Daring Saboteur MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Pirate
Power 2
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Daring Saboteur excels in card advantage by reliably hitting opponents and enabling card draws.
  2. The card’s unblockable ability can indirectly boost resource acceleration through synergies.
  3. Though its activation requires discard, the strategic card filtering it offers is invaluable.

Text of card

: Daring Saboteur can't be blocked this turn. Whenever Daring Saboteur deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card. If you do, discard a card.

"They'll never see me coming."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Daring Saboteur offers an efficient route to card advantage through its ability to make itself unblockable. This allows players to consistently deal combat damage to an opponent, and consequently draw cards, keeping their hand refreshed and increasing their strategic options.

Resource Acceleration: Even though Daring Saboteur itself does not directly accelerate resources, its unblockable nature assists in connecting hits that may trigger other cards’ effects or synergies that do, contributing indirectly to resource acceleration.

Instant Speed: While Daring Saboteur’s abilities are not at instant speed, its low casting cost allows players to keep mana available to cast other spells at instant speed. This maintains the tactical agility to respond to opponents’ actions while setting up for the next turn’s unblockable attack.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To activate Daring Saboteur’s ability, it mandates you to discard a card, potentially depleting valuable hand resources if you’re playing a tight-strategy game.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both blue mana for casting and activation of its abilities means this card is restricted to decks that can consistently provide blue mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at two mana for a 2/1 creature, Daring Saboteur may present a higher investment upfront compared to other two-drops, especially when considering the additional mana to utilize its abilities for card advantage.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Daring Saboteur’s ability to become unblockable ensures it has a place in decks that value reliable damage and card filtering. The looting effect upon dealing combat damage to players can help sculpt the perfect hand, making it a flexible addition to a variety of blue-centric decks.

Combo Potential: This card’s synergy with equipment and enchantments that reward combat damage to a player increases its potential for combo plays. By effectively utilizing cards that draw upon successful hits, you can quickly turn Daring Saboteur into a repeating source of value and hand manipulation.

Meta-Relevance: In a format where creature removal is prevalent, Daring Saboteur’s ability to slip past blockers gives it relevance, as it requires opponents to expend resources differently. Its presence on the field can distract or pressure control players, making it a strategic choice in certain evolving metagames.


How to beat

Daring Saboteur is a unique creature card that can prove challenging to handle for many players. Its ability to become unblockable after paying a certain mana cost makes it a persistent threat, especially since it allows you to sift through your deck to find answers or threats by leveraging its looting ability upon dealing combat damage to a player.

To effectively counteract Daring Saboteur, you’ll want to focus on preventing it from hitting the battlefield. This can be achieved by using instant-speed removal spells that can target the creature as it is cast or before its unblockable ability is activated. Cards that can deal damage or destroy creatures without targeting, like board wipes or ‘destroy all creatures’ effects are especially useful since they sidestep hexproof or protection abilities. It’s also worth considering cards that impose restrictions on attackers, such as Propaganda or Ghostly Prison, which force the opponent to pay additional mana to attack and can hamstring their offensive capabilities significantly.

Remember, the key is to stay one step ahead and manage threats like Daring Saboteur before they can slip through your defenses. A vigilant approach and the right strategic tools are vital in relegating this sneaky card to a mere nuisance instead of a formidable adversary on your path to victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

MTG players seeking to refine their blue decks will find the Daring Saboteur a cunning addition. Its ability to become unblockable not only enables reliable damage but also empowers your card selection strategy. While understanding its strengths and limitations is essential, experimenting with this rogue can enhance your deck’s dynamics and adaptability in the current meta. Interested in outsmarting your opponents with strategic plays? Dive deeper into the world of MTG with us, and discover how Daring Saboteur can turn the tides in your favor and help you curate a winning strategy on the battlefield.


Cards like Daring Saboteur

Daring Saboteur breaks through the conventional mold of blue creatures in Magic: The Gathering with its unique ability to become unblockable. This aligns closely with Invisible Stalker, which not only is unblockable by default but also has hexproof, providing a persistent threat on the board. However, the Saboteur steps up with a loot ability, allowing its controller to sift through their deck and improve their hand each time it deals combat damage.

Another relative in gameplay vibes is the well-known Looter il-Kor. This creature has shadow ensuring it is usually unblockable. Despite being a smaller creature, its static ability to draw and discard upon dealing combat damage provides a parallel upside. On the other hand, Daring Saboteur asks for a mana investment to activate this ability, offering a potentially more consistent method for deck filtering as long as the resources are available.

Stepping aside from unblockability, we have Merfolk Looter which delivers a similar draw and discard mechanism but requires tapping and doesn’t need to connect with the opponent to activate its ability. However, it lacks the innate capability to evade blocks like Daring Saboteur, foregrounding the Saboteur’s value in strategic evasion and selection within the gameplay.

Invisible Stalker - MTG Card versions
Looter il-Kor - MTG Card versions
Merfolk Looter - MTG Card versions
Invisible Stalker - Innistrad (ISD)
Looter il-Kor - Time Spiral (TSP)
Merfolk Looter - Exodus (EXO)

Cards similar to Daring Saboteur by color, type and mana cost

Vodalian Soldiers - MTG Card versions
Zephyr Falcon - MTG Card versions
Giant Albatross - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Sphere - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Condor - MTG Card versions
School of Piranha - MTG Card versions
Coral Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Wu Light Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Sea Eagle - MTG Card versions
Overtaker - MTG Card versions
Hazy Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Darting Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Thought Eater - MTG Card versions
Spellstutter Sprite - MTG Card versions
Sneaky Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Coral Eel - MTG Card versions
Storm Crow - MTG Card versions
Aquamoeba - MTG Card versions
Soratami Cloudskater - MTG Card versions
Minamo Sightbender - MTG Card versions
Vodalian Soldiers - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Zephyr Falcon - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Giant Albatross - Homelands (HML)
Phantasmal Sphere - Alliances (ALL)
Skyshroud Condor - Tempest (TMP)
School of Piranha - Exodus (EXO)
Coral Merfolk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Wu Light Cavalry - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Sea Eagle - Starter 1999 (S99)
Overtaker - Mercadian Masques Promos (PMMQ)
Hazy Homunculus - Prophecy (PCY)
Darting Merfolk - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Thought Eater - Odyssey (ODY)
Spellstutter Sprite - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Sneaky Homunculus - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Coral Eel - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Storm Crow - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Aquamoeba - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Soratami Cloudskater - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Minamo Sightbender - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Daring Saboteur MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan Promos and Ixalan, 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 Daring Saboteur and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Daring Saboteur Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2017-09-29 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by Victor Adame Minguez.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-09-29Ixalan PromosPXLN 49s2015normalblackVictor Adame Minguez
22017-09-29IxalanXLN 492015normalblackVictor Adame Minguez
32020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 642015normalblackVictor Adame Minguez
42022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 2172015normalblackVictor Adame Minguez
52023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 1512015normalblackVictor Adame Minguez

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Daring Saboteur has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-11-10 Activating the first ability of Daring Saboteur after it has become blocked won't cause it to become unblocked.

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