Zulaport Enforcer MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Warrior
Abilities	Level Up
Released	2010-04-23
Set symbol
Set name	Rise of the Eldrazi
Set code	ROE
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	133
Frame	2003
Layout	Leveler
Border	Black
Illustred by	Matt Stewart

Key Takeaways

Offers card advantage through combat damage and can force opponents to alter their strategies.
Provides incremental life gain, improving resource management in lengthy games.
Levelling up at instant speed presents unforeseen threats, increasing combat dynamics.

Text of card

Level up (: Put a level counter on this. Level up only as a sorcery.) LEVEL 1-2 3/3 LEVEL 3+ 5/5 Zulaport Enforcer can't be blocked except by black creatures.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Zulaport Enforcer offers a unique form of card advantage by potentially removing an opponent’s creature each time it deals combat damage, thinning out the opponent’s defenses and potentially paving the way for subsequent attacks.

Resource Acceleration: The death-trigger ability of the Zulaport Enforcer can provide you with resource acceleration in the form of life gain. Each time another creature you control dies, you gain a life, which can be a tidy bonus in attrition wars or in decks that capitalize on life as a resource.

Instant Speed: The Zulaport Enforcer can become an even bigger threat at instant speed. The ability to level it up when your mana would otherwise go unused allows for flexibility and unpredictability in combat, potentially disrupting your opponent’s combat calculations.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Utilizing Zulaport Enforcer in your deck may require you to manage your hand carefully, as the card can compel you to discard, reducing your in-hand advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost demands a certain combination of mana, which can limit flexibility especially in multicolor decks not aligned with its color requirements.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The casting cost for Zulaport Enforcer is on the higher side when compared with other cards offering similar abilities, possibly making it a less than optimal choice during tight mana scenarios.

Reasons to Include Zulaport Enforcer in Your Collection

Versatility: Zulaport Enforcer is a flexible addition to decks that thrive on creature synergies. Its low casting cost makes it an efficient turn-one play, seamlessly fitting into aggressive strategies or defensive setups. Its ability to grow and gain evasion over time makes it a consistent threat on the board.

Combo Potential: As a creature that benefits from +1/+1 counters, Zulaport Enforcer can be a key piece in proliferate decks or those that manipulate counters for various effects. It can also contribute to sacrificial strategies, taking advantage of its death-trigger potential.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that focuses on creature interactions, Zulaport Enforcer earns its place. It demands an answer from opponents due to its capacity to become a larger, unblockable threat. Well-timed, this card can tilt the battlefield in your favor, especially as opponents exhaust their removal options.

How to beat

When facing the Zulaport Enforcer on the battlefield, it’s essential to recognize its deathtouch ability, which allows it to eliminate any creature it deals damage to, regardless of the creature’s toughness. This ability can make it a tricky opponent, especially when used as a defensive tool to deter your attacks.

To effectively overcome the Zulaport Enforcer, consider using removal spells that can bypass its deathtouch. Spells like Shock or Lightning Bolt can dispatch it without needing to engage in combat. Additionally, board clearing spells like Wrath of God can clear the field without directly targeting it, thereby circumventing its lethal combat prowess.

Another strategy is to limit the creature’s effectiveness by controlling the game’s tempo. If you can manage your opponent’s creatures and keep the Enforcer from having allies it can buff or benefit from, you’ll minimize its impact. Remember, knowledge of your opponent’s deck and a well-structured sideboard can turn the tide in this matchup and help secure your victory.

Cards like Zulaport Enforcer

Zulaport Enforcer stands as a unique option for those looking to bolster their black-aligned decks with a creature designed for longevity and incremental advantages. When examined alongside other MTG creatures like Blood Artist and Zulaport Cutthroat, its strength becomes even more intriguing. All these cards benefit from your creatures dying, but Zulaport Enforcer brings something slightly different to the table.

Blood Artist excels at draining life from the opponent each time a creature perishes, which aligns with the Enforcer’s love for a populated graveyard. However, the Enforcer steps ahead with its level up capability, growing stronger and harder to kill as the game progresses. Zulaport Cutthroat also compares closely as it provides a similar payoff on creature death, though it grants life gain and loss without the potential to become a threatening force on the board.

Comparing these options, Zulaport Enforcer can be seen as a flexible choice that can potentially command the battlefield while providing incremental value, characteristic of black’s resilient nature in MTG. It’s a card that while not powerful at first glance, can certainly become a linchpin in a well-structured strategy.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Zulaport Enforcer MTG card by a specific set like Rise of the Eldrazi, 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 Zulaport Enforcer and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Zulaport Enforcer has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2010-06-15	A creature’s level is based on how many level counters it has on it, not how many times its level up ability has been activated or has resolved. If a leveler gets level counters due to some other effect (such as Clockspinning) or loses level counters for some reason (such as Vampire Hexmage), its level is changed accordingly.
2010-06-15	Effects that modify a leveler’s power or toughness, such as the effects of Giant Growth or Glorious Anthem, will apply to it no matter when they started to take effect. The same is true for counters that change the creature’s power or toughness (such as +1/+1 counters) and effects that switch its power and toughness.
2010-06-15	Effects that set a leveler’s power or toughness to a specific value, including the effects from a level symbol’s ability, apply in timestamp order. The timestamp of each level symbol’s ability is the same as the timestamp of the leveler itself, regardless of when the most recent level counter was put on it.
2010-06-15	If another creature becomes a copy of a leveler, all of the leveler’s printed abilities — including those represented by level symbols — are copied. The current characteristics of the leveler, and the number of level counters on it, are not. The abilities, power, and toughness of the copy will be determined based on how many level counters are on the copy.
2010-06-15	The abilities a leveler grants to itself don’t overwrite any other abilities it may have. In particular, they don’t overwrite the creature’s level up ability; it always has that.