Plate Armor MTG Card


Plate Armor - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact — Equipment
Abilities Equip
Released2021-07-23
Set symbol
Set nameAdventures in the Forgotten Realms
Set codeAFR
Number32
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byMartina Pilcerova

Key Takeaways

  1. Equipping Plate Armor bolsters a single creature, effectively using resources to create a formidable board presence.
  2. Cost efficiency is key; Plate Armor’s equip cost reduction with each equipped creature encourages equipment-heavy decks.
  3. Instant-speed equip potential with the right cards allows for surprising combat and strategic plays in MTG.

Text of card

Equipped creature gets +3/+3 and has ward . (Whenever equipped creature becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays .) Equip . This ability costs less to activate for each other Equipment you control.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Equipping creatures with Plate Armor can turn even the most unassuming creature into a formidable threat, providing a significant boost in power and defense. This card effectively allows you to maintain card advantage by making your individual creatures more valuable and harder to deal with.

Resource Acceleration: Plate Armor helps you utilize your resources more efficiently. It reduces its own equip cost for each other equipped creature you control, meaning that the more you build your board presence, the less you need to spend on bolstering each creature. This synergizes well with decks that are equipment-heavy, leading to significant savings on mana over the course of a match.

Instant Speed: While Plate Armor itself doesn’t have instant speed, its equip ability can be used at instant speed if paired with cards that allow equipment to attach to a creature as an instant. This opens up options for tactical adjustments in the middle of combat or in response to an opponent’s spells, creating surprise shifts in board power dynamics. By exploiting this angle, you can catch your opponent off guard, often leading to advantageous situations.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside of using Plate Armor is the obligatory discard to activate its equip ability. Should you find yourself card-strapped, strategically pursuing its benefits could backfire — particularly in games where card advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: Plate Armor comes with an equip cost that requires both generic and white mana. Decks not tailored to produce white mana consistently may struggle to maximize its use, making it less versatile across the broad spectrum of MTG deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a reasonably steep casting and equip cost, Plate Armor might be a resource-intensive investment. Given the landscape of MTG cards offering similar effects, there may be alternatives that achieve comparable benefits for less — a factor worth weighing for players seeking mana efficiency.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Plate Armor can be a flexible addition to multiple builds, shining brightest in decks that are geared towards equipping creatures. Its ability to scale with the number of creatures you control makes it a viable option for both aggressive and wide-strategy decks.

Combo Potential: With its cost reduction condition based on the number of creatures you control, Plate Armor naturally lends itself to strategies that swarm the board. This card can enable powerful synergies in decks that look to capitalize on equipping and buffing a large number of creatures simultaneously.

Meta-Relevance: As creature-based strategies often ebb and flow with the MTG meta, the defensive boost provided by Plate Armor ensures your key creatures stand a better chance against common removal spells. This makes it particularly potent in environments where creature combat is paramount to securing victory.


How to beat

Plate Armor stands out in the world of Magic: The Gathering as a powerful equipment card, imbuing creatures with enhanced toughness and potentially providing them with ward. To effectively counteract this robust card, it’s imperative to deploy strategic artifact removal spells or cards that hinder equipment attachment. Cards like Disenchant or Krosan Grip offer straightforward solutions for removing artifacts like Plate Armor from the playfield, nullifying its effects.

Another viable approach involves avoiding the card’s impact altogether by employing creature abilities like flying or unblockable to bypass Plate Armor’s defenses. Introducing creatures with traits that circumvent traditional combat can severely undercut Plate Armor’s utility. Furthermore, cards that restrict or control your opponent’s mana can prevent them from equipping Plate Armor efficiently, undermining their strategy to set up a formidable defense.

Ultimately, while confronting a card such as Plate Armor can be daunting, there are numerous strategies and cards within Magic: The Gathering that allow players to overcome its enhancements. By carefully considering your deck’s options and remaining alert, you can dismantle the advantage Plate Armor provides to your adversary.


