Zulaport Cutthroat MTG Card


Zulaport Cutthroat is key in creature sacrifice strategies, gaining you life while depleting opponents’. Triggers at instant speed, adding flexibility and surprise in response to opponents. While potent, it’s mana-specific and costlier compared to other two-mana creatures.
Card setsReleased in 9 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Rogue Ally
Power 1
Toughness 1

Text of card

Whenever Zulaport Cutthroat or another creature you control dies, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

"Eldrazi? Ha! Try walking through Zulaport at night with your pockets full. Now *that's* dangerous."


Cards like Zulaport Cutthroat

Zulaport Cutthroat carves its niche as a potent ally in Magic: The Gathering, thanks to its ability to whittle down opponents’ life while bolstering your own. It stands in the same court with Blood Artist, a card that also converts creatures’ deaths into life point swings. The key difference lies in Blood Artist’s targeting range, which allows for more control over who gets hit by the life loss, something Zulaport Cutthroat doesn’t offer.

Bloodseeker presents another parallel, inflicting pain upon opponents whenever they summon creatures. While not identical in effect to Zulaport Cutthroat’s death-triggered ability, it similarly disrupts opponents’ strategies. Yet, it doesn’t provide the life gain perk that Zulaport Cutthroat does. Then there’s Falkenrath Noble, which extends the reach of Zulaport Cutthroat’s ability to all creatures on the battlefield, not just your own, garnering you more potential for life swings.

Ultimately, Zulaport Cutthroat remains a formidable choice within the lineup of creatures that leverage death for advantage. It’s a fine balance of cost, effect, and the double-ended sword of affecting each opponent and padding your life total, solidifying its role in decks that thrive on sacrifices.

Blood Artist - MTG Card versions
Falkenrath Noble - MTG Card versions
Blood Artist - MTG Card versions
Falkenrath Noble - MTG Card versions

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Erg Raiders - MTG Card versions
Cuombajj Witches - MTG Card versions
Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions
Bog Imp - MTG Card versions
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Decks using this card

MTG decks using Zulaport Cutthroat. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
YawgmothYawgmoth ModernYawgmothModern Challenge 32 2024-04-19 (1)
Golgari CitadelGolgari Citadel PioneerGolgari CitadelPioneer Challenge 64 2024-04-28

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Zulaport Cutthroat shines in strategies revolving around creature sacifice. Each time Zulaport Cutthroat or another creature you control dies, it allows you to drain life from your opponent while gaining life yourself. This mechanic sustains your resources while depleting your opponent’s, tilting the game in your favor over multiple turns.

Resource Acceleration: While Zulaport Cutthroat itself doesn’t directly generate mana or tokens, it effectively accelerates your game strategy by incentivizing you to utilize your creatures as resources. Through controlled sacrifice, you gain incremental advantages that can quickly compound, giving you the upper hand and paving the way to a winning board presence.

Instant Speed: Although Zulaport Cutthroat operates at sorcery speed, the triggered ability functions at instant timing. This means any creature death on the battlefield triggers its ability, providing flexibility to respond to your opponents’ actions during their turn. You can strategically plan creature sacrifices or block in a way that maximizes the value from Zulaport Cutthroat’s ability, often at moments most unfavorable to your opponent.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Zulaport Cutthroat does not have a discard requirement itself, it necessitates other creatures you control to die to trigger its ability. This could lead to situations where you need to sacrifice valuable creatures or rely on your opponent’s actions, which might not always be advantageous.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires one black mana, which means it fits primarily in black-oriented or multicolor decks that can accommodate the specific mana need. This could restrict its inclusion in decks that don’t have a reliable mana base to support black cards.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At two mana for a 1/1 creature, when compared to other creatures with similar cost, Zulaport Cutthroat may seem like a costlier investment. Given the landscapes of competitive play where efficiency is key, other cards might offer more immediate impact or versatility without the reliance on additional creatures dying to derive value.


Reasons to Include Zulaport Cutthroat in Your Collection

Versatility: Zulaport Cutthroat is a multifunctional card that thrives in various deck builds. It can seamlessly integrate into aristocrat strategies, thrive in token decks or act as a key piece in life-drain builds. Its ability to affect all opponents makes it exceptionally valuable in multiplayer formats.

Combo Potential: This card comes into its own when paired with other sacrifice mechanics. The life loss and life gain it triggers can be compounded with similar effects, resulting in significant damage to opponents while bolstering your own life total—a cornerstone for numerous combo finishes.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Zulaport Cutthroat can be an indirect form of control. Its presence on the board deters board wipes and punishes removal, making it a persistent threat that aligns well with the current state of play across various formats.


How to Beat Zulaport Cutthroat

Zulaport Cutthroat is a card that embodies resilience and persistence in any MTG deck, owing to its ability to drain life from your opponent whenever Zulaport Cutthroat or another creature you control dies. This makes it a staple in strategies that hinge on sacrificing creatures for value. The key to dismantling the advantage provided by Zulaport Cutthroat lies in limiting the opportunities for creature sacrifices. Cards that exile creatures, like Path to Exile, bypass the death trigger entirely, preventing the life drain effect.

Another strategy involves employing cards that restrict the number of creatures that can die in a turn, such as Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit, which exiles your opponent’s creatures when they die if bolstered. Additionally, making strategic decisions in gameplay by holding back on removal until you can address multiple threats, including Cutthroat, is vital. In essence, managing the board state by reducing the triggers for Zulaport Cutthroat’s ability, utilizing exile removals or containment effects, and playing a controlled game with timely responses can significantly nullify this pesky card’s presence on the battlefield.

Controlling the game tempo becomes crucial when countering the persistent value Zulaport Cutthroat offers, and ensuring your removal arsenal can deal swiftly and decisively with this threat can turn the tide of a match in your favor. Through careful play and well-chosen cards, the relentless drain of Zulaport Cutthroat can be mitigated, paving the way to victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the dynamics of Zulaport Cutthroat is just the beginning. Dive deeper into your MTG practice with us and get the most out of this unique card. Whether increasing your life totals, controlling the board, or fine-tuning your deck, every bit of knowledge counts towards a comprehensive victory. Learn to unlock the full potential of Zulaport Cutthroat in your game strategy and disassemble your opponent’s defenses with expert precision. For more insights and in-depth strategies featuring Zulaport Cutthroat and similar MTG cards, we urge you to join our community of passionate players and enrich your gameplay experience.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Zulaport Cutthroat MTG card by a specific set like Battle for Zendikar and Masters 25, 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 Zulaport Cutthroat and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Zulaport Cutthroat Magic the Gathering card was released in 9 different sets between 2015-10-02 and 2022-12-13. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12015-10-02Battle for ZendikarBFZ 1262015NormalBlackJason Rainville
22018-03-16Masters 25A25 1172015NormalBlackJason Rainville
32018-11-16Game NightGNT 362015NormalBlackJason Rainville
42019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 1562015NormalBlackDaniel Lieske
52020-04-17Commander 2020C20 1422015NormalBlackJason Rainville
62020-09-25Zendikar Rising CommanderZNC 572015NormalBlackJason Rainville
72021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 3371997NormalBlackJason Rainville
82022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 7752015NormalBlackJason Rainville
92022-12-13Explorer Anthology 2EA2 112015NormalBlackJason Rainville

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Zulaport Cutthroat has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2021-03-19 If another creature you control dies at the same time as Zulaport Cutthroat, its ability triggers for that creature.