Cartouche of Strength MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura Cartouche
Abilities Enchant,Fight

Key Takeaways

  1. Cartouche of Strength offers both creature buff and opponent creature removal, maximizing board presence advantage.
  2. While beneficial, it requires a creature target on the battlefield, posing risks against removal-heavy decks.
  3. Its utility across various decks and the meta makes it a valuable addition to creature-focused collections.

Text of card

Enchant creature you control When Cartouche of Strength enters the battlefield, you may have enchanted creature fight target creature an opponent controls. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.) Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has trample.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: When you play Cartouche of Strength, not only do you get a creature buff but also the potential to remove an opponent’s creature. This two-for-one scenario can be a significant swing in resources, tipping the balance to your favor as you maintain or even enhance your board presence while disrupting your opponent’s.

Resource Acceleration: Although Cartouche of Strength does not directly provide mana or tokens, the ability to potentially remove a blocker or attacker from your opponent’s side can accelerate your game plan. By clearing a path, your enhanced creature can deliver damage more reliably, possibly shortening the game in your favor.

Instant Speed: While Cartouche of Strength is not an instant itself, it grants a creature the ability to engage in fights without waiting for your turn. This can be tactically advantageous as it allows you to deal with threats or create beneficial engagements on your terms, akin to the flexibility offered by instant-speed interactions.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Cartouche of Strength doesn’t directly ask you to forfeit any cards, it demands a creature on the battlefield to enchant. This implicit discard situation can become a pressing issue if you’re already facing a creature deficit or battling against removal-heavy decks.

Specific Mana Cost: Tying into the mana cost, this aura necessitates one green mana. This might not be a hurdle for mono-green or green-focused decks, but it can certainly strain mana bases in more color-diverse builds, potentially locking out a critical early play due to color unavailability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Priced at three mana, this enchantment could be considered costly for what it offers – an augmentation of a single creature and a one-time fight trigger. In a fast-paced game or a meta focused on efficiency, there are scenarios where Cartouche of Strength might not be the optimal play, especially if the goal is to establish a more widespread board presence or conserve mana for other pivotal spells.


Reasons to Include Cartouche of Strength in Your Collection

Versatility: Cartouche of Strength isn’t just for aggressive decks; it serves as an excellent tool for creature-based strategies across the board. This enchantment can turn any creature into a larger threat while dealing with pesky blockers or potential threats on the board.

Combo Potential: In decks that capitalize on entering-the-battlefield triggers or those that enjoy an Enchantress theme, Cartouche of Strength provides an enchantment that buffs creatures, potentially setting off a chain of synergistic effects that can tilt the game in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: With its ability to remove blockers and increase the pressure on your opponent, Cartouche of Strength holds its own in environments where creature interaction is key. As creatures continue to play an important role in the current meta, having access to both a boost in power and board control in one card can be incredibly effective.


How to beat

The Cartouche of Strength is a noted enhancement in the landscape of MTG buffing enchantments. It not only powers up a creature but also turns the tides by allowing that creature to fight an opponent’s creature. This can clear a path for a potent attack and alter board presence in your favor. Despite its strengths, there are strategies to dismantle its advantages effectively.

Removal spells are your first line of defense against Cartouche of Strength-enchanted creatures. Instant-speed spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can eliminate the buffed creature before it wreaks havoc. Counterspells also play a crucial role, with Negate or Dispel targeting the enchantment directly as it’s being cast, ensuring that the fight ability and stat boost never come into play.

Moreover, hexproof or indestructible creatures can nullify the Cartouche’s fight mechanic, negating the advantage your opponent seeks. Through these tactics, the seemingly dominant position that Cartouche of Strength offers can be overturned, maintaining balance and giving you the upper hand in the match.


BurnMana Recommendations

Cartouche of Strength stands out as a versatile card, offering both creature enhancement and the potential for tactical removal. Its value in the ever-evolving MTG meta cannot be understated, with its ability to influence the battlefield in your favor potentially being game-changing. Whether it’s by buffing your creatures, executing strategic fights, or fitting seamlessly into enchantment-heavy decks, this card has earned its place in collections. We encourage MTG fans to further investigate this card’s potential and how it can strengthen your deck. Dive deeper into our resources for comprehensive guides and strategies to make Cartouche of Strength a key player in your next victory.


Cards like Cartouche of Strength

Cartouche of Strength plays a unique role in the realm of creature enhancement spells in Magic: The Gathering. This card is akin to other enchantments like Oakenform or Feral Invocation due to its primary function of boosting a creature’s power and toughness. Where Cartouche of Strength stands out is its built-in ability to not only increase a creature’s dominance on the battlefield but also provide utility through targeted creature removal.

Akin to Hunt the Weak, this Cartouche allows you to pick off opposing creatures by letting your enhanced creature fight them directly. However, Cartouche of Strength excels further with a lower mana cost and the additional advantage of granting a creature trample, allowing for potential damage to spill over to the opponent. Looming Altisaur is another similar enchantment that can provide a sizeable stat increase. Still, it lacks any form of interaction with other creatures on the board, eschewing the versatility that the Cartouche offers.

Examining these aspects, it’s clear that Cartouche of Strength provides a solid combination of creature enhancement and battlefield control, setting it apart from many of its peers in Magic: The Gathering.

Oakenform - MTG Card versions
Feral Invocation - MTG Card versions
Hunt the Weak - MTG Card versions
Looming Altisaur - MTG Card versions
Oakenform - Magic 2010 (M10)
Feral Invocation - Theros (THS)
Hunt the Weak - Magic 2014 (M14)
Looming Altisaur - Ixalan (XLN)

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Kudzu - Limited Edition Beta (LEB)
Wanderlust - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Thelon's Chant - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Maddening Wind - Ice Age (ICE)
Cycle of Life - Mirage (MIR)
Dense Foliage - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Hall of Gemstone - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Fecundity - Urza's Saga (USG)
Familiar Ground - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Momentum - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Ancestral Mask - Eternal Masters (EMA)
Broken Fall - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Lure - Tenth Edition (10E)
Food Chain - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)
Howling Moon - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
The Dragon-Kami Reborn // Dragon-Kami's Egg - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Promos (PNEO)
Squirrel Nest - World Championship Decks 2002 (WC02)
Alpha Status - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Lifegift - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Blanchwood Armor - The Brothers' War (BRO)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cartouche of Strength 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 Cartouche of Strength and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Cartouche of Strength Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Kieran Yanner.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-04-28AmonkhetAKH 1582015normalblackKieran Yanner
22020-08-13Amonkhet RemasteredAKR 1842015normalblackKieran Yanner

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cartouche of Strength has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2017-04-18 Cartouche is an enchantment subtype with no special meaning. Other cards may care about which enchantments are Cartouches.
2017-04-18 Each Cartouche is an Aura with “Enchant creature you control.” If another player gains control of either the Cartouche or the enchanted creature (but not both), then the Cartouche will be enchanting an illegal permanent and be put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action.
2017-04-18 If Cartouche of Strength leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, the creature it last enchanted will fight the target creature if it’s still on the battlefield at that time. However, it won’t have +1/+1 from Cartouche of Strength anymore.
2017-04-18 If the target creature becomes an illegal target before a Cartouche spell resolves, the spell doesn’t resolve. It doesn’t enter the battlefield.
2017-04-18 If the triggered ability’s target is illegal when it tries to resolve, or if the enchanted creature has left the battlefield, no creature will deal or be dealt damage.
2017-04-18 The enchanted creature has +1/+1 and trample while it’s fighting. However, trample doesn’t apply during a fight.

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