Cruel Sadist MTG Card


Cruel Sadist is a strategic tool for board control through life point investment and creature removal. Its instant speed ability adds a layer of tactic, allowing players to act on their terms discreetly. High mana and life cost can limit the Sadist’s utility, demanding careful deck integration and management.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Assassin
Power 1
Toughness 1

Text of card

, , Pay 1 life: Put a +1/+1 counter on Cruel Sadist. , , Remove X +1/+1 counters from Cruel Sadist: Cruel Sadist deals X damage to target creature.

Face of innocence. Hand of death. Designed by Edmund McMillen


Cards like Cruel Sadist

Cruel Sadist offers a unique blend of direct player engagement and incremental power build-up in Magic: The Gathering. While sharing ground with creatures like Bloodthirsty Aerialist, which also grows in power by interacting with your opponent’s life total, Cruel Sadist distinguishes itself with the ability to directly control its power boost. The Aerialist relies on the condition of an opponent losing life in the same turn, whereas the Sadist can, with the expenditure of mana and life, increase its strength at will.

Comparing this to Quillspike, which similarly manipulates +1/+1 counters, we see a different balance of power. Quillspike can rapidly become a larger threat by devouring creatures with -1/-1 counters but lacks the Sadist’s capacity to target players directly. Lastly, there’s Thriving Grubs, whose power grows with energy counters when it enters the battlefield or attacks. Although it’s less versatile in targeting options and control over counter placement, it offers an immediate benefit without additional costs once it’s in play.

In essence, Cruel Sadist might not feature the continuous growth or immediate impact of some counterparts, yet it presents players with strategic decisions and precise control, marking its place in the array of MTG cards focusing on counter manipulation and incremental advantage.

Bloodthirsty Aerialist - MTG Card versions
Quillspike - MTG Card versions
Thriving Grubs - MTG Card versions
Bloodthirsty Aerialist - MTG Card versions
Quillspike - MTG Card versions
Thriving Grubs - MTG Card versions

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Vampire Bats - MTG Card versions
Bog Rats - MTG Card versions
Insidious Bookworms - MTG Card versions
Sewer Rats - MTG Card versions
Kjeldoran Dead - MTG Card versions
Muck Rats - MTG Card versions
Circling Vultures - MTG Card versions
Vebulid - MTG Card versions
Zodiac Rat - MTG Card versions
Urborg Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Carrion Rats - MTG Card versions
Foulmire Knight // Profane Insight - MTG Card versions
Champion of the Perished - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Although Cruel Sadist doesn’t inherently generate card advantage, its ability to leverage life points into creature destruction can tip the scales in your favor. It can repeatedly weaken the opponent’s board presence while maintaining your own, paving the way for more vital top decks and promoting card superiority as the match progresses.

Resource Acceleration: Cruel Sadist offers a form of resource acceleration, albeit indirectly. It utilizes the mana you accumulate to place counters and eventually deal damage, allowing you to effectively manage your resources in the long game. Rather than expending additional cards for removal, you concentrate your mana into versatile and escalating board control.

Instant Speed: The utility of using the Sadist’s ability at instant speed shouldn’t be underestimated. The flexibility to pump and execute its removal capability at the end of your opponent’s turn affords tremendous strategic advantage, setting up favorable conditions for your subsequent actions and keeping your adversary guessing at every step.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Cruel Sadist demands that you invest more than just mana to grow its power; you must also discard precious life points, which can be detrimental in tight situations where life preservation is key.

Specific Mana Cost: Cruel Sadist’s activation relies on black mana, which may not seamlessly fit into multicolored decks that require a diverse mana base, potentially restricting its versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Its initial casting cost coupled with the additional mana needed to utilize its ability can make Cruel Sadist a mana-intensive investment compared to other creatures or removal options available within the same mana range.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Cruel Sadist is a unique addition to any collection allowing for versatile plays. It can slide into black-centered or multicolor decks that focus on counter mechanics and player life manipulation.

Combo Potential: This card can easily become part of a synergistic deck that amplifies its ability to place counters and manage creatures on the board, feeding into larger, game-ending combos.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where small creatures rule and incremental advantage is key, Cruel Sadist offers the dual functionality of board control and life total whittling, making it a strategic pick for many players.


How to Beat Cruel Sadist

Cruel Sadist emerges as a unique creature within the vast assortment of cards in Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to grow by using life as a resource is both intriguing and potentially threatening. To tackle this card, understanding its mechanics is crucial. Cruel Sadist requires the investment of mana and life to power up, making it a slow burner in terms of threat level. A direct strategy to overcome a Sadist in play is to use instant-speed removal before it gets out of hand. Spells like Path to Exile or Fatal Push can effectively dispatch it before your opponent has the chance to utilize its potential.

Board control is another effective approach. Ensuring you have creatures that can outclass the Sadist by being both more cost-effective and more powerful in combat can render it a non-issue. Ensnaring, bouncing, or pacifying effects found in spells like Unsummon or Pacifism also prove useful in neutralizing it without having to directly destroy the card, potentially bypassing any counter spells in your opponent’s hand. Applying these tactics can maintain the balance on the battlefield, keeping the Cruel Sadist from becoming a significant threat.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cruel Sadist MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2015 and Jumpstart 2022, 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 Cruel Sadist and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Cruel Sadist Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2014-07-18 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Min Yum.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12014-07-18Magic 2015M15 932015NormalBlackMin Yum
22022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 3912015NormalBlackMin Yum

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cruel Sadist has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2014-07-18 You can remove any +1/+1 counters from Cruel Sadist to activate its second ability, not just those put on Cruel Sadist by its first ability.