Stronghold Overseer MTG Card


Stronghold Overseer - Time Spiral
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Demon
Abilities Flying,Shadow
Released2006-10-06
Set symbol
Set nameTime Spiral
Set codeTSP
Power 5
Toughness 5
Number133
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byPuddnhead

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers tactical flexibility in combat, activating shadow ability at instant speed, potentially swaying battles.
  2. Demands opponent’s resources, indirectly accelerating your board presence against inefficient plays.
  3. Though mana-intensive, its unblockability and combo potential make it a worthy deck inclusion.

Text of card

Flying Shadow (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.) : Creatures with shadow get +1/+0 until end of turn and creatures without shadow get -1/-0 until end of turn.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Stronghold Overseer can become a key player in helping you gain the upper hand. When its shadow ability is activated, not only does it weaken your opponent’s creatures, but it also paves the way for your other creatures to swing in unblocked, possibly generating card advantage through successful combat.

Resource Acceleration: While the Stronghold Overseer itself doesn’t directly contribute to resource acceleration, it demands an answer from your opponents. This pressure can lead to opponents using resources inefficiently, indirectly accelerating your position as they fall behind trying to deal with the threat.

Instant Speed: The shadow ability of Stronghold Overseer can be activated at instant speed, providing a significant tactical advantage. You can wait until the most opportune moment during the combat phase to weaken opposing creatures, potentially turning the tide of battle in your favor without sacrificing the flexibility of your mana.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Stronghold Overseer necessitates discarding a card to activate its shadow ability. This can deplete your hand, leaving you at a potential disadvantage in the late game when resources are crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature requires black mana, which may not be practical for all deck builds, especially those that rely on a more diverse mana base or are not focused on a black-centered strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of 3BBB, Stronghold Overseer can be quite a mana investment. In a game where tempo is key, investing six mana into a single creature without immediate impact on the board can put you at a disadvantage against decks with lower curves.


Reasons to Include Stronghold Overseer in Your Collection

Versatility: Stronghold Overseer offers a wide array of applications across multiple deck archetypes. Its ability to give itself and other creatures you control shadow until end of turn means it can effectively become unblockable, making it a solid inclusion in evasion-centric builds.

Combo Potential: The flying demon’s ability to buff itself by -1/-1 for each creature with shadow adds a layer of synergy to decks that capitalize on power/toughness modifications or strategies that proliferate -1/-1 counters. This can lead to devastating combos in the right setup.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based strategies dominate, Stronghold Overseer can act as both an offensive and defensive linchpin. By curbing opposing threats and providing a consistent avenue for damage, it maintains its relevance in various competitive scenes.


How to beat Stronghold Overseer

Stronghold Overseer is an evasive creature card known for its shadow ability, making it only blockable by other creatures with shadow. Its inherent resilience to most blocking scenarios makes it a tricky opponent in any Magic: The Gathering match. One effective strategy to counter this card is using targeted removal spells. Since the Overseer is a creature card, spells like Doom Blade or Go for the Throat can effectively remove it from the battlefield without the need to block it.

Another tactic is to employ board wipes such as Wrath of God or Damnation, which can clear the board of all creatures, including those with shadow. Additionally, since Stronghold Overseer thrives in a creature-focused deck, relying on spells and abilities that don’t require creatures to interact, like burn spells or direct damage, can circumvent its combat advantages. Lastly, enchantments like Pacifism can effectively neutralize the Overseer without requiring a combat scenario, thereby removing its influence on the game. In essence, maintaining versatile removal in your deck can prepare you for facing not only Stronghold Overseer but other formidable creatures that MTG has to offer.


Cards like Stronghold Overseer

Exploring the depths of MTG’s shadow-theme creatures, Stronghold Overseer stands out. It shares the stage with Nightmare Unmaking, which also has the power to reduce the strength of other creatures. Both have a clear focus on manipulating the battlefield’s dynamics through creature stats. Nevertheless, where Stronghold Overseer exhibits constant threat with its shadow ability making it unblockable by creatures without shadow, Nightmare Unmaking is a one-off event that deflates opposing forces without having a creature body itself.

Delving into the world of creature control, Dread Presence emerges as another card with similarities in board impact. While Dread Presence demands specific land synergy to trigger its abilities, Stronghold Overseer invades with effortless elegance, only requiring mana to activate its formidable abilities. Whether you’re shrinking your opponent’s creatures or slipping past defenses, the Overseer’s presence on the board is a testament to its unique impact in player strategy. Each of these cards holds the ability to influence the flow of the game, yet Stronghold Overseer allows for constant manipulation, setting it apart as an enduring force.

Assessing the capabilities of these cards within the MTG universe, Stronghold Overseer holds its own as both a formidable shadow creature and a tool for game state control. Its versatility and ability to persist as an ongoing threat give it an edge in decks that aim to dominate through creature superiority.

Nightmare Unmaking - MTG Card versions
Dread Presence - MTG Card versions
Nightmare Unmaking - Commander 2019 (C19)
Dread Presence - Core Set 2020 (M20)

Cards similar to Stronghold Overseer by color, type and mana cost

Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Ihsan's Shade - MTG Card versions
Necrosavant - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Lancer - MTG Card versions
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Wire Surgeons - MTG Card versions
Grave Titan - MTG Card versions
Chittering Harvester - MTG Card versions
Crossway Troublemakers - MTG Card versions
Anurid Murkdiver - MTG Card versions
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Twisted Abomination - MTG Card versions
Iname, Death Aspect - MTG Card versions
Yawgmoth Demon - MTG Card versions
Ascendant Evincar - MTG Card versions
Bog Hoodlums - MTG Card versions
Helldozer - MTG Card versions
Geth, Lord of the Vault - MTG Card versions
Toxic Nim - MTG Card versions
Nightmare - Arena Beginner Set (ANB)
Ihsan's Shade - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Necrosavant - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Dakmor Lancer - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Face of Fear - Odyssey (ODY)
Wire Surgeons - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Grave Titan - Fallout (PIP)
Chittering Harvester - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Crossway Troublemakers - Crimson Vow Commander (VOC)
Anurid Murkdiver - Onslaught (ONS)
Gempalm Polluter - Legions (LGN)
Nefashu - Scourge (SCG)
Twisted Abomination - Scourge (SCG)
Iname, Death Aspect - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Yawgmoth Demon - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Ascendant Evincar - Tenth Edition (10E)
Bog Hoodlums - Lorwyn (LRW)
Helldozer - Planechase (HOP)
Geth, Lord of the Vault - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Toxic Nim - New Phyrexia (NPH)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Stronghold Overseer MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral, 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 Stronghold Overseer and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Stronghold Overseer has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-03-19 If an attacking creature has multiple evasion abilities, such as shadow and flying, a creature can block it only if that creature satisfies all of the appropriate evasion abilities.
2021-03-19 Multiple instances of shadow on the same creature are redundant.
2021-03-19 Once a creature has been blocked, that creature remains blocked and will deal and be dealt combat damage even if it gains or loses shadow or if the blocking creature gains or loses shadow.

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