Raving Oni-Slave MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Ogre Warrior
Released	2005-06-03
Set symbol
Set name	Saviors of Kamigawa
Set code	SOK
Power	3
Toughness	3
Number	86
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Eric Polak

Key Takeaways

Offers card advantage by allowing play without using mana, presenting a unique deck building opportunity.
Demands strategic hand management due to its discard requirement upon entering the battlefield.
Enhances game dynamics with its instant-speed spell synergy, posing significant threats at critical moments.

Text of card

When Raving Oni-Slave comes into play, you lose 3 life if you don't control a Demon. When Raving Oni-Slave leaves play, you lose 3 life if you don't control a Demon.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Raving Oni-Slave presents a unique opportunity to establish card advantage by offering an alternative cost mechanism that can provide an immediate board presence without spending mana from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: This card, when played correctly, effectively bypasses the need for traditional casting costs, accelerating your resource utilization and allowing you to deploy additional threats or defenses without compromising your mana pool.

Instant Speed: While Raving Oni-Slave itself isn’t an instant, it can capitalize on the instant speed spells you play. This interaction is significant for reacting to your opponents’ moves while expanding your board at the utmost opportune moments.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Raving Oni-Slave obliges players to discard a card upon entering the battlefield. This can be burdensome, particularly in situations where your hand is already depleted and you cannot afford to lose any more of your strategic resources.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana cost demands one black and two generic mana, which can be restrictive for decks not heavily invested in black mana sources. Players using multi-colored decks may find this card less flexible and harder to cast when they need it the most.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of three mana for a creature that offers a baseline 3/3 body, Raving Oni-Slave could be considered expensive. Especially when you account for the additional cost of discarding a card, it may not always present the best value compared to other creatures or spells available within the same mana range.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Raving Oni-Slave offers a unique dynamic as it can serve multiple roles in different deck builds. Its ability to act both as an aggressive early threat and a late-game blocker with its drawback makes it an intriguing choice for various strategies.

Combo Potential: This card has an unconventional synergy with decks that capitalize on discard effects or benefit from having a high-powered creature that can easily be returned from the graveyard to the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where games can swing based on a single card, Raving Oni-Slave’s impact on the board can be significant, especially if timed correctly to exploit the opponent’s weakness or to recover from a disadvantageous position.

How to Beat Raving Oni-Slave

Raving Oni-Slave is a unique card in the MTG realm, often catching players off guard with its immediate impact on the battlefield. This creature requires careful management due to its ability that can harm the owner if not played strategically. To effectively counter it, knowing when to remove or neutralize this threat is key.

Players may consider timing their removal spells to coincide with the Oni-Slave’s drawback, which forces its controller to lose 3 life when they have no other Demons on the field. Instant speed removal such as Path to Exile or Rapid Hybridization can dismantle an opponent’s plans by casting these in response to the Oni-Slave entering the battlefield, mitigating its potential damage. Players can also use bounce effects to force the Oni-Slave back to its owner’s hand, triggering the life loss upon their next casting.

Taking control of the card’s downside transforms it into an advantage for the opposing side. With well-timed disruption, Raving Oni-Slave’s power can swiftly be turned into a liability for its controller, showcasing the importance of adaptability and foresight in MTG matches.

Cards like Raving Oni-Slave

Raving Oni-Slave is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering that has piqued the interest of players who favor cards with intricate payoffs. In terms of comparison, Painful Quandary is a noteworthy enchantment that shares a pain-for-gain theme, challenging players by inflicting pain when casting spells. It doesn’t match Raving Oni-Slave in terms of board presence, but it influences the game through a persistent taxing effect.

Looking at creatures, Raving Oni-Slave bears similarities to cards like Plague Spitter, which also damage players, but it does so at a different pace and to all players at each upkeep. The similarity lies in their ability to shape the battlefield by affecting life totals, yet the timing and conditions of their effects are distinct. Blood Tithe is another parallel, this sorcery deals damage to each opponent and gives you life, echoing the life swing element found with Raving Oni-Slave, though it’s a one-shot effect as opposed to a creature on the field.

Considering these comparisons, Raving Oni-Slave offers a special package in MTG with its combination of conditional self-return and the potential for significant life point swings, setting it apart with a strategic depth that can be leveraged in the right deck.

Cards similar to Raving Oni-Slave by color, type and mana cost

Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions

Nezumi Graverobber // Nighteyes the Desecrator - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Raving Oni-Slave MTG card by a specific set like Saviors of Kamigawa, 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 Raving Oni-Slave and other MTG cards: