Cunning Strike

Instant

Cunning Strike deals 2 damage to target creature and 2 damage to target player.

Draw a card.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Pauper Duel Commander	Legal
Pauper EDH	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (5)

scapegoat_tom on Budget Izzet <$15

6 years ago

Also since Prophetic Bolt isn't modern legal you'll need a replacement. how about Cunning Strike?

Austin_Smith_of_Cards on Melek, Spellcaster Extraordinaire

7 years ago

I would cut Artificer's Epiphany, Bone to Ash, Chandra's Fury, Cunning Strike, Scatter Arc, Smash, Amass the Components, Blood Feud, Bolt of Keranos, Drag Under, Metallic Mastery, and Portent of Betrayal.

Sgt.Pickles on Jeskai Monks

7 years ago

So you're new to magic? Here are some general tips to think of when you're building good decks:

Pick between synergy or value: an "anthem" or "lord" effect is something that gives creatures of a certain type bonuses. There are no good "monk" lords, so synergy with monks isn't all that great. However, another synergy is how your monks get better with instant and sorceries being cast: That's a good synergy. Generally, if there are little synergies in a deck, it helps to just look for cards that are generally good on their own: This is where you should go.

Make sure the deck is focused: You should have one main gameplan, with alternate win conditions. Don't just throw random cards in- every card should have a specific reason as to why it's in your list. If you're control, make sure you can stall the game by gaining life and killing creatures, then push out big fat creatures that are hard to deal with (like hexproof/indestructible) and win the game. By contrast, if you're aggro, drop as many 1-2 mana creatures as you can and don't be running stuff like narset. As it is, this deck looks like a midrange deck, which focusses on having good cards and being able to do different things. However, this step is still very important: make sure every card contributes to your overall prediction of how you are going to win.

Watch the mana costs: a game of magic is usually decided in the first 4-7 turns. Also, you always want to have something to cast early on. 6 mana sorceries are therefore usually flat out bad- especially if it relies on having a board-state: magic is very control based, so I think you should take out flying crane technique because if you haven't won by turn 6, it's probbly because you don't have any creatures left to even use it on. 4 mana is even considered expensive in magic.

Choosing mainboard vs sideboard and avoiding niche cards: Flying crane technique looks great, sure. But again, what happens when you don't have any creatures come turn 6? Magic is way more finicky than games like Hearthstone, and it really punishes you for having cards that may not be able to be even used. Charms and commands are great becuase they allow for alot of versatility and responses to many different problems, but things like hindering light might not be as great cause you may not even get to use them. (hindering light IS actually pretty, good but crane technique is not. I think you get what I'm saying though.)

Generally, the best cards are those that are A) low on the mana curve, B) multi-use, C) resilient, and D) still powerfull. Here are some cards that are not very good in this sense: Cunning Strike great, but 5 mana for this sucks. Biovisionary one gets killed, and you're done. Kalonian Tusker It's strong, but it does shit all other than attack and block.

On the other hand, here are my favourite cards that obey the "strength" rules: Geralf's Messenger Low cost, burns your opponent even if it dies, is strong against kill spells cause it comes back, and is very strong. Demigod of Revenge Comes bakc like crazy. Is a great finisher. Soulfire Grand Master A popular pick, actually. Is an okay body, but it gives you life and can double your spells so you can maintain card advantage late game. Ojutai's Command It's never a dead card, cause it can do just about everything. Thrun, the Last Troll Anyway, you get the idea.

Always think about card advantage: In a slower deck like yours, card advantage is everything. It's good how you have alot of cards that draw you more cards, but remember: effects that draw you cards means the spell itself is weaker: Cunning Strike is an example of this. Even Soulfire Grand Master helps your card advantage, cause you don't have to rely on casting two spells to, well, cast two spells.

Anyways, good luck and welcome to magic... fell free to ask if you have any questions. Also, if you want examples of "prefect" competitive modern decks, search for these decks: Jund, Affinity, Tron, Burn, and Control. Study them and see if you can figure out why they're so good. And remember, you don't have to have a $1000 deck to win. There are some great tournament winners you can get for $40.

MSU_Iced_Z on Favorite Flavor Text?

7 years ago

Cunning Strike

Bovine073 on Fate Reforged Draft Cube (KTK/KTK/FRF)

7 years ago

Do you have the 20 enemy-colored cards from KTK/FRF? In each set of 4 there is 1 common, 2 uncommons, 1 rare (common is from FRF, rest from KTK).

R/W: Highspire Mantis, Ride Down, Deflecting Palm, War Flare

G/B: Death Frenzy, Kin-Tree Invocation, Rakshasa Deathdealer, Grim Contest

U/G: Icefeather Aven, Secret Plans, Sagu Mauler, Ethereal Ambush

R/U: Winterflame, Master the Way, Mindswipe, Cunning Strike

W/B: Chief of the Edge, Chief of the Scale, Utter End, Harsh Sustenance.

There is also the cycle of the 6-costed KTK Commons with a morph for 5 mana. Ponyback Brigade, Abomination of Gudul, 1 for every other clan.

Hope I could help show you some more cycles.