Corrupt Court Official (Foil) (SNC)

Corrupt Court Official
Casting Cost: {1}{B}
Card Type: Creature - Human Advisor
Power/Toughness: 1/1
Card Text:
When Corrupt Court Official enters the battlefield, target opponent discards a card.
Flavour Text:
"I wouldn't call what they have here a justice system. More like an auction."
-Elspeth
Artist: Drew Baker

Strengths and Weaknesses:

• Strengths:
  • Efficiently costed at 2 mana.
  • Disrupts the opponent's hand upon entering the battlefield.
  • Can be reused with flicker or reanimation effects.
• Weaknesses:
  • Low power and toughness make it vulnerable to removal and ineffective in combat.

Deck Utility:

• Discard Decks: Fits naturally into a strategy focused on forcing the opponent to discard cards.

• Aristocrat Decks: As a cheap creature, it could serve as fodder for sacrifice effects.

• Control Decks: Could be used to strip opponents of resources, particularly in a multiplayer setting where repeated flickering or reanimating could keep hands empty.

Interactions and Combos:

• Flicker Effects (e.g., Flickerwisp, Ephemerate): Reusing its enter-the-battlefield (ETB) effect can lead to further hand disruption.

• Reanimation Spells: Even when it dies, bringing it back to the battlefield can force more discards.

• Skullclamp or Similar Draw Engines: Given its 1-toughness, it’s an excellent target for Skullclamp, which would allow you to draw two cards.

Flavor and Lore:
The card seems to depict the dark underbelly of a society, where justice is not impartial but rather easily manipulated. The quote from Elspeth adds another layer to the moral ambiguity of the setting.

Overall Impression:
Corrupt Court Official is a straightforward card that offers decent utility for its cost. While not particularly powerful in a vacuum, it shines in decks that can maximize its ETB effect or sacrifice it for greater benefit.