Sabertooth Alley Cat MTG Card

Sabertooth Alley Cat - Ravnica: City of Guilds

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Cat
Released	2005-10-07
Set symbol
Set name	Ravnica: City of Guilds
Set code	RAV
Power	2
Toughness	1
Number	140
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Carl Critchlow

Key Takeaways

Flash ability allows strategic plays, making it adaptable during any player’s turn.
Discarding for its effect can be a tough decision if holding valuable cards.
Demands red and green mana which may not suit all deck types.

Text of card

Sabertooth Alley Cat attacks each turn if able. : Creatures without defender can't block Sabertooth Alley Cat this turn.

It has eight lives' worth of hunger to satisfy.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sabertooth Alley Cat can potentially discard a card with a lesser value and draw you into a more beneficial part of your deck, enhancing your hand as you play.

Resource Acceleration: When it deals combat damage to a player, you gain the option to create a colorless Treasure artifact token, which can ramp up your ability to cast more impactful spells ahead of schedule.

Instant Speed: With Flash, Sabertooth Alley Cat can be summoned at the speed of an instant, catching opponents off guard and allowing for strategic flexibility during either player’s turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The unique abilities of Sabertooth Alley Cat come with the prerequisite of discarding a card. This can present a strategic challenge, especially when your hand is brimming with valuable cards you’d rather keep for the ensuing turns.

Specific Mana Cost: Sabertooth Alley Cat demands a specific mana combination to cast. In this case, players must have both red and green mana available, which might not always align with the flexibility of multi-colored or more theme-specific decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the benefits against the cost, this feline warrior’s mana requirement might seem hefty. Considering the pace of the game and the mana resources needed to optimize play, there may be instances where the cost of bringing Sabertooth Alley Cat into play could put you at a temporary strategic disadvantage.

Reasons to Include Sabertooth Alley Cat in Your Collection

Versatility: Sabertooth Alley Cat offers flexible play options with its ability to dodges sorcery speed removal and adds pressure in creature-based strategies. It can easily find a place in aggressive decks or those that require cunning board presence.

Combo Potential: This card’s prowess lies in its unleash mechanic, pairing well with cards that capitalize on counter interactions or benefit from having creatures with power thresholds. Its unique capability can turn the tide by synergizing with the right combos.

Meta-Relevance: With a constantly evolving play environment, Sabertooth Alley Cat can serve as a valuable asset against control decks or in metas where combat tricks and tempo plays are crucial for maintaining advantage.

How to beat

Sabertooth Alley Cat is a crafty card that can quickly become a nuisance for players on the receiving end in Magic: The Gathering. This feisty feline is known for its ability to command the battlefield with its “Encore” ability, giving it the potential to unleash multiple attacks in a single turn if not dealt with swiftly. Because of this, it’s important to prioritize removal spells that can address multiple creatures at once. Consider cards like Doom Blade or Lightning Bolt that can take out the Alley Cat before it has the chance to duplicate itself.

Moreover, counterplay against the Alley Cat also involves preventing it from hitting the battlefield in the first place. Counterspells like Cancel or Mana Leak are perfect for keeping your opponent’s plans at bay. Additionally, board wipes like Wrath of God can clear out the Alley Cat and its encored copies, mitigating their impact on the game. Always be mindful of the state of the board and keep up mana for those crucial spells that might be your ticket to claiming victory against a deck running Sabertooth Alley Cat.

Understand that timing and strategy are key. Assess the situation and decide whether it’s better to remove the cat immediately upon entry or wait for the potential encore, planning your board wipes accordingly. This will help ensure that Sabertooth Alley Cat doesn’t turn into an overwhelming threat.

Cards like Sabertooth Alley Cat

Sabertooth Alley Cat is an exciting creature card that joins the ranks of aggressive MTG feline threats. This card offers a unique combat trick by potentially gaining double strike until the end of the turn. It’s akin to other creature cards like Ridgetop Raptor which also grant themselves double strike. Yet, the Alley Cat does this under a different condition, requiring you to exert it as it attacks.

Comparably, Fencing Ace is another creature that comes with double strike innately. It is a lower cost card but lacks the potential power growth that the Alley Cat possesses. Then we have Skyhunter Skirmisher, a flyer with a permanent double strike ability. While this airborne threat can be harder to block, it doesn’t offer the same versatility and surprise factor that Sabertooth Alley Cat provides with its optional exertion.

Overall, the Sabertooth Alley Cat stands out for its conditional double strike and the capacity to adapt to various tactical decisions mid-combat – a feature that these similar cards do not provide, which may well give Sabertooth Alley Cat a special place in the hands of a strategic player.

Skyhunter Skirmisher - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sabertooth Alley Cat MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds, 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 Sabertooth Alley Cat and other MTG cards: