Ayula, Queen Among Bears MTG Card
2019-06-14 - Number 155
2021-06-18 - Number 19
2021-08-26 - Number 543
2024-03-08 - Number 876
2024-03-08 - Number 348
2002-06-24 - Number 91303
2019-06-05 - Number 10
| Card sets | Released in 7 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Bear |
| Abilities | Fight |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
Whenever another Bear enters the battlefield under your control, choose one — • Put two +1/+1 counters on target Bear. • Target Bear you control fights target creature you don't control.
Born from the oldest red cedar, nursed on the sap of the tallest spruce, coronated under the mightiest pine.
Cards like Ayula, Queen Among Bears
In the realm of MTG, Ayula, Queen Among Bears commands attention as a powerful tribal lord for Bear decks. She shares the stage with other lords such as “Eladamri, Lord of Leaves” for Elves or “Lord of Atlantis” for Merfolk. Each lord boosts their respective tribes with bonuses that accentuate their strengths. Ayula specifically supports Bear creatures not just by enhancing their might and fortitude but also by presenting unique utility in controlling the battlefield, similar to how the well-known “Goblin Chieftain” empowers and hastens Goblin squads.
Beyond lords, we see “Chameleon Colossus,” another card mirroring Ayula’s bear-driven synergy, embodying adaptability and the capacity to grow in power. However, Colossus lacks the ability to directly influence other creatures, putting Ayula in a favorable light for her tactical advantages in creature-based strategies. Ayula’s kinship building and her reactive prowess sets a distinct path for Bear tribal decks—a blend of augmentation and game flow manipulation.
With these comparative insights, Ayula, Queen Among Bears not only serves as a keystone for Bear tribal decks in Magic: The Gathering but stands out with her multifaceted role in strengthening and controlling the game’s dynamics.
Cards similar to Ayula, Queen Among Bears by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Ayula, Queen Among Bears has a powerful interaction with other bear creatures you control, offering the potential for substantial card advantage. Each time another bear enters the battlefield under your control, you can either put two +1/+1 counters on a target bear or have Ayula fight another target creature. This can quickly lead to you having a dominant board presence.
Resource Acceleration: While Ayula herself does not directly provide resource acceleration, she encourages a bear-centric deck build, which can include cards designed for ramping up your mana. This synergy with other green spells and creatures means that Ayula can be the pivotal piece in a deck that accelerates your resources quickly, enabling larger threats on the board sooner.
Instant Speed: Although Ayula operates at sorcery speed, her ability to interact immediately with bears that come into play at instant speed adds a layer of strategic advantage. Instant-speed bear spells can surprise an opponent during their turn by altering the state of the board with Ayula’s ability triggers. This can disrupt an opponent’s attack or remove a key threat just before they have a chance to use it.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Ayula, Queen Among Bears doesn’t have a discard requirement itself, as a bear-focused commander, it prompts deck builders to commit heavily to bear type creatures, which may not always align with the player’s existing card pool or their preferred gameplay strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: Ayula’s casting cost of two green mana may prove restrictive in multicolored decks, limiting its inclusion only to those decks that can reliably generate enough green mana early in the game.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although two mana is generally affordable, for a 2/2 creature without immediate impact on the board, Ayula could be considered mana-intensive. Other commanders or creatures at the two-mana cost bracket may offer more immediate or versatile benefits upon entry to the battlefield.
Reasons to Include Ayula, Queen Among Bears in Your Collection
Versatility: Ayula complements various deck builds that leverage bears or creature-focused strategies. Her ability to either buff another bear or act as a removal when a new bear enters the battlefield provides flexibility in-game play.
Combo Potential: Dropping multiple bears onto the battlefield triggers Ayula’s abilities consecutively, enabling powerful combinations and board presence. This synergy often leads to a snowball effect favoring the player utilizing bear-themed decks.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based tactics are prevalent, Ayula can provide an essential edge. Her capacity to interact with and control the board with creature effects makes her a potentially substantial pick for players looking to adapt and hold their ground against popular strategies.
How to Beat Ayula, Queen Among Bears
Ayula, Queen Among Bears presents a nuanced challenge in Magic: The Gathering, being a cornerstone for decks capitalizing on bear synergies. To effectively counter this potent bear commander, one tactic is to limit its ability to trigger upon other bears entering the battlefield. Managing to consistently remove bears can disrupt the momentum, keeping Ayula’s powerful buffs and control effects in check.
Graveyard removal plays a pivotal role, as many bear decks rely on recursion. Cards like Relic of Progenitus or Scavenging Ooze can keep bear creatures from returning to the fray. Moreover, employing instant removal spells such as Path to Exile or Rapid Hybridization can prevent the bear tribal effects from stacking up.
Board wipes are also an effective strategy against Ayula’s reign. Clearing the board with a well-timed Wrath of God or Damnation can reset the game state, especially if Ayula has already accrued several +1/+1 counters or removed key creatures on your side. By staying vigilant and interacting with the board, you can maintain control against Ayula, Queen Among Bears and her ursine army.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ayula, Queen Among Bears MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Modern Horizons Art Series, 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 Ayula, Queen Among Bears and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Ayula, Queen Among Bears Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2019-06-14 and 2024-03-08. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 91303 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Jesper Ejsing | ||
| 2 | Modern Horizons Art Series | AMH1 | 10 | 2015 | Art series | Borderless | Jesper Ejsing | ||
| 3 | 2019-06-14 | Modern Horizons | MH1 | 155 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jesper Ejsing | |
| 4 | 2021-06-18 | Modern Horizons 1 Timeshifts | H1R | 19 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Jesper Ejsing | |
| 5 | 2021-08-26 | Jumpstart: Historic Horizons | J21 | 543 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jesper Ejsing | |
| 6 | 2024-03-08 | Fallout | PIP | 876 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Mark Poole | |
| 7 | 2024-03-08 | Fallout | PIP | 348 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Mark Poole |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ayula, Queen Among Bears has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ayula, Queen Among Bears card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-06-14 | Either of Ayula’s modes can target any Bear you control, not just the Bear that entered the battlefield. Ayula can even be the target of its own ability. |
| 2019-06-14 | For Ayula’s second mode, if either target isn’t a creature or is otherwise an illegal target as the ability resolves, no creature will deal or be dealt damage. |