 521997normalblackDany Orizio
32004-09-01World Championship Decks 2004WC04 gn52sb2003normalgoldDany Orizio
42009-01-01Judge Gift Cards 2009G09 32003normalblackEric Fortune
52014-06-06ConspiracyCNS 1082003normalblackEric Fortune
62017-04-28Amonkhet InvocationsMP2 182015normalborderlessCliff Childs
72021-05-27Historic Anthology 5HA5 82015normalblackDany Orizio

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Stifle has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 An activated ability has a “Cost: Effect” format. Look for the colon. A triggered ability starts with “when”, “whenever”, or “at”.
2004-10-04 It can target delayed triggered abilities. For example, a card that says “Whenever a player cycles a card, you may exile target creature. If you do, return that creature to the battlefield at the beginning of the end step.” triggers when a player cycles a card and creates a delayed trigger that happens at the beginning of the end step. You can choose to target the “at the beginning of the end step” trigger when it is placed on the stack at end of turn.
2004-10-04 Turn-based actions and special actions like the normal card draw, combat damage, or turning a face-down creature face up can’t be targeted.

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