Slay MTG Card
2001-02-05 - Number 55
2002-08-14 - Number cr55sb
2003-07-28 - Number 164★
2003-07-28 - Number 164
2005-07-29 - Number 163★
2005-07-29 - Number 163
2010-03-19 - Number 25
| Card sets | Released in 7 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Instant |
Key Takeaways
- Slay ensures card advantage by disrupting the opponent’s board and limiting their combo potential.
- Instant speed allows for strategic flexibility, making Slay a valuable control tool during any turn.
- Despite its restrictive casting cost, Slay’s board control capabilities make it a solid defensive asset.
Text of card
Destroy target green creature. It can't be regenerated. Draw a card.
The elves had the edge in guile, skill, and valor. But in the end, only sheer numbers mattered.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When Slay is used, it not only removes a creature from the game, thereby disrupting your opponent’s board state, but this also indirectly leads to card advantage. Eliminating a key creature can prevent your opponent from using that creature’s abilities or combining it with others, which might have led to them drawing extra cards or performing potent combos.
Resource Acceleration: Although Slay does not directly accelerate resources like some other spells, by removing major threats, it allows you to advance your game plan without the pressure of an opposing creature. This can help you use your mana more efficiently in subsequent turns, accelerating you towards your endgame.
Instant Speed: Slay can be cast at instant speed, offering significant strategic flexibility. It can disrupt opponents during their turn, perhaps eliminating a recently summoned creature before they can use it, or it can be utilized defensively, dealing with threats as they arise during combat or at the end of the opponent’s turn – making it a highly valuable tool for controlling the flow of the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Slay demands a player to discard as part of its casting cost. This can pose a significant setback when you’re already facing a depleted hand, forcing difficult decisions about which cards to sacrifice.
Specific Mana Cost: Necessitating two black mana, Slay has a restrictive casting cost, making it less versatile for multi-color decks that may not have easy or consistent access to black mana when it is most needed.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Carrying a cost of three mana — two of which are color specific — it’s worth mentioning that other spells in this range may provide more immediate board impact or versatility, which could be critical in faster-paced games.
Reasons to Include Slay in Your Collection
Versatility: Slay is a useful tool in any deck that aims to control the board. It can eliminate a wide array of creatures, which makes it a flexible response to multiple threats that your opponents might play.
Combo Potential: This card can synergize well with strategies that benefit from creatures being sent to the graveyard, such as those that utilize death-triggered abilities or reanimation tactics.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where powerful creatures dominate the battlefield, Slay proves to be highly relevant. It allows you to deal with high-threat targets effectively, which is paramount in maintaining a competitive edge.
How to beat
Slay is a potent removal card that could pose a real challenge in MTG matches, specifically when it targets your cherished green creatures. This card unequivocally eliminates the target without any complicated prerequisites, leaving MTG players with the task to find creative solutions. In this regard, it’s critical to craft your strategy around Slay’s limitations.
One direct approach is utilizing creatures that possess hexproof or shroud abilities, such as Slippery Bogle or Invisible Stalker, which inherently shield themselves from targeted spells like Slay. Additionally, countering the spell outright with blue staples such as Counterspell or Negate can effectively nullify its threat. Diversifying your creature base beyond merely green creatures also diminishes the potency of Slay, making it a dead card in your opponent’s hand against a multi-colored creature lineup. Implementing these tactics can ensure your deck’s resilience against such direct removal spells and maintain your board presence.
In essence, while Slay can be a formidable card to face, the right mix of protective measures, counter strategies, and deck versatility can defuse its impact, allowing you to sustain your game play and continue to outmaneuver your opponent’s attempts at disruption.
Cards like Slay
In the realm of creature removal spells in Magic: The Gathering, Slay holds its ground with its specific dragon-slaying ability. Its functionality is reminiscent of other removal spells like Doom Blade or Go for the Throat, which allow players to target and destroy a creature for a low mana cost. Slay, however, uniquely offers an advantage against dragon creatures, which are typically formidable threats in many MTG decks.
Another card worth mentioning is Deathmark. Much like Slay, Deathmark is designed to eliminate creatures of a particular subtype – in this case, green or white creatures. While not as expansively targeted as Slay, Deathmark’s lower mana cost makes it an efficient sideboard choice in a color-specific matchup. Conversely, Sever the Bloodline offers a more expensive, yet wide-reaching effect by exiling creatures and all others with the same name, demonstrating more versatility compared to Slay’s narrower focus.
Comparing these cards helps us understand Slay’s position in strategic deck building. Its conditional nature is both a limitation and a strength, potentially guaranteeing the removal of high-threat creatures that other spells may not touch. It serves as a potent tool in the right scenario, anchoring its place in MTG strategies where dragons are a concern.
Cards similar to Slay by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Slay MTG card by a specific set like Planeshift and World Championship Decks 2002, 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 Slay and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See Magic products
Printings
The Slay Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2001-02-05 and 2010-03-19. Illustrated by Ben Thompson.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2001-02-05 | Planeshift | PLS | 55 | 1997 | normal | black | Ben Thompson | |
| 2 | 2002-08-14 | World Championship Decks 2002 | WC02 | cr55sb | 1997 | normal | gold | Ben Thompson | |
| 3 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 164★ | 2003 | normal | black | Ben Thompson | |
| 4 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 164 | 2003 | normal | white | Ben Thompson | |
| 5 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 163★ | 2003 | normal | black | Ben Thompson | |
| 6 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 163 | 2003 | normal | white | Ben Thompson | |
| 7 | 2010-03-19 | Duel Decks: Phyrexia vs. the Coalition | DDE | 25 | 2003 | normal | black | Ben Thompson |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Slay has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Slay card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | You don’t draw a card if this spell is countered. |
