Saboteur

A Saboteur is a creature with a triggered ability upon dealing combat damage to a player. All colors can have saboteur effects as long as the effects themselves are in color.

Description

The nickname is derived from the creatures having to sneak behind enemy lines to generate an effect unfavorable for the opponent. Prolific subsets of this mechanic include Specters who cause the opponent to discard cards from their hand as well as Ninjas with various saboteur effects and the Ninjutsu ability to make it easier for them to deal damage to the opponent.

Hypnotic Specter was one of the original saboteurs, famously powered out by Dark Ritual. However, few other saboteur effects were implemented. The templating on Merchant Ship was the next design, which forced you to give up you combat damage for the effect. Ophidian was one of the highest profile variants of this, as unlike most previous designs, it generated value (a Curiosity effect) for the controller rather than eroding their opponents'. The extra decision point and the loss of damage tended to slow down games, which results in it being replaced with modern saboteur templating of getting the effect and the damage. Additionally, the wording of "attacks and isn't blocked" let it trigger in the blockers step, which might change combat when if the trigger affects the board. This trigger templating has returned on rare occasion, one of which was a strictly better version of Ophidian: Eternal of Harsh Truths.

Old school saboteur

• Merchant Ship
• Floral Spuzzem
• Mindstab Thrull
• Necrite
• Orcish Squatters
• Risorian Badger
• Keeper of Tresserhorn
• Stromgald Spy
• Swamp Mosquito
• Lim-Dûl's Paladin
• Coral Fighters
• Kukemssa Pirates
• Crypt Cobra
• Suq'Ata Assassin
• Pygmy Hippo
• Bone Dancer
• Goblin Vandal
• Dauthi Mindripper
• Abyssal Nightstalker
• Guiltfeeder

See also

• Cipher