Cunning Survivor MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Warrior
Released	2017-07-14
Set symbol
Set name	Hour of Devastation
Set code	HOU
Power	1
Toughness	3
Number	33
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Zoltan Boros

Key Takeaways

Cunning Survivor grows stronger with cycling and discarding, pushing ahead in your strategy.
Instant speed adaptability makes it versatile during combat and responsive plays.
Focus on blue mana and potential hand depletion are considerations for deck inclusion.

Text of card

Whenever you cycle or discard a card, Cunning Survivor gets +1/+0 until end of turn and can't be blocked this turn.

Initiates who had been through the Trial of Knowledge learned to see everything as pieces of a larger puzzle.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cunning Survivor pairs well with card draw and cycling mechanisms, potentially creating a situation where you’re beefing up your board presence while simultaneously filling your hand with more options. This dual benefit keeps you one step ahead of your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: By facilitating discard and draw strategies, the Cunning Survivor helps to churn through your deck quickly. This opens up opportunities to unleash other powerful plays sooner, effectively accelerating your overall resource deployment.

Instant Speed: The ability of Cunning Survivor to get stronger with each card you cycle or discard at instant speed meshes seamlessly with a reactive game plan. You can enhance its power during the combat phase or in response to an opponent’s actions, making it a flexible threat that can adapt to the ebb and flow of the match.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For Cunning Survivor to fully capitalize on its strengths, you need to be actively discarding cards. This can be a double-edged sword because while it helps power up the Survivor, it simultaneously diminishes your hand, potentially leaving you at a resource disadvantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Cunning Survivor requires blue mana to play. This mana specificity means it slots mainly into blue or blue-centric decks, potentially limiting its versatility in a player’s overall deck-building strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Cunning Survivor is not the most expensive creature card out there, its abilities relative to its mana cost may not always represent the best value. When considering other options in the two-mana slot, players might find more impactful creatures or spells to play instead, which could lead to Cunning Survivor being overlooked in competitive play.

Reasons to Include Cunning Survivor in Your Collection

Versatility: Cunning Survivor works well within a variety of deck builds, serving as a reliable creature that gets stronger with each discarded card. This ability syncs with cycling or discard strategies, enhancing its utility in numerous blue-centric decks.

Combo Potential: Its power increases for each card you cycle or discard, making it an ideal piece for combo decks that churn through their library. Partner it with cards that allow for mass card draw and discard to swiftly bolster its attack.

Meta-Relevance: Cunning Survivor excels in a meta where cycling decks are prominent. Its low cost and synergy with common discard mechanics make it a viable choice against many of the prevalent slow-paced control decks.

How to beat

Cunning Survivor is a card that can surprise opponents in Magic: The Gathering with its ability to grow stronger each time you cycle or discard a card. As a two mana cost creature, it initially presents a meager threat, but left unchecked, it can become a formidable force on the battlefield. The creature’s agility in increasing its power makes it pivotal in decks focusing on cycling or discard strategies.

To counter Cunning Survivor effectively, removal spells that can dispatch creatures regardless of their power level are essential. For instance, controlling the board early with removal spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can prevent Cunning Survivor from becoming an issue. Also, since it relies on cycling and discarding, disrupting these mechanics with cards like Narset, Parter of Veils, which limits your opponent’s drawing capability, can stifle the Survivor’s growth. Additionally, instant-speed interaction during the combat phase can foil buffed attacks, allowing you to take it out after it has been pumped but before it deals damage.

Strategizing against Cunning Survivor involves considering its potential for growth and preparing to handle it before it becomes a significant threat. Properly timing your removal and controlling the flow of the game will keep Cunning Survivor from conquering the battlefield.

Cards like Cunning Survivor

Cunning Survivor is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering, sharing mechanics with the likes of prowess and cycling aficionados. Its ability to get +1/+0 whenever you cycle or discard a card echoes the MTG strategy employed by spells like Shadow of the Grave, which retrieves all cards you’ve discarded this turn, further empowering Cunning Survivor on the battlefield.

Another card that synergizes well with Cunning Survivor is Drake Haven. Similar to Cunning Survivor, Drake Haven also benefits from cycling and discarding, allowing you to create a 2/2 Drake creature token with flying each time you cycle or discard a card. This not only enhances your offensive capabilities but also bolsters your defenses, providing a multifaceted approach to controlling the game board.

Casting our gaze across the broader scope of related cards, we must mention Hollow One. Although not directly influencing Cunning Survivor, Hollow One can be cast for less when cycling cards, which closely aligns with the cycle or discard strategy. The synergy here is clear and the benefits to gameplay, substantial. When evaluating the dynamics that Cunning Survivor brings to the table, its interaction with cycling and discard mechanics can lead to an imposing presence during gameplay.

Cards similar to Cunning Survivor by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cunning Survivor MTG card by a specific set like Hour of Devastation, 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 Cunning Survivor and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cunning Survivor has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2017-04-18	An ability that triggers whenever you discard a card doesn’t give you permission to discard cards. You’ll need another effect that instructs or allows you to discard them.
2017-04-18	An ability that triggers whenever you “cycle or discard” a card triggers only once if you cycle a card. The ability “Whenever you discard a card” is functionally identical to this ability; cycling is mentioned for clarity.
2017-04-18	If a player discards a card during their cleanup step due to having too many cards in hand, any appropriate abilities that trigger on discarding that card trigger. If this happens, those triggered abilities are put onto the stack and players receive priority in that cleanup step to cast spells or activate abilities (normally, no players may take actions during a cleanup step). Another cleanup step is created following that one.
2017-04-18	Some cards have an ability that triggers whenever you cycle any card. These triggered abilities resolve before you draw from the cycling ability.