Izzet Staticaster MTG Card


Izzet Staticaster - Return to Ravnica
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Wizard
Abilities Haste, Flash
Released2012-10-05
Set symbol
Set nameReturn to Ravnica
Set codeRTR
Power 0
Toughness 3
Number173
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byScott M. Fischer

Key Takeaways

  1. Izzet Staticaster provides card advantage by targeting multiple creatures simultaneously with a single action.
  2. Its flash ability allows for instant-play adaptability, surprising opponents and disrupting their strategies.
  3. Despite its strengths, the Staticaster’s specific mana requirements and discard condition warrant strategic deck planning.
Flash card art

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.) Haste : Izzet Staticaster deals 1 damage to target creature and each other creature with the same name as that creature.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: One of the great features of Izzet Staticaster is its ability to provide card advantage, especially in creature-dense matchups. The tap ability of Izzet Staticaster, which deals damage to each creature with the same name as the target, allows you to eliminate multiple threats using a single card, thereby generating card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Though it doesn’t directly accelerate your resources like some mana-dorks or ramp spells, it can be seen as a form of resource acceleration. This card helps to keep the board clear of threats, thus protecting your resources and maintaining your pace in the game. Think of it as an indirect means to accelerate resources by maintaining what you already have.

Instant Speed: Izzet Staticaster shines here. It has flash, meaning you can cast it at instant speed. This flexibility further extends its usability, enabling you to deal damage out of nowhere or surprise block on your opponent’s turn. Its tap ability is also usable at instant speed, providing you the benefit of attacking and defending in a fast-paced game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: A drawback of Izzet Staticaster is the necessity to discard cards. This can be a disadvantage, especially when you’re running low on cards, making it an aspect to consider in your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Izzet Staticaster requires specific blue and red mana for its cost. This brings a limitation in deck-building as it necessitates including blue and red lands, potentially reducing the space for other essential cards.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Another downside is the comparatively high mana cost. For providing its functions, Izzet Staticaster requires three mana, an investment that may not always yield a high return considering there are other cards offering utility at a lower mana cost. So, choosing Izzet Staticaster demands careful allocation of resources.


Reasons to Include Izzet Staticaster in Your Collection

Versatility: Being a creature with flash and haste, Izzet Staticaster can fit into various decks. It’s especially beneficial in strategies that require instant-speed responses or swift creature eliminations. Thanks to its ongoing ability, it can take out an array of smaller creatures in a single turn.

Combo Potential: Staticaster pairs well with cards that modify or exploit -1/-1 counters, turning its single-target ability into an effective boardwipe against more substantial foes. It’s an excellent addition to decks that seek to control the board state through tactical creature removal.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta thick with tokens or aggressive strategies, the Izzet Staticaster’s ongoing ability provides valuable crowd control. Designed to neutralize sizable hostile armies with ease, it keeps lower toughness creatures at bay, providing you a significant edge in such matchups.


How to Beat

Izzet Staticaster is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering. It’s distinct in its ability to destroy any creature with a toughness of one. It can eliminate creatures in numbers, assuming they all share the same name and have a toughness of one. However, it has a weakness in its inability to defend against powerful attackers.

To effectively counter Izzet Staticaster, employ solid creatures with a toughness rating higher than one. The card’s restrictions limit it; your creature cards with toughness higher than one can withstand Izzet Staticaster’s effects. Additionally, instant spells capable of destroying or exiling creature cards prove to be handy counters against this notable card.

Cards offering hexproof or shroud can also defend against Izzet Staticaster. As the card’s ability specifically targets creatures, those with such protections remain safe. Alternatively, leverage enchantments that can increase your creature’s toughness, making them more resilient to the Staticaster’s ability.

In summary, while Izzet Staticaster can be a nuance to creature card types with a toughness of one, thoughtful deck planning with tougher creatures and strategically using spells and enchantments can help players navigate and effectively counter this unique card.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the art of MTG is an ever-evolving challenge. With cards like Izzet Staticaster offering fascinating mechanics and strategic depth, players have the tools to craft dynamic and powerful decks. As we dissect the pros and cons of such intricate cards, remember to consider how they mesh with your broader strategy and the current meta. Embrace the versatility of Izzet Staticaster and tap into its potential to reshape the battlefield in your favor. To further refine your tactics and dive into a world where each card is a new opportunity, connect with our community where we share insights, strategies, and guide players towards victory.


Cards like Izzet Staticaster

The remarkable Izzet Staticaster card is a valued addition to the Magic: The Gathering. It’s quite similar to Electrostatic Field, which also has a defensive power characteristic, but the Izzet Staticaster stands out for its ability to deal damage to each creature with the same name as the target.

A notable comparison is to Cunning Sparkmage, with a similar power to Izzet Staticaster; however, it lacks the ability to damage multiple equivalent targets. Although Cunning Sparkmage is able to deal consistent damage each turn, Izzet Staticaster, with it’s distinct multiple target damage ability, sets itself apart.

Then, there’s Daggerdrome Imp, another quite similar card but its gain-life characteristic makes it a different choice. Even though Daggerdrome Imp has this unique feature, it lacks the power of Izzet Staticaster to dole out punishment to numerous identical adversaries at the same time.

As a final point, the Izzet Staticaster finds its strengths in its potential wideness of impact, putting it in a commanding position among similar cards in Magic: The Gathering. Its distinctive capability to hit multiple concurrent targets, while maintaining itself as a formidable defense, makes it a force to reckon with.

Electrostatic Field - MTG Card versions
Cunning Sparkmage - MTG Card versions
Daggerdrome Imp - MTG Card versions
Electrostatic Field - MTG Card versions
Cunning Sparkmage - MTG Card versions
Daggerdrome Imp - MTG Card versions

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Noggle Hedge-Mage - MTG Card versions
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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Izzet Staticaster MTG card by a specific set like Return to Ravnica, 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 Izzet Staticaster and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Izzet Staticaster has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2012-10-01 Izzet Staticaster’s activated ability has only one target. Other creatures with that name are not targeted. For example, a creature with hexproof will be dealt damage if it has the same name as the target creature.
2012-10-01 The name of a creature token is the same as its creature types unless the token is a copy of another creature or the effect that created the token specifically gives it a different name. For example, a 3/3 Centaur creature token is named “Centaur.”

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