Smite the Deathless (Foil) (LTR)

Smite the Deathless
Casting Cost: {1}{R}
Card Type: Instant
Card Text:
Smite the Deathless deals 3 damage to target creature. That creature loses indestructible until end of turn. If that creature would die this turn, exile it instead.
Flavour Text:
"No living man am I!"
Artist: Alexander Mokhov

Card Strengths and Weaknesses:

• Efficiency: Dealing 3 damage for {1}{R} is already a good rate, but the additional utility makes this card even more effective.

• Utility: Being able to remove indestructible is a significant ability, allowing this card to target and remove creatures that are generally very difficult to deal with.

• Exile Effect: Exiling the creature instead of destroying it can be crucial against decks that rely on graveyard interactions.

• Limited Scope: Despite its strengths, it's still limited to targeting creatures. It can't target players or planeswalkers, which reduces its versatility to some extent.

Deck Utility:

• Control Decks: Useful for removal in a control setup, where indestructible or recurring threats might otherwise be a problem.

• Sideboard Option: Strong sideboard card against decks that feature indestructible or graveyard-recurring creatures.

• Midrange Decks: Can serve as a utility piece in midrange decks that need ways to get through indestructible or problematic creatures.

• Flavor: As with many of the cards you've shared, the flavor text and overall theme fit well within a Lord of the Rings context.

"Smite the Deathless" offers a high degree of utility and flexibility in dealing with problematic creatures. It is a highly efficient removal spell that can deal with otherwise challenging threats. The exile clause also makes it highly valuable against decks that make use of the graveyard. This card could fit into a variety of decks and is a strong candidate for sideboards.