BurnMana Recommendations

With the insights on Plate Armor’s strengths and vulnerabilities in mind, it’s an optimal moment to refine your deck-building strategy. Whether Plate Armor stands as a defensive bulwark or an Achilles’ heel depends on its integration into your game plan. As you build your MTG arsenal, consider the tactical depth Plate Armor adds and the scenarios where it shines brightest. Deck diversification is key, and when utilized thoughtfully, Plate Armor can certainly bolster your battlefield presence. Eager to delve deeper into optimization strategies and find the perfect balance for your deck? Visit us and expand your MTG wisdom, transforming every draw into a potential victory.


Cards like Plate Armor

Plate Armor finds its place among equipment cards in Magic: The Gathering, offering both toughness and flexibility on the battlefield. It parallels with the likes of Knightly Valor, which also provides a notable boost to a creature’s statistics. However, Plate Armor edges forward with its cost-reducing ability for each other equipment you control, making it increasingly more beneficial in equipment-centric decks.

Conversely, we have Swiftfoot Boots, an equipment that grants not only a stat bonus but also the coveted abilities of hexproof and haste. Although Swiftfoot Boots does not scale its cost downward with more equipment, its added protections make it a staple in many MTG decks. Then we look at Bonder’s Ornament, serving a different purpose by offering mana acceleration, which doesn’t directly compare but still occupies a slot as utility equipment.

Insightful examination of Plate Armor and its kindred cards reveals a solid choice for players who wish to amplify their creatures’ survivability while synergizing with an equipment-focused strategy. Its unique cost-reducing trait could tip the scales in favor of players maximizing their gear-laden arsenal.

Knightly Valor - MTG Card versions
Swiftfoot Boots - MTG Card versions
Bonder's Ornament - MTG Card versions
Knightly Valor - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Swiftfoot Boots - Magic 2012 (M12)
Bonder's Ornament - Commander 2020 (C20)

Cards similar to Plate Armor by color, type and mana cost

Idol of Endurance - MTG Card versions
Urza's Sylex - MTG Card versions
Pearl Shard - MTG Card versions
Thunder Totem - MTG Card versions
Marble Chalice - MTG Card versions
Scepter of Dominance - MTG Card versions
Blinding Souleater - MTG Card versions
Godsend - MTG Card versions
Peacewalker Colossus - MTG Card versions
Knight of the Widget - MTG Card versions
Riveting Rigger - MTG Card versions
Mace of the Valiant - MTG Card versions
Maul of the Skyclaves - MTG Card versions
Archaeomancer's Map - MTG Card versions
The Book of Exalted Deeds - MTG Card versions
Marble Gargoyle - MTG Card versions
Knighted Myr - MTG Card versions
Holy Avenger - MTG Card versions
Cloister Gargoyle - MTG Card versions
Aerial Surveyor - MTG Card versions
Idol of Endurance - Core Set 2021 Promos (PM21)
Urza's Sylex - The Brothers' War (BRO)
Pearl Shard - Mirrodin (MRD)
Thunder Totem - Time Spiral (TSP)
Marble Chalice - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Scepter of Dominance - Conflux (CON)
Blinding Souleater - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Godsend - Journey into Nyx (JOU)
Peacewalker Colossus - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Knight of the Widget - Unstable (UST)
Riveting Rigger - Unstable (UST)
Mace of the Valiant - Commander Masters (CMM)
Maul of the Skyclaves - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)
Archaeomancer's Map - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)
The Book of Exalted Deeds - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos (PAFR)
Marble Gargoyle - Modern Horizons 2 (MH2)
Knighted Myr - Modern Horizons 2 (MH2)
Holy Avenger - Forgotten Realms Commander (AFC)
Cloister Gargoyle - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)
Aerial Surveyor - Neon Dynasty Commander (NEC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Plate Armor MTG card by a specific set like Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, 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 Plate Armor and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Plate Armor has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-07-23 If a creature with ward is equipped with Plate Armor, becoming the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls will cause both ward abilities to trigger.
2021-07-23 If a player casts a spell that targets multiple permanents their opponent controls with ward, each of those ward abilities will trigger. If that player doesn't pay for all of them, the spell will be countered.

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