Syndicate Enforcer MTG Card
2013-02-01 - Number 80
2024-02-23 - Number 123
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Rogue |
| Abilities | Extort |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Key Takeaways
- Syndicate Enforcer offers card advantage and enhances resource acceleration through its unique abilities.
- Instant-speed playability gives you a tactical edge in unexpected moments of the game.
- While powerful, it comes with drawbacks like a specific mana cost and a higher casting value.
Text of card
Extort (Whenever you cast a spell, you may pay {WB}. If you do, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain that much life.)
Even the darkest corners of Ravnica still lie in the shadow of the Church.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Syndicate Enforcer ups the ante in your hand by offering the potential for repeatable card draw. Whether through direct mechanics or through synergy with other cards that reward you for playing creatures or black spells, this card helps to ensure that you won’t be lagging behind in the card count.
Resource Acceleration: Your in-game resources get a boost with Syndicate Enforcer. By seamlessly incorporating this card into strategies that favor swarming the board, you effectively accelerate your board presence, providing a multiplier effect on your tactics.
Instant Speed: The ability to operate at instant speed provides a tactical upper hand. Deploy Syndicate Enforcer when your adversaries least expect it, ideally at the end of their turn or in response to their actions, and keep them guessing about the surprises you hold in store.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Syndicate Enforcer demands a card to be discarded for its exploit ability, which might not always be a favorable trade, especially if your hand is already depleted.
Specific Mana Cost: Its casting cost necessitates both black and white mana, potentially restricting its inclusion to only certain multicolored decks and limiting its versatility across different strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that sits on the higher side for its stats and abilities, there are alternative creatures and removal spells in the format that can provide equal or greater value at a lower cost.
Reasons to Include Syndicate Enforcer in Your Collection
Versatility: Syndicate Enforcer is a robust addition to any deck that appreciates a strong body on the field. With the ability to slip into various strategies, it performs consistently as both an offensive threat and a defensive bulwark.
Combo Potential: This card can synergize with decks that capitalize on its creature type or abilities. Being able to support sacrifice themes or enhance strategies that benefit from life loss can turn Syndicate Enforcer into a combo enabler.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where resilience is key, Syndicate Enforcer holds its ground. It can be particularly effective in game situations where a steadfast creature can make the difference between victory and defeat.
How to beat
Syndicate Enforcer presents a unique challenge on the battlefield as an imposing presence in Magic: The Gathering. Players often encounter difficulty when facing this card because of its capacity to stifle opponent strategies and secure board control. Mastery in dealing with it comes through understanding its strengths and pinpointing the weaknesses to exploit.
Efficient removal is crucial when it comes to handling a sturdy creature like Syndicate Enforcer. Spot removal spells that bypass the card’s abilities are your best allies here. Spells such as Doom Blade or Go for the Throat can dispatch it without triggering any unwanted effects. Board wipes are also effective but should be used with caution as they reset the board for both players, potentially disrupting your momentum as well.
Deck building strategies can also circumvent the Enforcer’s influence. Prioritizing cards that counteract or neutralize it before it establishes dominance is ideal. Incorporating counterspells or enchantments that pacify creatures will reduce the Enforcer’s impact. Cards that can tap the creature or otherwise render it unable to block or attack will also diminish its usefulness, allowing players to formulate a successful long-term strategy against it.
Cards like Syndicate Enforcer
Syndicate Enforcer delves into Magic: The Gathering’s array of creatures that combine life loss with combat potential. In a realm featuring a variety of intimidating enforcers, this card draws parallels with others like Vampire Nighthawk. While the Nighthawk offers flying and deathtouch, Syndicate Enforcer brings its own brand of menace, forcing opponents to navigate around its extort ability — a unique aspect that tips the scales during the match by chipping away at the opponent’s life total while bolstering your own.
Comparably, Blood Artist shares the life manipulation theme but operates passively, triggering whenever a creature dies as opposed to the active trigger of Syndicate Enforcer. Blood Artist may seem like a subtle player, but in a game where creatures are often sacrificed or destroyed, its impact can be equally significant. Basilica Screecher is also worth mentioning, as a fellow creature with extort. The Screecher, however, is lighter on the mana curve and offers flying, trading offensive presence for tactical aerial control.
Selection of such creatures is strategic, depending on the architectural needs of a deck. Syndicate Enforcer shines within decks rich in creatures, utilizing its extort ability to sway life totals steadily in your favor, presenting a thorny challenge for your adversaries as you wield the power of lifesteal to secure victory.
Cards similar to Syndicate Enforcer by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Syndicate Enforcer MTG card by a specific set like Gatecrash and Ravnica: Clue Edition, 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 Syndicate Enforcer 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 MTG Products
Printings
The Syndicate Enforcer Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2013-02-01 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by Steven Belledin.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2013-02-01 | Gatecrash | GTC | 80 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin | |
| 2 | 2024-02-23 | Ravnica: Clue Edition | CLU | 123 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Syndicate Enforcer has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Syndicate Enforcer card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-04-15 | The amount of life you gain from extort is based on the total amount of life lost, not necessarily the number of opponents you have. For example, if your opponent’s life total can’t change (perhaps because that player controls Platinum Emperion), you won’t gain any life. |
| 2013-04-15 | The extort ability doesn’t target any player. |
| 2013-04-15 | You may pay {W/B} a maximum of one time for each extort triggered ability. You decide whether to pay when the ability resolves. |
