Strongarm Thug MTG Card


Strongarm Thug reduces opponent’s hand, improving your card advantage and pressuring their resource management. Demands sacrifice from the player, adding complexity to hand management and overall strategy. Offers flexible usage and combo potential in Rogue decks, enhancing tribal synergy and aggressiveness.
Strongarm Thug - Mercadian Masques
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Mercenary
Released1999-10-04
Set symbol
Set nameMercadian Masques
Set codeMMQ
Power 1
Toughness 1
Number165
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byRebecca Guay

Text of card

When Strongarm Thug comes into play, you may return a Mercenary card from your graveyard to your hand.

"No, I insist—let *me* carry all that heavy jewelry."


Cards like Strongarm Thug

Strongarm Thug finds its niche in the cannon of disruptive creatures in Magic: The Gathering. With a parallel in cards like Raging Goblin, which also boasts haste, Strongarm Thug delivers that immediate board presence. Yet it diverges with its potential to disable a player’s mana abilities, carving out its own strategic value.

Likewise, cards such as Tin Street Hooligan provide a semblance of disruption by targeting artifacts upon entering the battlefield. It offers a direct approach in dealing with non-creature threats. Strongarm Thug, however, brings a more subtle approach, interfering indirectly with an opponent’s gameplay similar to a repeatable Rishadan Port effect. This mechanism can sometimes be more valuable depending on the match.

Then there’s Avalanche Riders. Although it requires more mana investment and is temporary due to echo, it aligns closely with Strongarm Thug by hampering an opponent’s mana base. The critical difference is in the permanency of the effect—Avalanche Riders provides a once-off land destruction, whereas Strongarm Thug can consistently thwart mana generation each turn.

When evaluating these options, Strongarm Thug stands out for players keen on exerting continuous pressure and resource denial. This unique ability positions it distinctively within Magic: The Gathering’s array of aggressive creatures.

Raging Goblin - MTG Card versions
Tin Street Hooligan - MTG Card versions
Rishadan Port - MTG Card versions
Avalanche Riders - MTG Card versions
Raging Goblin - MTG Card versions
Tin Street Hooligan - MTG Card versions
Rishadan Port - MTG Card versions
Avalanche Riders - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Strongarm Thug by color, type and mana cost

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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
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
Nantuko Husk - MTG Card versions
Vesper Ghoul - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Strongarm Thug’s ability to force discards gives you a strategic leverage by diminishing your opponent’s hand, potentially providing a card advantage as they lose access to vital resources in their deck.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting your mana pool, Strongarm Thug’s intimidatory tactics can impede your opponent’s board development, indirectly accelerating your own resource domination as they struggle to recover.

Instant Speed: Acting at instant speed isn’t within the Strongarm Thug’s wheelhouse, yet its influence during your turn can set the stage for surprise tactics, making the opponent hesitant to cast spells at end of turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Strongarm Thug poses a notable downside with its discard requirement. Players are often faced with the tough decision of sacrificing a potentially valuable card in their hand, which can disrupt their game plan, especially when hand size is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: Constructing a deck around Strongarm Thug can be challenging due to its specific mana cost. The card requires a dedicated spot in a deck that matches its color identity, which could hinder its inclusion in a broader range of decks that don’t run that specific color or are unable to meet the mana requirement reliably.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With the multitude of options available, Strongarm Thug might not always be the optimal choice. Its mana cost is on the higher side when compared to other creatures with similar abilities, making it less appealing for players who are seeking to maximize their mana efficiency over the course of a game.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Strongarm Thug offers flexibility in various deck builds, providing a reliable creature that can act as an early blocker or an attacker capable of exerting pressure on opponents in the early to mid-game.

Combo Potential: With its Rogue type, this card synergizes well in Rogue-themed decks and can enhance strategies that capitalize on tribal bonuses or related Rogue synergies, boosting the potential for advantageous combos.

Meta-Relevance: Given that rogues have consistent presence in competitive play, incorporating Strongarm Thug into your deck can offer valuable interactions, especially in environments that favor aggressive tactics or where rogue strategies are thriving.


How to beat

Strongarm Thug from Magic: The Gathering presents an interesting challenge on the battlefield. This creature, known for its ability to lock down opponents’ creatures, demands strategic planning to overcome. To effectively counter the Thug, consider spells that can remove it without triggering its potential death effects. Targeted removal like Murder or Path to Exile can be highly efficient, bypassing the Thug’s ability to impact the board state upon death.

Enchantments that neutralize creatures without destroying them, such as Pacifism or Claustrophobia, also provide a viable solution. These types of enchantments can render the Thug ineffective without having to engage in combat. Additionally, playing cards that change the rules of combat, like Reconnaissance Mission, can allow your creatures to bypass the Thug entirely, mitigating its influence over combat scenarios.

In essence, dealing with a Strongarm Thug requires a mix of direct removal and clever evasion tactics. Utilizing these methods can ensure your forces remain unimpeded while dismantling the opposition’s strategic advantages. Properly navigating around these obstacles can often be the difference between victory and defeat in a game of MTG.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Strongarm Thug MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques, 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 Strongarm Thug and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Strongarm Thug has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal