Blitz is a new MTG mechanic introduced with Streets of New Capenna, and it’s closely tied to the Riveteers family. In this article, we’ll talk about everything you need to know about it, including:
- How does blitz work?
- When to cast a creature for its blitz cost?
- And more!
How Does Blitz Work?
Blitz is an alternative cost that can appear on creatures. If a creature has blitz, you can cast it for its regular or for its blitz cost.
If you use the blitz cost, that creature gets haste and “When this creature dies, draw a card.” But it doesn’t stop there – at the beginning of the next end step, you’ll have to sacrifice it.
So you have to decide if you want the creature to stick around (cast it for regular cost), or if you want some immediate impact (use the blitz cost). Let’s take a look at an example, to see how you might use it.
Examples
Here’s Plasma Jokey, a common creature with blitz.
You can cast it for its regular cost (four mana), and it’ll stick around.
You also have the option to cast it for its blitz cost, which is one mana less. This way you’ll get an immediate impact, as it’ll get haste. You can attack and make one of your opponent’s creatures unable to block. You’ll have to sacrifice Jockey at the begging of next end step – if it won’t already die in combat. Of course, you’ll draw a card no matter how it dies.
MTG Blitz – FAQ
Here are some question that you might have about the blitz mechanic. If you don’t find an answer you were looking for, let us know in the comments below.
This is a hard question to answer in a vacuum. Usually, if it’s an expendable creature, and you can make use of it attacking immediately, you’ll probably want to use the blitz cost. On the other hand, if a creature could have a big impact over the course of your next few turns, you’ll probably want to use its regular casting cost.
Yes, you do. You’ll draw a card whenever a creature that was cast for its blitz cost dies.
No, in order to draw a card when a creature with blitz dies, you have to pay its blitz cost.
No, unless it has flash. Blitz is just an alternate casting cost, and it doesn’t change the timing restrictions of casting a creature. So if it doesn’t have flash you’ll have to cast in your first or second main phase.
Flavor
Flavor here is pretty self-explanatory. The definition of blitz is “an intensive or sudden military attack” or “a sudden concerted effort to deal with something”. In either case, the mechanic fits the definition perfectly.
MTG Blitz – Interactions
In this section we’ll discuss some interaction and play patterns that you might encounter when playing with blitz cards.
Sacrificing in Second Main Phase
One way to get more value out of your blitz creatures is to sacrifice them in your second main phase (with something like Body Dropper).
This way you’ll get the value from your sacrifice outlet, and you still get to draw a card from your blitzed-in creature, which will certainly help you win the game.
You Want to be Aggressive
One thing to keep in mind when building a deck with blitz cards in it: you want to be aggressive. Only that way, you’ll be able to use all parts of the buffalo, as blitz doesn’t do much when you’re playing defense.
Of course, if a creature simply has good stats and abilities, and you don’t plan on using blitz anyway, then you can also use it in more controlling decks.
Blitz Commander
If you like both the blitz mechanic and the Commmander format, you’ll probably want to get the Riveteers Rampage precon.
At the head of the deck you’ll find Henzie “Toolbox” Torre. It gives all of your creature spells (that cost four or more) blitz, which is equal to their mana costs. But that’s not all – the more times you’ve cast Henzie, the cheaper your blitz costs become.
Conclusion
That’s all about MTG blitz mechanic. Hopefully, you’ll be able to use this mechanic to get some explosive wins.
If you like to crack packs, and you want to get some Riveteers blitz cards, you can buy a New Capenna Set booster box.
If you’d prefer more New Capenna articles, check out the following ones:
Until next time, have fun and and go for some victories with blitz.
What happens if I play creature card as a blitz cast, through Henzie’s effect, and that creature transforms during the turn. Does it still need to be sacrificed?
In general – yes. Except if it’s something that exiles, then returns transformed, for example: Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy.
Does the blitz effect from Henzo “Toolbox” Torre remove the mana cost from the creature or is it just the color less part it reduces? EX: if a creature normally is 5 and two red would it reduce it only to two red or could it become free?
It only reduces the colorless part of the cost. So, in your example the creature’s cost could be reduced to 2 red at most.
What happens if an opponent gains control of a creature that I had that had Blitz on it? Who gets the card?
That’s a very interesting scenario. I that creature dies, the player who controlled it at the time, draws the card. However, since you do not control it, your delayed trigger doesn’t happen and it won’t get sacrificed. This means that it reamins on the battlefield, until it dies in some other way. Once it does, its controller gets to draw a card.
What happens if i blitz a creature and have something like braids, arisen nightmare or ziatora, the incinerator?
Which sacrification gets priority on the stack? I can get nearly double the value if i sacrifice it with ziatora, but is it technically still there to sacrifice it since all happens just “at the beginning of your end step”
You put both abilities on the stack, and you choose in which order you’ll do so. You can order them in a way that it’ll be beneficial to you.
What happens if you blitz out a creature that has an additional cost; for example demon of catastrophes has a cost of 2bb and an additional cost of sacrifice a creature. If i use toolbox to blitz it out do i still have to sacrifice prior to or do you end up with a cheaper 6/6 that you sacrifice at end of turn?
You’ll still have to pay additional costs, even if you’re casting it via an alternate cost like blitz. So you will still have to sacrifice a creature to cast it, even if you’re casting it via blitz.
If I Blitz out a creature then cast Undying Malice (Until end of turn, target creature gains “When this creature dies, return it to the battlefield tapped under it’s owner’s control with a +1/+1 counter on it”) targeting said creature, does the creature still have Blitz?
I think that you’re trying to ask if you’ll still have to sacrifice that creature at the beginning of the next end step. You won’t have to, as it’s treated as a new creature.
Can you cast creatures from your graveyard with blitz?
Not without any help. You’ll need an effect that allows you to cast creatures from your graveyard. Tenacious Underdog is one card with blitz that allows itself to be cast from graveyard.
Can I reduce the blitz cost with cards that reduce casting cost, such as Cloud Key or Ghalta, Primal Hunger? Assuming I have EDH Commander Henzie Toolbox.
Blitz is an alternative casting cost, so you are still casting a card. Thus, casting reduction will apply with both of your examples.
What happens if I blitz in a creature with the reconfigure ability like webspinner spider and then use the reconfigure ability to equip it to a creature? Reconfigure states that it is no longer a creature while equipped so would I still have to sacrifice it?
You’ll still have to sacrifice it, as it’s still the same object, although it’s no longer a creature.
Does Goreclaw being on the field stack with henizes cost reduction?
Blitz is an alternative casting cost, so you are still casting a card. Thus, casting reduction from Goreclaw will apply.