Callous Oppressor MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Cephalid
Released	2002-10-07
Set symbol
Set name	Onslaught
Set code	ONS
Power	1
Toughness	2
Number	72
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Justin Sweet

Key Takeaways

Gaining control of creatures boosts your strategy, elevating your card advantage substantially over time.
The Oppressor promotes a reactive playstyle, elevating the value of instant-speed plays during your opponent’s turns.
Resource acceleration can be achieved by commandeering opponents’ utility creatures to enhance your own gameplay.

Text of card

You may choose not to untap Callous Oppressor during your untap step. As Callous Oppressor comes into play, an opponent chooses a creature type. oc T: Gain control of target creature that isn't of the chosen type as long as Callous Oppressor remains tapped.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Callous Oppressor provides a distinct benefit by allowing you to choose and repeatedly gain control of your opponent’s creatures each turn, potentially leading to significant card advantage as you utilize your opponent’s resources.

Resource Acceleration: By leveraging the Oppressor’s control ability, you indirectly accelerate your resources. Control their utility creatures, like mana dorks, to boost your own mana availability or strategic options.

Instant Speed: While Callous Oppressor itself isn’t an instant, it encourages a playstyle that maximizes the value of your instant-speed removal and counterspells. Hold up mana to react to your opponent’s plays confidently, knowing you can further disrupt their board state with the Oppressor’s ability during your turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Callous Oppressor necessitates choosing and discarding a creature card, which may deplete your hand and reduce your flexibility in responding to an opponent’s moves.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes two blue mana symbols, it can be challenging to fit Callous Oppressor into multicolored decks that lean towards other colors or mana bases that can’t consistently produce enough blue mana early in the game.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing a total of three mana might seem fair for its abilities, but there are instances where cheaper alternatives for control effects are more desirable in a deck, especially when facing fast-paced opponents.

Reasons to Include Callous Oppressor in Your Collection

Versatility: Callous Oppressor offers players a unique ability to control the pace of the game. It’s a card that functions well in various control and tempo decks, allowing you to copy creatures from your opponents, which can suit different board states and strategies.

Combo Potential: This card has strong synergy within creature-based combos, essentially acting as a force multiplier. In the right deck, you can leverage the Oppressor to utilize key abilities of creatures across the battlefield that otherwise would only benefit your opponents.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the dynamic nature of the MTG meta where creature-heavy decks often come to the forefront, having a flexible answer like Callous Oppressor can tip the scales in your favor, making it an insightful addition to your arsenal.

How to Beat Callous Oppressor

Callous Oppressor presents a unique challenge on the battlefield, allowing its controller to choose a creature type to steal from their opponents during each of their upkeeps. To outsmart this formidable card, a diverse deck building strategy is key. Mix up the creature types in your deck so that the choice of Callous Oppressor becomes less detrimental. Utilizing cards with hexproof or shroud can protect your valuable creatures from being targeted by such control abilities.

Another tactic is to implement instant-speed removal or sacrifice effects when the Oppressor’s ability is on the stack, thus removing your creatures from the opponent’s choice range. Alternatively, altering creature types with cards like Artificial Evolution can confuse an Oppressor’s strategy, making their ability backfire. Keeping the pressure with aggressive plays and consistent threats can also divert the Oppressor player’s resources, leaving them unable to maximize the potential of their control effect.

Remember, prompt answers to Callous Oppressor can prevent your opponent from gaining too much control and turning the tide in their favor. By incorporating these strategies, you’ll be well-equipped to maintain the upper hand against the oppressive grasp of Callous Oppressor in your MTG matches.

Cards like Callous Oppressor

Callous Oppressor joins the intriguing lineup of control cards in Magic: The Gathering with a unique twist on creature command. This card has a kinship to cards like Control Magic and Confiscate, which also allow players to seize control of opponents’ creatures. While Control Magic and Confiscate can target any creature without restriction, Callous Oppressor requires a preliminary choice of a creature type, determined by opponents. This introduces an additional layer of strategy and unpredictability to the gameplay.

Another card worth mentioning is Beguiler of Wills. It shares the ability to take control of creatures, but it’s dependent on your number of Thopters, making it a tad less versatile than Callous Oppressor. Dominating Licid is yet another relative, capable of morphing into an Aura to command creatures. However, Callous Oppressor’s flexibility to switch its hold during each upkeep makes it uniquely adaptable.

Ultimately, Callous Oppressor presents an engaging approach to creature manipulation, striking a balance between constraints and versatility, thereby carving out its place in a player’s strategy arsenal.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Callous Oppressor MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught, 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 Callous Oppressor and other MTG cards: