Dire Fleet Daredevil MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Pirate
Abilities First strike
Power 2
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Grants card advantage by casting spells from your foe’s graveyard, increasing strategic play options.
  2. Provides versatility and combo potential, adapting to various game stages and tactics.
  3. Pivotal for metagame dynamics, Dire Fleet Daredevil counters decks reliant on instants and sorceries.

Text of card

First strike When Dire Fleet Daredevil enters the battlefield, exile target instant or sorcery card from an opponent's graveyard. You may cast that card this turn, and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any type to cast that spell. If that card would be put into a graveyard this turn, exile it instead.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dire Fleet Daredevil grants you an edge by allowing you to access not just your own spells but also those in your opponent’s graveyard. When you cast it and exile a spell from an opponent’s graveyard, you get the opportunity to use that spell during the same turn, thereby extending your strategic options and card resources.

Resource Acceleration: While Dire Fleet Daredevil itself doesn’t directly provide mana acceleration, accessing and casting your opponent’s instants or sorceries can lead to indirect resource advantages. It effectively enlarges your spell pool without tapping into your hand, freeing up your resources for other maneuvers.

Instant Speed: Although the creature is a permanent that must be played at sorcery speed, the value this pirate brings to the table lies within its ability to cast an instant or sorcery at instant speed from the opponent’s graveyard. This means you can spring surprises during your opponent’s turn, adapting to the game’s flow and disrupting their plans on the fly.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the limitations players encounter with Dire Fleet Daredevil is the discard condition attached to its first strike ability. This necessity may deplete a player’s hand, particularly if they’re in need of maintaining card advantage in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: The card’s activation cost is quite specific—not only does it require red mana, but also an additional colorless mana to utilize the exiled card. This can pose a restriction, particularly in multi-colored decks that might not always have the required mana combination readily available.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of two mana, the ability to play an instant or sorcery card from an opponent’s graveyard might seem appealing. However, the necessity of paying the exiled card’s mana cost can make the total mana spent comparatively high. There are alternatives in the MTG card pool that might provide similar effects at a lower overall mana expense, which is something players should consider when building their decks.


Reasons to Include Dire Fleet Daredevil in Your Collection

Versatility: Dire Fleet Daredevil offers exceptional flexibility, able to adapt to various situations. Its first strike ability allows it to defend effectively against early game creatures, while its ability to cast instant and sorcery cards from an opponent’s graveyard gives it utility in all stages of the game.

Combo Potential: The card’s unique ability to utilize opposing spells creates numerous combo possibilities. It pairs well with cards that benefit from casting spells or that enjoy a full graveyard, thus offering a tactical advantage and expanding your strategic plays.

Meta-Relevance: Considering its capability to disrupt opponent’s strategies by using their own spells against them, Dire Fleet Daredevil maintains relevance in a variety of metas, being a formidable answer to control or combo decks that rely on a rich repertoire of instants and sorceries.


How to beat

Dire Fleet Daredevil presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. With its ability to cast spells from the opponent’s graveyard, players need to be tactical in their approach when facing this agile pirate. The trick lies in managing your graveyard as a resource hub. Efficient graveyard housekeeping can minimize the impact of Dire Fleet Daredevil’s ability, which means including cards in your deck that can exile or shuffle your graveyard into your library. By doing so, you reduce the arsenal available to your opponent when Dire Fleet Daredevil hits the board.

Moreover, instant-speed removal spells are your ally against this pesky creature. Having removal spells at the ready can ensure that Dire Fleet Daredevil’s stay on the board is short-lived, thus hindering your opponent’s plan to exploit your past spells. Similarly, counterspells can serve as a preventive measure, ensuring that Dire Fleet Daredevil never gets the opportunity to raid your graveyard for treasure – metaphorically speaking.

Ultimately, an awareness of Dire Fleet Daredevil’s capability and preparing your deck to neutralize its advantages can turn the tides in your favor when confronting this intriguing MTG card.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the dynamic abilities of Dire Fleet Daredevil adds strategic layers to your gameplay in MTG, making it a prized addition for players who love tactical finesse. When considering the pros and cons of incorporating this versatile card into your deck, weigh its potential to exploit your opponent’s strategies against its cost and setup requirements. As you polish your collection and prepare for battle, understanding the subtleties of such unique cards can be a game-changer. Unearth further insights and advanced strategies to stay a step ahead in the ever-evolving MTG arena. Dive deeper with us, refine your gameplay, and claim victory with cunning and skill.


Cards like Dire Fleet Daredevil

Dire Fleet Daredevil stands out in the landscape of red creatures within MTG, bringing unique interactivity to the game. It draws parallels with Snapcaster Mage in terms of retrospective play, allowing players to cast spells from their opponents’ graveyards. However, unlike Snapcaster Mage, which grants instant or sorcery cards flashback until the end of the turn, Dire Fleet Daredevil is limited by the spells available in the opponent’s graveyard at the time it enters the battlefield.

Siege-Gang Commander is another card that shares a theme with Dire Fleet Daredevil. While both cards produce additional value upon entering the battlefield, Siege-Gang Commander focuses on creating multiple creature tokens rather than reusing spells. Goblin Dark-Dwellers also resonates with the reusability trait, offering a one-time cast of an instant or sorcery from your own graveyard, albeit with a restriction on the mana cost of the spell.

To sum up, Dire Fleet Daredevil sits in a distinct position within MTG’s array of creatures, blending the aggressive nature of red cards with a strategic twist by leveraging opposing resources, a crafty move for any player looking to turn the tides with resourcefulness and surprise maneuvers.

Snapcaster Mage - MTG Card versions
Siege-Gang Commander - MTG Card versions
Goblin Dark-Dwellers - MTG Card versions
Snapcaster Mage - MTG Card versions
Siege-Gang Commander - MTG Card versions
Goblin Dark-Dwellers - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dire Fleet Daredevil MTG card by a specific set like Rivals of Ixalan and Forgotten Realms Commander, 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 Dire Fleet Daredevil and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Dire Fleet Daredevil Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2018-01-19 and 2024-04-19. Illustrated by Zoltan Boros.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-01-19Rivals of IxalanRIX 992015NormalBlackZoltan Boros
22021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 1212015NormalBlackZoltan Boros
32022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 7882015NormalBlackZoltan Boros
42023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 2232015NormalBlackZoltan Boros
52024-04-19Outlaws of Thunder Junction CommanderOTC 1622015NormalBlackZoltan Boros

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dire Fleet Daredevil has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2018-01-19 Casting an exiled card causes it to leave exile. You can't cast it multiple times.
2018-01-19 The effect of Dire Fleet Daredevil doesn't change when you can cast the exiled card. For example, if you exile a sorcery card, you can cast it only during your main phase when the stack is empty.

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