Slate Street Ruffian MTG Card


Card advantage stems from the Ruffian’s blocked-triggered discard, disrupting opponents’ game plans. Its instant combat speed boosts your tactical options, enhancing your in-game maneuvers. Flexibility in decks is limited due to its specific black mana requirement and higher cost.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Warrior
Power 2
Toughness 2

Text of card

Whenever Slate Street Ruffian becomes blocked, defending player discards a card.

"Merciless to the point of psychosis. Let's give him a job." —Zelinas, Orzhov recruiter


Cards like Slate Street Ruffian

Slate Street Ruffian brings its own flavor to the realm of creature cards with forced discard mechanics in MTG. Its closest relatives include the likes of Burglar Rat, which also mandates the opponent to discard a card upon entering the battlefield. However, the Ruffian is more durable with its 2/2 stats, potentially keeping its presence on the board longer, compared to Burglar Rat’s 1/1.

The Ruffian’s effect is akin to that of Liliana’s Specter, demanding a discard upon entering the game. Yet, Liliana’s Specter provides the added advantage of flying, making it a better option for evasion tactics.

Considering cost-efficient creatures with discard abilities, we cannot forget Okiba-Gang Shinobi. Although it involves a higher mana investment and ninjutsu cost, it compensates with the potential to make an opponent discard two cards. This effect can significantly impact the game if timed correctly.

Overall, Slate Street Ruffian poses an attractive option for players who value the psychological edge of forced discard strategies, all while maintaining a presence on the board throughout the game.

Burglar Rat - MTG Card versions
Liliana's Specter - MTG Card versions
Okiba-Gang Shinobi - MTG Card versions
Burglar Rat - MTG Card versions
Liliana's Specter - MTG Card versions
Okiba-Gang Shinobi - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Slate Street Ruffian by color, type and mana cost

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Nim Lasher - MTG Card versions
Nim Abomination - MTG Card versions
Vesper Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Nettling Imp - MTG Card versions
Royal Assassin - MTG Card versions
El-Hajjâj - MTG Card versions
Plague Rats - MTG Card versions
Frozen Shade - MTG Card versions
Scathe Zombies - MTG Card versions
Sorceress Queen - MTG Card versions
Wall of Bone - MTG Card versions
Lost Soul - MTG Card versions
Mindstab Thrull - MTG Card versions
Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions
Strongarm Thug - MTG Card versions
Razortooth Rats - MTG Card versions
Ghastly Remains - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Undead - MTG Card versions
Deepwood Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Dross Prowler - MTG Card versions
Nim Lasher - MTG Card versions
Nim Abomination - MTG Card versions
Vesper Ghoul - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Slate Street Ruffian’s ability to force opponents to discard cards whenever it becomes blocked enhances your card advantage. This disrupts your opponent’s strategy while giving you an upper hand, ensuring that you’re dictating the pace of the match.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana resources, the ruffian’s discard effect indirectly accelerates your resources by diminishing your opponent’s options. With fewer cards at their disposal, your tactical plays become more effective, allowing you to capitalize on their weakened position.

Instant Speed: The ability to engage the ruffian’s effect at the speed of combat instants is a tactical boon. You can choose to attack with this creature whenever it suits your game plan, leveraging its discard effect precisely when it will hit your opponent hardest – during the combat phase when they are least prepared.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Slate Street Ruffian challenges players by enforcing a discard from the opponent each time it becomes blocked or blocks. While disrupting the opponent’s hand can be advantageous, this requirement is conditional and not guaranteed every turn, potentially making it a less reliable form of discard strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that necessitates one black mana, Slate Street Ruffian is bound to mono-black or multicolor decks with a strong black mana base. This specificity can limit the card’s versatility in a format that highly prizes flexibility and the ability to adapt to various mana configurations.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring a total of three mana, two of which are generic and one black, to play, Slate Street Ruffian may be considered a costly investment for its 2/2 stats and effect. There are alternatives in the realm of MTG that could provide more immediate or impactful board presence or hand disruption at a similar or lower mana cost.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Slate Street Ruffian can adapt to various deck strategies, particularly in those that exploit discard mechanics to gain an upper hand over the opponent.

Combo Potential: Utilizing this card’s ability to force an opponent to discard can synergize with effects that punish discarding or capitalize on an opponent’s reduced hand size.

Meta-Relevance: As the game environment shifts towards strategies that involve maintaining card advantage, Slate Street Ruffian can become instrumental in disrupting the opponent’s hand, ensuring they are always at a disadvantage.


How to beat Slate Street Ruffian

Slate Street Ruffian, a creature card in MTG, demands attention due to its ability to cause a player to discard a card whenever it becomes blocked. This disruption can be a thorn in the side of many strategies that rely on maintaining a full hand of cards. To effectively navigate this challenge, one must consider utilizing removal spells such as Murder or Shock to eliminate the ruffian before it can engage in combat. Additionally, players can take advantage of cards that thrive on discarding, such as those with madness or reanimation mechanics, turning a potential setback into a strategic advantage.

Another tactic to counter this pesky creature is deploying creatures with deathtouch or those that can outclass it in combat, minimizing the drawback of its triggered ability by ensuring it’s swiftly taken off the battlefield. Furthermore, using cards that return your discarded cards from the graveyard to your hand, like Eternal Witness or Regrowth, can help recover from the loss induced by Slate Street Ruffian’s effect. Implementing these strategies should aid you in maintaining control over the game and ultimately, conquering the challenge posed by Slate Street Ruffian.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Slate Street Ruffian MTG card by a specific set like Gatecrash and Duel Decks: Jace vs. Vraska, 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 Slate Street Ruffian and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Slate Street Ruffian Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2013-02-01 and 2020-07-17. Illustrated by Jim Murray.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-02-01GatecrashGTC 782003NormalBlackJim Murray
22014-03-14Duel Decks: Jace vs. VraskaDDM 532003NormalBlackJim Murray
32020-07-17JumpstartJMP 2792015NormalBlackJim Murray

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Slate Street Ruffian has restrictions

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