Stampede Driver MTG Card

Nemesis (NEM)
2000-02-14 - Number 122

Masters 25 (A25)
2018-03-16 - Number 188

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Spellshaper
Power	1
Toughness	1

Key Takeaways

Enhances battlefield impact by boosting all creatures, which can swing combat dynamics in your favor.
Offers strategic instant speed activation, providing surprise tactics and combat advantage.
Demands careful play around discard and mana costs, fostering a thoughtful approach to resource management.

Text of card

o1o G, oc T, Discard a card from your hand: Creatures you control get +1/+1 and gain trample until end of turn.

"The thunder of hooves is music to my ears."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Stampede Driver doesn’t inherently provide card advantage, but its ability can turn each creature into a significant threat. This potential amplifies the value of every creature you have on the battlefield, making each one a more potent tool in your strategy.

Resource Acceleration: While Stampede Driver itself doesn’t accelerate your mana resources directly, it efficiently uses the existing creatures on your board. By leveraging the creatures you already have in play, Stampede Driver can effectively increase the resources you have at your disposal, attacking with newly powered-up creatures or creating more formidable blockers.

Instant Speed: The ability of Stampede Driver can be activated at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to surprise your opponent during combat. This can be particularly effective after attackers and blockers have been declared, altering the combat outcomes in your favor without the need for a traditional instant spell.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Stampede Driver demands the sacrifice of another card to unlock its full potential. This transaction could leave you at a disadvantage, particularly when your hand is already dwindling, and every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Diving into the mana details of Stampede Driver, you have a card that calls for green mana. While this aligns well with green-centric or multicolored decks, it’s not as flexible for those diverse decks that might run fewer forests or green mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Considering the investment to get Stampede Driver’s wheels turning, you’re confronted with a relatively lofty mana cost. There are alternative cards out there offering similar or better effects without such a steep initial outlay, potentially giving your opponents a faster edge while you’re still gearing up.

Reasons to Include Stampede Driver in Your Collection

Versatility: Stampede Driver offers a dynamic edge to creature-focused builds, effortlessly sliding into green deck archetypes that capitalize on swarming the battlefield with creatures.

Combo Potential: This card works wonders in synergy with strategies revolving around creature tokens, where its ability to boost an entire team can turn even the smallest creatures into significant threats.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to unexpectedly empower your creatures, Stampede Driver can be a game-changer in matches where board presence and creature-based tactics prevail.

How to beat Stampede Driver

Stampede Driver, a nuanced creature card in the realm of Magic the Gathering, presents players with a tactical advantage by boosting attacking creatures. Its strategic value lies in the ability to morph unsuspecting creatures into significant threats during the combat phase. This transformation often catches opponents off-guard, turning the tide of battle with its ‘muscle growth’ out of nowhere.

Confronting this clever maneuver necessitates a robust defense. To undermine Stampede Driver’s effectiveness, targeted removal spells that can be cast in response to its activation are essential. Cards like Fatal Push or Path to Exile offer immediate and adaptive solutions to eliminate Stampede Driver before its ability resolves. Alternately, control elements, such as counterspells, can effectively neutralize the activation of its ability when timed correctly, allowing a player to conserve resources and maintain board stability.

Moreover, creature-based strategies with the ability to flash in blockers like Snapcaster Mage can also pose a substantial challenge to Stampede Driver’s offensive strategy. Ultimately, the key to besting Stampede Driver lies in preemptive board control tactics and maintaining versatile response options as part of one’s gameplay arsenal.

Cards like Stampede Driver

Stampede Driver is an intriguing card for creature buffs in Magic: The Gathering, bringing its unique ability to turn a regular army of creatures into an intimidating force. When we look at similar cards, one that comes to mind is Saddleback Lagac, which also enhances your creatures by distributing +1/+1 counters when it enters the battlefield. However, unlike Stampede Driver, Saddleback Lagac’s effect is a one-time boost, whereas the Driver offers the potential for multiple activations, although at the cost of sacrificing a land each time.

Another card worth comparing is Timberwatch Elf, which can significantly increase a single creature’s power for a turn, but Stampede Driver affords a potentially wider impact by boosting all creatures you control. While the Elf targets individuals and can be reused without a cost other than tapping, the Driver requires a land sacrifice for a broader effect. Intangible Virtue is also a notable parallel, constantly giving your token creatures +1/+1 and vigilance, yet it lacks the surprise element and flexibility of Stampede Driver’s activated ability.

Overall, Stampede Driver offers a unique blend of repeatable enhancement for wide strategies, capitalizing on the grandeur of a unified creature march across the battlefield, which sets it apart within the array of creature buff cards in Magic: The Gathering.

Cards similar to Stampede Driver by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Stampede Driver MTG card by a specific set like Nemesis and Masters 25, 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 Stampede Driver and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Stampede Driver Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2000-02-14 and 2018-03-16. Illustrated by Ron Spears.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2000-02-14	Nemesis	NEM		122	1997	Normal	Black	Ron Spears
2	2018-03-16	Masters 25	A25		188	2015	Normal	Black	Ron Spears

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Stampede Driver has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2018-03-16	Stampede Driver’s ability affects only creatures you control at the time it resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won’t get +1/+1 or gain trample.