Ahn-Crop Champion MTG Card
2017-04-28 - Number 194
2020-08-13 - Number 226
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Warrior |
| Abilities | Exert |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Ahn-Crop Champion’s exert ability notably enhances creature strategies, enabling multiple activations per turn.
- Specific GW mana cost narrows deck inclusion but can be a key piece in focused Selesnya strategies.
- Effective countering involves control tactics, strategic removals, and averting direct combat.
Text of card
You may exert Ahn-Crop Champion as it attacks. When you do, untap all other creatures you control. (An exerted creature won't untap during your next untap step.)
"The Second Sun nears its destination! Let it light the way to ours!"
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Ahn-Crop Champion may not draw cards directly, but its exert ability can untap all other creatures you control, potentially leading to further plays and overwhelming board presence. This can translate into card advantage by allowing you to utilize your creature’s abilities more than once in a turn cycle.
Resource Acceleration: While Ahn-Crop Champion itself doesn’t ramp your mana resources, its untap ability can be paired with creatures or artifacts that produce mana, effectively leading to resource acceleration by giving you access to more mana than normally available during your turn.
Instant Speed: Although Ahn-Crop Champion is not cast at instant speed, its exert option can be utilized during your attack, potentially catching an opponent off guard. This can sometimes be akin to the utility that instant speed spells provide, by generating surprise interactions and combat tricks that can decisively shift the tide of the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Although Ahn-Crop Champion doesn’t specifically mandate discarding as a part of its casting or triggered abilities, players might need to consider the possible need to discard cards for alternative costs or effects in the same deck. This could hinder its utility in hand management strategies if not carefully planned.
Specific Mana Cost: Ahn-Crop Champion comes with a strict mana cost including both green and white mana. This requirement can restrict its inclusion to only specific decks, especially those focusing on the GW (Selesnya) color combination, potentially limiting its versatility in a broader range of deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing four mana including two colored mana can be substantial. In the competitive scene where mana efficiency is crucial, some players might find that other cards provide a more impactful presence on the battlefield or offer additional benefits for the same, or lower, mana investment.
Reasons to Include Ahn-Crop Champion in Your Collection
Versatility: Ahn-Crop Champion’s ability to untap all other creatures when it attacks offers flexibility in various deck builds. This feature can synergize with tap abilities of your creatures for repeated use each combat phase.
Combo Potential: The Champion works well with cards that have exert mechanics or other tap-effects. By pairing it with exert creatures, you can get the most out of exert abilities without the downside of keeping them tapped during your next turn.
Meta-Relevance: Given that creature-based strategies remain prevalent in many metagames, having a creature that can both apply pressure and enable a functional offense-defense balance can be a game-changer, keeping this card relevant in multiple formats.
How to beat
Ahn-Crop Champion is a versatile creature in MTG, known for its exert mechanic which can present a challenge during gameplay. It presents a unique set of abilities that, when exploited properly, can swing the game in the user’s favor. Yet, just like any other card in the myriad world of MTG, there are strategies to handle this relentless contender.
Players looking to outmaneuver Ahn-Crop Champion might consider including cards that nullify its exert ability, such as those that tap creatures or prevent them from untapping. Spell cards that prevent the Champion from being declared as an attacker or target it for removal before it becomes a threat are also effective. Engaging in combat against this creature may not always be wise, as exerting it can leave a window open for a strategic play. Hence, it’s often a better tactic to circumvent direct confrontation with control elements or set up a strong defensive line that can handle not just Ahn-Crop Champion, but the swathe of threats it brings along in a match.
Understanding both the mechanics behind Ahn-Crop Champion and the wider array of cards available within MTG that can mitigate its impact is key. Players should focus on maintaining control, limiting the Champion’s combat interactions, and using removal spells or effects when the opportunity arises. This approach will help players stand firm against the challenge posed by the Ahn-Crop Champion.
Cards like Ahn-Crop Champion
Ahn-Crop Champion stands out in the realm of combat-focused creatures in Magic: The Gathering. With parallels to renowned cards like Always Watching, which grants vigilance and a power boost to your creatures, Ahn-Crop Champion brings a unique twist with its exert ability to untap all other creatures you control. While Always Watching offers a blanket enhancement without the need to tap itself, it lacks the tactical flexibility inherent to Ahn-Crop Champion’s ability to reactivate your team.
However, combat trickery doesn’t end there. Ahn-Crop Champion can be closely compared to Vizier of the True, another creature that can exert to untap your creatures. Although the Vizier has an easier casting cost and can be triggered directly by attacking, it doesn’t offer the sturdy body that Ahn-Crop Champion does. On the flip side, we have the formidable Combat Celebrant. This creature takes the exert mechanism to another level by potentially granting you an additional combat phase, though its lower toughness makes it more susceptible to removal than Ahn-Crop Champion.
Considering these comparisons, Ahn-Crop Champion holds a valuable place for players seeking a balance of aggression and versatile combat plays, securing its position as a solid contender among exert warriors in the game.
Cards similar to Ahn-Crop Champion by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ahn-Crop Champion MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Amonkhet Remastered, 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 Ahn-Crop Champion and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Ahn-Crop Champion Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Craig J Spearing.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-04-28 | Amonkhet | AKH | 194 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Craig J Spearing | |
| 2 | 2020-08-13 | Amonkhet Remastered | AKR | 226 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Craig J Spearing |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ahn-Crop Champion has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ahn-Crop Champion card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-04-18 | All attackers are chosen at once. You can’t attack with Ahn-Crop Champion, untap a tapped creature, and then attack with that creature. |
| 2017-04-18 | All cards in the Amonkhet set that let you exert a creature let you do so as you declare it as an attacking creature, as do some of the cards in the Hour of Devastation set. You can’t do so later in combat, and creatures put onto the battlefield attacking can’t be exerted. Any abilities that trigger on exerting an attacking creature will resolve before blockers are declared. |
| 2017-04-18 | If an exerted creature is already untapped during your next untap step (most likely because it had vigilance or an effect untapped it), exert’s effect preventing it from untapping expires without having done anything. |
| 2017-04-18 | If you attack with two Ahn-Crop Champions and exert both, each will untap the other. |
| 2017-04-18 | If you gain control of another player’s creature until end of turn and exert it, it will untap during that player’s untap step. |
| 2017-04-18 | Untapping an attacking creature doesn’t remove it from combat. |
| 2017-04-18 | You can’t exert a creature unless an effect allows you to do so. Similar effects that “tap and freeze” a creature (such as that of Decision Paralysis) don’t exert that creature. |
