Predator's Gambit

Enchantment — Aura

Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+1.
Enchanted creature has intimidate as long as its controller controls no other creatures. (It can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or creatures that share a color with it.)

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
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (29)

Metroid_Hybrid on What’s your “dick move” moment?

2 years ago

Back when I used to play Modern years ago, one of the brews I would pilot was a janky Midrange Infect deck. So during the first round of this small tournament, a player sitting next to me running Mono- Illusions admitted to me that he wasn’t any removal. Sure enough we were paired up for round 2, and I took full advantage of this volunteered information. I just slammed down a Blighted Agent, and then slapped a couple of Predator's Gambit and/or Deviant Glee on it, and swing twice for the win. Easy turn-4 Win. Game 2 he tried to race me, and I did the exact same thing again. He almost got me too, but when he attempted to AEtherize my Agent, it was met with a Mana Leak.. This guy then did the calmest Rage-quit I have ever seen in my life. He was so salty over losing to an Infect deck (janky brew be damned), that he just calmly packed up his stuff and left the tournament without telling anyone else..

The irony is that if he hadn’t have told me what he did, I would have played more cautiously, and he would’ve been able to just straight run me over... oh well...

OrphanSlayer on Skullbriar kills things

3 years ago

Strong black aggro: Predator's Gambit, Unholy Strength, Rime Transfusion, Dark Favor, Sinister Strength, Vampiric Link, Dragon Shadow, and Phyresis.

Good +1/+1 synergy: Animation Module.

Strong green aggro: Revenge of the Hunted, Berserk, Bounty of the Hunt, Root Maze, and Elvish Spirit Guide.

Also consider: Talisman of Resilience, Wild Growth, Oona's Blackguard, Reyhan, Last of the Abzan, Champion's Helm, Sphere of Resistance, and Umezawa's Jitte.

ZendikariWol on

4 years ago

This deck feels sort of unfocused. Specifically, Mindcrank and you choice in card draw spells (unless you're tryna mill someone out, in which case take a look at Paranoid Delusions) seem counter-intuitive. I would recommend thinking about what you want to do every turn.

Turn 1: drop an unblockable creature.

Turn 2: either pump it up or, if possible, play Invisible Stalker.

Turn 3: pump it up more and keep drawing cards off of Curiosity and the like.

To this end I would recommend... switching to UW?? Yeah. Why? Because Staggering Insight and Sentinel's Eyes are two very strong cards, as are Ethereal Armor and All That Glitters.

However, if you want to stay UB, that's fine. I recommend Sleeper's Robe, Curious Obsession, Demonic Vigor, Eel Umbra, Predator's Gambit, and Unholy Strength. They seem pretty good.

5dollarMTG on $5 Black Aggro

4 years ago

Thanks Skulloelegy! Predator's Gambit is just in there as an Unholy Strength that can occasionally help Ogre Marauder get through. Demonic Vigor is a great card though - I actually prefer it to Infernal Scarring , which would also open the two-drop spot for Dark Favor . I'll probably keep at least a few Supernatural Stamina in there though - unlike Demonic Vigor, it keeps your creature out on the board and can also just be a Shock to finish off the game.

Snake_Oil on $5 Black Aggro

4 years ago

Predator's Gambit doesn't seem great here in a deck full of unblockables, not the most effective choice unless it's purely getting the price as low as you can (which I'll always respect) -- I'd be more inclined to go with Feebleness or Dead Weight as pseudo-removal, Demonic Vigor or Kaya's Ghostform for effects like Supernatural Stamina style recursion effects, or Dark Favor / Eternal Thirst for big beats.

+1 for budget builds!

mal099 on Death in the Shadows

5 years ago

Thanks for the +1 and the suggestions!

The problem with Endless Scream and Dauthi Mercenary , as much as I love especially the latter, is that both of these cards are really only useful in the late game, and this deck is not designed to ever get that far - you either win between turn 3-5, or the opponent has probably removed enough creatures that it's almost impossible to get back into the game. The deck also doesn't have any way of defending itself, so by that point, they should have done a substantial amount of damage. Some more playtesting might be in order to see if those cards might have value against control, but I feel like going for maximum speed is still my best bet.

Bonesplitter , again, sacrifices speed for long term viability, but in that case, I feel like it might be worth the cost. Will also require some testing. Same with Infernal Scarring , and I probably wouldn't want to play both. So it's a choice between definitely keeping an equipment after a removal, or potentially drawing a creature, which is often more important... not an easy choice, but I'll keep them all in mind. Will probably go for either Predator's Gambit or Bonesplitter , since I've already bought those.

HalbrechtHalbrecht on Death in the Shadows

5 years ago

First off, love this deck! You got a +1 from me! I've always been attracted to Shadow as a mechanic, but I've never gotten around to delving into it too much.

I like Dauthi Mercenary * better than Dauthi Marauder . Both are 3-drops with shadow, but while the Marauder starts out with one more power, the Mercenary has the potential to be pumped up higher, especially if you have a Dark Ritual and nothing else to play with it. It's a good late-game mana sink when you've run out of cards in hand (and considering your curve is so low, I imagine that that's easy to do).

* T/O claims that Dauthi Mercenary isn't pauper legal, but Scryfall disagrees, because it's a common on the MTGO-only set Vintage Masters. From my understanding, MTGO legality is currently also used for paper pauper.

Another card that scales for the late game is Endless Scream . Maybe try a 1-of?

I also like Infernal Scarring , probably in place of Predator's Gambit . It's 1 more mana, but Gambit's toughness boost and Intimidate are irrelevant, whereas the death-trigger card draw makes the creature a less attractive target for removal, while being a much better target for your own Rite of Consumption .

Alternatively, have you considered equipment as well as auras? The only one I'd suggest is Bonesplitter (in place of Predator's Gambit ). Sure, it costs 1 more mana for the very first time, but against a removal- / bounce-heavy deck, it'll be way better in the long run. You won't get 2-for-1-ed then, and subsequent re-equips are just as cheap as Gambit.

mal099 on Turn 3 Win Decks?

5 years ago

There's lots of decks like that, if format is not important. My own deck (Death in the Shadows) in Pauper:

Turn 1: Swamp, Dark Ritual , Dauthi Slayer , Predator's Gambit

Turn 2: Swamp, Phyresis , attack for 4 Poison Counters

Turn 3: Predator's Gambit , attack for the win

7 Cards, many of which can be replaced. The deck can also win by turn 3 with Rite of Consumption by going for damage instead of infect. Does require some luck, but not too much, Dark Ritual is the main thing you need.