Pitfall Trap MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant — Trap

Key Takeaways

  1. Advantages include card maintenance and unpredictable combat disruption with its instant-speed activation.
  2. Drawbacks encompass stringent casting conditions and a potentially high mana cost for its removal capability.
  3. Its value in MTG is defined by versatility, combo potential, and the ability to shift game momentum.

Text of card

If exactly one creature is attacking, you may pay rather than pay Pitfall Trap's mana cost. Destroy target attacking creature without flying.

Each spike is poisoned—the trapmaker's idea of mercy.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: In the context of Pitfall Trap, the advantage lies in its potential to eliminate an attacking or blocking creature without losing a card yourself. This shifts the balance of resources in your favor, as you remove an opponent’s threat while keeping your card count steady.

Resource Acceleration: While Pitfall Trap doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration like a mana rock or ramp spell, it saves your precious mana. Thanks to its trap condition, you might cast it for a single white mana, keeping your other resources free for additional plays or counterspells, and outpacing your adversary in the race for board presence.

Instant Speed: One of Pitfall Trap’s compelling attributes is its instant speed, permitting reactive gameplay that keeps opponents guessing. You hold the power to disrupt combat math, eliminate key creatures in the heat of combat, or simply retain the element of surprise, all of which can turn the tide of a match decisively in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To unleash the potential of Pitfall Trap, players have to meet a specific condition that might not always be advantageous. It’s an additional hurdle that demands strategic foresight and could result in a loss of valuable hand presence.

Specific Mana Cost: Pitfall Trap necessitates both generic and white mana for activation. This specific combination can restrict deck-building options, confining it to certain archetypes or mana bases that can reliably produce the required white mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When considering the overall mana efficiency, Pitfall Trap’s cost may be seen as steep for its delayed removal effect. There are various alternatives that could eliminate creatures for less or offer additional benefits, which might overshadow the Trap in a competitive setting.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Pitfall Trap offers flexible responses, capable of fitting seamlessly into defensive strategies and control decks. Its ability to neutralize attackers can be a game-changer in tight situations.

Combo Potential: When synergized with cards that care about traps or when surprise is on your side, Pitfall Trap’s ability to eliminate a creature for a minimal cost can pave the way for devastating board control combos.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where aggressive creature-based strategies dominate, having Pitfall Trap in your arsenal ensures you have a cost-effective method to disrupt your opponent’s tempo and turn the tide in your favor.


How to Beat Pitfall Trap

Pitfall Trap is a utility card that can disrupt the battlefield by removing an attacking creature when certain conditions are met. This card serves as a defensive tool, waiting in the wings until an opponent commits to an aggressive move. However, savvy players can navigate around its constraints. One effective method is ensuring that you’re aware of your opponent’s mana availability; the Trap can be sprung for less if you’ve declared three or more creatures as attackers.

Another strategy to overcome Pitfall Trap is by employing bait tactics, like sending in expendable creatures to trigger the Trap before deploying more significant threats. Additionally, having an awareness of open mana that could signal the Trap is key to playing around it. Keeping instant-speed enchantment removal or counterspells in your deck can give you the upper hand against such hidden strategies. Using creatures with hexproof or shroud can also nullify Pitfall Trap’s effect since they can’t be targeted by spells or abilities your opponent controls.

When faced with Pitfall Trap, adjustment of your attack patterns and careful consideration of the board state are paramount. Recognizing the situations where Pitfall Trap could be waiting and outmaneuvering your opponent’s strategy will allow you to maintain the upper hand, regardless of the traps they’ve set.


Cards like Pitfall Trap

Pitfall Trap brings a unique dynamic to removal options in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, comparable to other white instant traps like Divine Verdict and Condemn. Standing alongside these cards, Pitfall Trap offers the advantage of potentially being cast for free if an opponent’s creature declared an attack that turn. This surprise element can be a game-changer in combat scenarios.

Divine Verdict shares the removal aspect but at a higher mana cost and without the conditional free casting, making Pitfall Trap a more flexible option in tight situations. Then there’s Condemn, which excels in its lower regular casting cost and the ability to deal with attackers by placing them on the bottom of an opponent’s library but it lacks the free casting condition that defines the strategic use of Pitfall Trap.

When comparing these cards, Pitfall Trap emerges as a tactically versatile tool, especially valuable in games where opponents are aggressive with their creatures. The element of surprise and the potential for zero casting cost give it an edge in certain metagames or deck builds looking to outsmart opponent’s offenses.

Divine Verdict - MTG Card versions
Condemn - MTG Card versions
Divine Verdict - Magic 2010 (M10)
Condemn - Dissension (DIS)

Cards similar to Pitfall Trap by color, type and mana cost

Reverse Damage - MTG Card versions
Army of Allah - MTG Card versions
Holy Light - MTG Card versions
Morale - MTG Card versions
Blood of the Martyr - MTG Card versions
Piety - MTG Card versions
Martyrdom - MTG Card versions
Harsh Justice - MTG Card versions
Kor Chant - MTG Card versions
Just Fate - MTG Card versions
Waylay - MTG Card versions
Warrior's Honor - MTG Card versions
Radiant's Judgment - MTG Card versions
Abolish - MTG Card versions
Restrain - MTG Card versions
Prismatic Strands - MTG Card versions
Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop - MTG Card versions
Teferi's Protection - MTG Card versions
Oblation - MTG Card versions
Wing Shards - MTG Card versions
Reverse Damage - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Army of Allah - Arabian Nights (ARN)
Holy Light - Masters Edition (ME1)
Morale - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Blood of the Martyr - Chronicles (CHR)
Piety - Renaissance (REN)
Martyrdom - Alliances (ALL)
Harsh Justice - Portal (POR)
Kor Chant - The List (PLST)
Just Fate - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Waylay - Urza's Saga (USG)
Warrior's Honor - Anthologies (ATH)
Radiant's Judgment - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Abolish - Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Tezzeret (DDF)
Restrain - Invasion (INV)
Prismatic Strands - Commander 2019 (C19)
Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Teferi's Protection - Strixhaven Mystical Archive (STA)
Oblation - Commander 2011 (CMD)
Wing Shards - Commander 2017 (C17)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Pitfall Trap MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar and Modern Masters 2017, 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 Pitfall Trap and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Pitfall Trap Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2009-10-02 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Franz Vohwinkel.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12009-10-02ZendikarZEN 322003normalblackFranz Vohwinkel
22017-03-17Modern Masters 2017MM3 182015normalblackFranz Vohwinkel
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 2002015normalblackFranz Vohwinkel
42020-09-26The ListPLST MM3-182015normalblackFranz Vohwinkel

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Pitfall Trap has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2009-10-01 Casting a Trap by paying its alternative cost doesn’t change its mana cost or converted mana cost. The only difference is the cost you actually pay.
2009-10-01 Effects that increase or reduce the cost to cast a Trap will apply to whichever cost you chose to pay.
2009-10-01 You may ignore a Trap’s alternative cost condition and simply cast it for its normal mana cost. This is true even if its alternative cost condition has been met.

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