Cursed Ronin MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Samurai
Abilities	Bushido
Released	2004-10-01
Set symbol
Set name	Champions of Kamigawa
Set code	CHK
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	107
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Carl Critchlow

Key Takeaways

Equipping Cursed Ronin offers more tactical plays and can increase card advantage on the battlefield.
Although powerful, its specific mana cost and investment can restrict deck-building and play complexities.
Cursed Ronin’s versatility and combo potential make it a noteworthy addition to certain MTG decks.

Text of card

Bushido 1 (When this blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.) : Cursed Ronin gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

"You are fortunate, my enemy. You have paid the price but once. I never stop paying."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Equipping Cursed Ronin with abilities or enhancements can effectively increase the number of options at your disposal, essentially tipping the scales in your favor by broadening the tactical plays you can make on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: Cursed Ronin’s potential for power increases with each additional swamp you play. This offers a sort of indirect resource acceleration as it becomes a larger threat without requiring additional cards.

Instant Speed: Though Cursed Ronin’s ability isn’t at instant speed, its flexibility allows you to use mana at any point during your turn. This means you can adapt to the board state after developing your strategy, without revealing your full capabilities to your opponent beforehand.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To fully utilize Cursed Ronin’s abilities, you may need to discard cards, which could deplete your hand when you might be needing to maintain card advantage against your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: Cursed Ronin requires black mana to cast and activate its ability. This specific mana cost can restrict deck-building options, limiting its play to primarily black or black-inclusive decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a creature that requires further investment to become a threat, the initial four mana cost of Cursed Ronin is on the higher side. In the four-mana slot, players often have access to creatures with inherently stronger abilities or stats that don’t require additional mana investments post-casting.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Cursed Ronin thrives in decks built around the Samurai archetype, but also slots well into any black monocolored or multicolored deck focused on boosting creature power. Its ability to grow in strength synergizes with incremental buffs or equipment cards.

Combo Potential: With the right set of cards to manipulate counters or proliferate, Cursed Ronin’s power can be escalated quickly, turning it into a formidable threat and leveraging the power of synergistic interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where creature combat is key, Cursed Ronin can serve as a reliable blocker or attacher that can be dynamically adapted to the changing board state—its utility rising as you manage your mana strategically.

How to beat

Cursed Ronin proves to be a formidable creature in MTG given the right circumstances. Harnessing the power of black mana, this card can become a serious threat on the battlefield if left unchecked. The ability to increase its power at the cost of mana can overwhelm unprepared opponents. It’s essential to consider strategies that invalidate the Ronin’s buffing ability and maintain control of the game.

Effective approaches to counter Cursed Ronin include removal spells that bypass its potential power boosts. Cards like Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile can exile it from the battlefield regardless of its current strength. If you’re playing a deck with blue elements, countermagic such as Counterspell or Mana Leak can prevent the Ronin from hitting the board altogether. Keep your mana open to react swiftly.

Another key strategy is to keep the opponent’s mana tapped out or restricted, thereby nullifying the advantage Cursed Ronin can leverage. Land destruction or spells that restrict mana usage like Blood Moon can stall the Ronin’s power ramp. Control decks shine here, using a combination of disruption and removal to keep threats like Cursed Ronin at bay.

Cards like Cursed Ronin

Cursed Ronin holds a unique spot in the array of creature cards within Magic: The Gathering. It shares some similarities with other ‘pumpable’ creatures, where players can pay mana to increase the creature’s power or toughness. Cards like Balduvian Barbarians seem similar at a glance, having the same mana cost, yet they lack Cursed Ronin’s on-demand power boost capability.

Another card worth mentioning in relation to Cursed Ronin is Nantuko Shade, which also allows players to pump it stronger, in this case for both power and toughness. Nantuko Shade requires less mana to play, making it a stronger early game option for some, yet Cursed Ronin has the advantage of being tougher to begin with. Mistform Warchief is an intriguing case, as it’s mutable in terms of creature type, providing tactical versatility that Cursed Ronin doesn’t offer, but does not have the straightforward power boosting feature.

When evaluating the potential of these creatures in a game, Cursed Ronin demands consideration, especially in a deck where ample mana is available to exploit its power boosting ability, allowing it to serve as a formidable and adaptable threat on the battlefield.

Balduvian Barbarians - MTG Card versions

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

Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions

Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cursed Ronin MTG card by a specific set like Champions of Kamigawa, 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 Ronin and other MTG cards: