Preemptive Strike MTG Card

Preemptive Strike - Portal Three Kingdoms

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	1999-05-01
Set symbol
Set name	Portal Three Kingdoms
Set code	PTK
Number	50
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	White
Illustred by	Jiaming

Key Takeaways

Instant speed allows Preemptive Strike to disrupt plays, giving tactical advantages in tight situations.
It synergizes with strategies based on countering spells or targeting creatures for combo potential.
Discard requirement and white mana specificity can be cons, potentially limiting its versatility.

Text of card

Play Preemptive Strike only in response to another player playing a creature card. That creature has no effect, and that player puts it into his or her graveyard.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Preemptive Strike gives players the strategic upper hand by potentially removing a threat from the board before it can impact the game. This can equate to a favorable shift in card advantage as it helps maintain your board presence while disrupting the opponent’s plans.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing resource acceleration, the efficient use of Preemptive Strike can save resources in the long term. By eliminating a key piece of your opponent’s strategy, you’re preserving the resources you’d otherwise spend in dealing with that threat later on.

Instant Speed: The power of Preemptive Strike is significantly amplified by its instant speed capability. This allows players to react during the opponent’s turn, providing a tactical advantage by interrupting combos or responding to threats as they arise. Instant speed actions keep opponents guessing and allow for more intricate play patterns.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Preemptive Strike mandates discarding an additional card upon activation. This could be a setback when your hand is running on empty, turning a potentially strategic play into a painful trade-off.

Specific Mana Cost: Accessing the power of Preemptive Strike requires precise mana alignment—white to be exact. While powerful in monochrome decks, this can be less convenient in multi-colored builds, sometimes leaving the card stranded in hand.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Investing four mana into this card could feel steep, especially when other cards could maneuver similar effects or deliver greater value for a similar, if not lower, mana cost. As tempo plays a crucial role, spending this much in the early to mid-game could hamper your board development.

Reasons to Include Preemptive Strike in Your Collection

Versatility: Preemptive Strike is a card that offers a wide array of strategic defensive moves, fitting seamlessly into decks that require instant speed interaction to disrupt opponents’ plays.

Combo Potential: This card can pair with other cards that reward you for countering spells or targeting opponent’s creatures, amplifying your overall strategy and potentially swinging the game in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: Given a metagame heavy on creature-based tactics, Preemptive Strike can serve as a crucial tool to thwart key plays and maintain board control, making it a timely inclusion in your arsenal.

How to beat

Preemptive Strike is a tactical card that can shift the momentum in a game of Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to counter creatures spells before they even hit the battlefield gives it a clear advantage in controlling the flow of play. To effectively counter a Preemptive Strike, consider using spells that can’t be countered, such as those with the keyword “uncounterable” or employing abilities that put creatures onto the battlefield without casting them like Flash or Through the Breach.

Another strategic approach is to bait out the Preemptive Strike with less crucial creatures, paving the way for more significant threats to make it to the battlefield unopposed. Additionally, keep an eye on your opponent’s mana. Preemptive Strike requires precise timing, so playing your creatures when the opponent is tapped out or low on resources could guarantee their safe arrival. Lastly, direct damage spells and abilities that target players or planeswalkers can circumvent creature countermeasures altogether, applying pressure without fear of a Preemptive Strike intervention.

Altogether, while Preemptive Strike poses a formidable defense in MTG, there are multiple strategies players can deploy to weaken its impact and maintain the upper hand in their deck’s execution and the game’s outcome.

Cards like Preemptive Strike

Preemptive Strike joins the fold of creature control spells in Magic: The Gathering, offering players a tactical edge. To compare, Unsummon also interacts with creatures but rather than destroying, it returns them to the owner’s hand. The distinction lies in Preemptive Strike’s ability to permanently remove a threat, whereas Unsummon delays the inevitable.

Looking at another analog, Swords to Plowshares, you notice a stark difference in methodology. While Preemptive Strike conditions engagement in combat for its removal effect, Swords to Plowshares exiles any creature without question at instant speed, making it more versatile. But the latter compensates the opponent with life gain, which can be beneficial or detrimental depending on your strategy.

Lastly, Condemn warrants a mention as it too directs its focus at attacking creatures. Like Preemptive Strike, it handles threats proactively yet, instead of destruction, it tucks the creature away in the opponent’s library, potentially a less permanent solution. Every card provides a unique angle for creature control, and Preemptive Strike exemplifies a direct and destructive approach, useful for ensuring enemies stay off the board.

Swords to Plowshares - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Preemptive Strike by color, type and mana cost

Hypnotic Sprite // Mesmeric Glare - MTG Card versions

Accumulated Knowledge - MTG Card versions

Thassa's Intervention - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Preemptive Strike MTG card by a specific set like Portal Three Kingdoms, 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 Preemptive Strike and other MTG cards: