Bold Impaler MTG Card


Bold Impaler - Eldritch Moon
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Vampire Knight
Released2016-07-22
Set symbol
Set nameEldritch Moon
Set codeEMN
Power 1
Toughness 2
Number120
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byKarl Kopinski

Key Takeaways

  1. Bold Impaler can pressure opponents early, potentially luring out removal spells and giving card advantage.
  2. Its low cost enables aggressive starts, forcing opponents to redirect resources and potentially faltering their plans.
  3. While not instant speed, the threat of its power-up ability can still influence opponents’ decisions and plays.

Text of card

: Bold Impaler gets +2/+0 until end of turn.

Burning with hatred for Nahiri, the Voldaren and Markov forces assaulted the warped Markov Manor with a collective fury not seen in centuries.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Bold Impaler card can potentially generate card advantage by forcing your opponent to deal with it early on. If left unchecked, its ability to transform into a more powerful version can draw out removal spells from your opponent’s hand, essentially trading one card for another.

Resource Acceleration: While Bold Impaler isn’t directly tied to resource acceleration, its low mana cost allows for an aggressive start. This puts pressure on your opponent to stabilize, potentially diverting resources away from their own strategy and giving you the upper hand in resource distribution.

Instant Speed: Though Bold Impaler’s transformation ability isn’t at instant speed, the threat of its activation can influence your opponent’s decisions during their turn. By holding up the mana required to activate Bold Impaler’s ability, you can bluff having instant speed interactions, which can disrupt your opponent’s optimal play sequencing.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Bold Impaler’s ability necessitates discarding a card, potentially putting you at a resource disadvantage if your hand is already depleted.

Specific Mana Cost: Its red mana requirement may not seamlessly fit into multi-colored or non-red decks, thus hindering its versatility across a variety of strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When we evaluate the card’s mana expenditure relative to its impact on the game, Bold Impaler’s activation cost may seem steep, especially compared to other creatures of similar caliber.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Bold Impaler offers flexibility in various decks, acting as an early aggressive play that can quickly escalate with its ability to pump up and deal significant damage in the right circumstances.

Combo Potential: With its simple but effective ability to increase its power, Bold Impaler works well in synergy with strategies that capitalize on powering up creatures, such as those involving “+1/+1 counters” or “double strike” mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: In a landscape where early board presence is key, Bold Impaler stands ready, boasting the potential to become a threatening force against slower, developing decks and maintaining pressure in fast-paced games.


How to beat

Bold Impaler is known for its aggressive early-game pressure in Magic: The Gathering. This one-drop vampire creature can quickly escalate in power, especially if you’re unable to establish an early defense. Handling this threat revolves around timing and efficient creature removal. Cards such as Shock or Fatal Push are ideal for dispatching Bold Impaler before it gets a chance to boost its power. It’s crucial to keep mana open for these quick spells, allowing you to react swiftly to its activation.

Alternatively, having creatures with higher toughness on the board can deter your opponent from attacking or using Bold Impaler’s ability to increase its power. If you can maintain a stable board presence, the Impaler loses much of its impact. In the longer game, Bold Impaler tends to lose its potency as larger, more impactful creatures and spells come into play. Prioritize controlling the board early on, and this threat should be easily managed, making it less of a concern as the match progresses.

To summarize, countering Bold Impaler hinges on ready removal responses and early board establishment. Overcome this early onslaught, and the path towards victory becomes much clearer in your Magic: The Gathering matchups.


Cards like Bold Impaler

Bold Impaler stands out in the arena of early red aggressive creatures in Magic: The Gathering. It can be easily likened to cards like Ashmouth Hound, which also offers solid early-game pressure. Bold Impaler’s ability to pump its power to 3 for an additional mana makes it a swift threat, whereas Ashmouth Hound maintains a consistent power level without a mana investment.

Another similar creature from the vast library of MTG cards is Goblin Glory Chaser. The Glory Chaser requires a certain condition to be met for it to become more powerful, with renown making it a potentially stronger card in later stages of the match. Bold Impaler requires mana to achieve its full potential, bringing a strategic choice in mana allocation during a crucial turn.

The comparison elucidates how each creature card caters to an aggressive strategy but with distinct resource management implications. Bold Impaler, with its straightforward ability to temporarily increase its power, offers a flexible option to impose an immediate threat, demanding immediate answers from opponents in the throes of MTG clashes.

Ashmouth Hound - MTG Card versions
Goblin Glory Chaser - MTG Card versions
Ashmouth Hound - Innistrad (ISD)
Goblin Glory Chaser - Magic Origins (ORI)

Cards similar to Bold Impaler by color, type and mana cost

Goblin Balloon Brigade - MTG Card versions
Mons's Goblin Raiders - MTG Card versions
Hurr Jackal - MTG Card versions
Goblin Digging Team - MTG Card versions
Primordial Ooze - MTG Card versions
Goblin Artisans - MTG Card versions
Gorilla Shaman - MTG Card versions
Goblin Swine-Rider - MTG Card versions
Orcish Conscripts - MTG Card versions
Mountain Goat - MTG Card versions
Roc Hatchling - MTG Card versions
Jackal Pup - MTG Card versions
Mogg Fanatic - MTG Card versions
Flailing Soldier - MTG Card versions
Branded Brawlers - MTG Card versions
Scarred Puma - MTG Card versions
Grim Lavamancer - MTG Card versions
Kessig Wolfrider - MTG Card versions
Goblin Guide - MTG Card versions
Skirk Prospector - MTG Card versions
Goblin Balloon Brigade - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Mons's Goblin Raiders - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Hurr Jackal - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Goblin Digging Team - The Dark (DRK)
Primordial Ooze - Chronicles (CHR)
Goblin Artisans - Rinascimento (RIN)
Gorilla Shaman - Coldsnap Theme Decks (CST)
Goblin Swine-Rider - Visions (VIS)
Orcish Conscripts - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Mountain Goat - Portal (POR)
Roc Hatchling - Weatherlight (WTH)
Jackal Pup - The List (PLST)
Mogg Fanatic - Tenth Edition (10E)
Flailing Soldier - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Branded Brawlers - Prophecy (PCY)
Scarred Puma - Invasion (INV)
Grim Lavamancer - Torment (TOR)
Kessig Wolfrider - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
Goblin Guide - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Skirk Prospector - Mystery Booster (MB1)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bold Impaler MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon, 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 Bold Impaler and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bold Impaler has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

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