Tactical Advantage MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Tactical Advantage excels in surprise combat boosts, giving a key creature a timely +2/+2.
  2. Despite versatility, the forced discard can be a significant strategy disadvantage.
  3. Its best use is within white mana decks and strategies focusing on creature spells.

Text of card

Target blocking or blocked creature you control gets +2/+2 until end of turn.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tactical Advantage is known for tipping the balance in combat by providing a decisive boost. This can effectively turn a well-planned defense into an offensive opportunity, potentially leaving you with more creatures intact and your opponent with fewer, ultimately benefiting your board state.

Resource Acceleration: While this card doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, it plays a significant role in maintaining your creatures on the battlefield. Safeguarding your creatures can indirectly contribute to resource acceleration, as it keeps your mana investments safe and ensures their continual impact on the game.

Instant Speed: The power of playing cards at instant speed cannot be overstated. Tactical Advantage allows you to surprise an opponent during combat, altering the expected outcome. This can disrupt your adversary’s strategy, as they might not account for the sudden change in creature strength during their calculations for combat.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Tactical Advantage forces the player to discard a card, which could be problematic during critical phases where maintaining hand advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s white mana requirement means that it can only be optimally utilized in decks heavily featuring white mana or with a well-tuned mana base, potentially restricting its versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Tactical Advantage has a mana cost that might be considered steep for its limited effect, especially when measured against other combat tricks in MTG that could offer greater benefits for a lower mana investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Tactical Advantage can be a key piece in any white deck that aims to protect and empower creatures. Its ability to give a creature +2/+2 during combat means it fits well in aggressive strategies as well as defensive setups where combat tricks can turn the tide.

Combo Potential: When used alongside cards that benefit from instant spells or bolster creatures, Tactical Advantage can become part of a powerful combo, providing not just a temporary boost, but potentially leading to overwhelming board states that opponents struggle to recover from.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature combat is prevalent, Tactical Advantage offers a low-cost way to ensure favorable outcomes. Its surprise factor can disrupt opponent calculations, making it a relevant choice for maintaining board control and pushing through critical damage.


How to beat

Navigating your way around Tactical Advantage in a game of MTG can be a decisive factor for victory. This card, known for its ability to swing combat phases in favor of the caster, allows a target creature to gain +2/+2 until end of turn. Recognizing this, when facing a deck that leverages Tactical Advantage, timing is key. Holding back instant-speed removal or bounce spells until opponents attempt to cast it during the combat phase can effectively neutralize the threat and waste your opponent’s resources.

Additionally, be wary of committing too many attackers when your opponents have untapped mana and possible unknown cards in hand, as Tactical Advantage can turn a good offensive move into a devastating counter-attack. Cards that offer hexproof to your creatures or abilities that prevent targeting can nullify the advantages of such combat tricks. On a broader scale, managing the battlefield and keeping control of the pace of the match can deter opponents from finding an opportune time to utilize Tactical Advantage. Careful play and strategic control are your best tools to outmaneuver opponents looking to leverage this spell to tilt the battlefield in their favor.


Cards like Tactical Advantage

Tactical Advantage offers players a useful tool in the wide arsenal of combat trick cards found in Magic: The Gathering. It stands alongside cards like Inspired Charge, providing a boon to creatures during battle. However, Tactical Advantage brings a focus to individual creature support, granting one creature a significant boost to its power for a single mana. Inspired Charge, conversely, affects all creatures you control, but with a higher mana requirement and a smaller power increase.

Another card worth mentioning is Moment of Heroism, which shares Tactical Advantage’s instant speed appeal and cost-efficiency. It even adds lifelink to the mix, a nice perk not offered by Tactical Advantage. Yet, Tactical Advantage doesn’t require a life total for its usage, potentially making it the better option in purely offensive strategies. Then there’s Valor Made Real, which like Tactical Advantage, targets a single creature but instead of increasing power, it enables that creature to block any number of creatures—a vastly different strategic approach.

Ultimately, each card in this category carries its unique strategic implications and mana considerations. Tactical Advantage excels in its low-cost, high-impact design tailored for surprise maneuvers and turning the tide of single combats in Magic: The Gathering.

Inspired Charge - MTG Card versions
Moment of Heroism - MTG Card versions
Valor Made Real - MTG Card versions
Inspired Charge - Magic 2011 (M11)
Moment of Heroism - Innistrad (ISD)
Valor Made Real - Dissension (DIS)

Cards similar to Tactical Advantage by color, type and mana cost

Death Ward - MTG Card versions
Blaze of Glory - MTG Card versions
Healing Salve - MTG Card versions
Swords to Plowshares - MTG Card versions
Purelace - MTG Card versions
Righteousness - MTG Card versions
Indestructible Aura - MTG Card versions
Glyph of Life - MTG Card versions
Warning - MTG Card versions
Heal - MTG Card versions
Anoint - MTG Card versions
Rally the Troops - MTG Card versions
Enlightened Tutor - MTG Card versions
Orim's Touch - MTG Card versions
Pollen Remedy - MTG Card versions
Sacred Rites - MTG Card versions
Pay No Heed - MTG Card versions
Path to Exile - MTG Card versions
Piety Charm - MTG Card versions
Hallow - MTG Card versions
Death Ward - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Blaze of Glory - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Healing Salve - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Swords to Plowshares - Murders at Karlov Manor Commander (MKC)
Purelace - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Righteousness - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Indestructible Aura - Chronicles (CHR)
Glyph of Life - Legends (LEG)
Warning - Ice Age (ICE)
Heal - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Anoint - Tempest (TMP)
Rally the Troops - Portal Second Age (P02)
Enlightened Tutor - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Orim's Touch - Invasion (INV)
Pollen Remedy - Planeshift (PLS)
Sacred Rites - The List (PLST)
Pay No Heed - Torment (TOR)
Path to Exile - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)
Piety Charm - Onslaught (ONS)
Hallow - Darksteel (DST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tactical Advantage MTG card by a specific set like Arena New Player Experience Cards and Arena Beginner Set, 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 Tactical Advantage and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Tactical Advantage Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-07-14 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Lie Setiawan.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-07-14Arena New Player Experience CardsOANA 122015normalblackLie Setiawan
22020-08-13Arena Beginner SetANB 222015normalblackLie Setiawan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Tactical Advantage has restrictions

FormatLegality
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
TimelessLegal

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