Barbary Apes MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Ape |
| Released | 1994-06-01 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Legends |
| Set code | LEG |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 176 |
| Frame | 1993 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Bryon Wackwitz |
Cards like Barbary Apes
The Barbary Apes card has positioned itself uniquely among creature cards in MTG with a simple yet impactful ability regarding land control. Its gameplay mechanic shares similarities with cards like Gorilla Berserkers, as they both require strategic land considerations. Barbary Apes demands an untapped land from the controller to block incoming threats, a constraint not seen in the mono-green Gorilla Berserkers.
Scythe Tiger is another card that echoes the land-related theme, entering the battlefield with the sacrifice of a land. While the Barbary Apes don’t endanger your lands upon arrival, they both emphasize land importance in different stages of gameplay. Additionally, the Scythe Tiger brings shroud to the table, a higher degree of protection than the healing ability of Barbary Apes.
In the broader scheme of green creatures that hinge on lands, Barbary Apes might seem situational, but the tactical flexibility they provide can be crucial in the right deck setup. The card’s nuances make it a potential asset for MTG players who prioritize land management and timing to outmaneuver their opponents.
Cards similar to Barbary Apes by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Barbary Apes card excels at disrupting your opponent’s early game plans. Amidst a game where timing is crucial, this card can force your opponent to alter their strategy, potentially leading to a gain in card advantage as they misallocate resources or fail to develop their board effectively against this unexpected threat.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing resource acceleration, Barbary Apes can serve as a tempo play. By requiring an opponent to keep a land untapped or deterring an early creature play, it allows you time to develop your mana base and board presence unimpeded, effectively giving you a subtle acceleration in resources.
Instant Speed: Though Barbary Apes itself isn’t an instant, its low casting cost allows for a highly reactive game. You can deploy it quickly, keeping more mana available for other instant speed interactions within the same turn cycle. This maximizes your ability to respond with the greatest flexibility, posing a continuous potential threat to your adversary.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Barbary Apes card doesn’t necessitate a discard, but its presence in your hand instead of other utility cards could indirectly force you to opt for a discard that you wouldn’t have preferred if you had a more versatile card.
Specific Mana Cost: The need to pay green mana to play Barbary Apes can restrict its inclusion in decks that are not based on forests or green mana sources, thus limiting the range of strategies it can be a part of.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although not extremely high, the casting cost for Barbary Apes may be considered steep for its basic stats and abilities, especially when there are other creatures that offer more impact or lower cost alternatives for the same mana investment.
Reasons to Include Barbary Apes Mtg Card in Your Collection
Versatility: Barbary Apes offers flexibility in deck building. As a creature that can be played early in the game, it helps to bolster your defenses and provides a solid presence on the board that can adapt to various opponent strategies.
Combo Potential: This card can work well in tandem with effects that care about the number of creatures you control or ones that benefit from tapping creatures as part of a cost. Their ability to grow in strength can be utilized in numerous clever ways within your deck’s strategy.
Meta-Relevance: Understanding the current competitive landscape of MTG is always key, and the Barbary Apes card could fit in if the meta favors creatures with dynamic abilities. Its straightforward yet flexible nature can be useful in certain matchups, making it a practical choice for your collection.
How to beat
Barbary Apes is an older creature from the extensive catalog of Magic: The Gathering cards. It’s a tricky card with its own unique play condition. This green creature card has the stipulation that it cannot be summoned unless you control a forest. In terms of gameplay, this means it partners well in a mono-green deck or one that is heavy on forests. Its early game potential makes it a decent blocker or a form of quick aggression in the initial rounds.
When facing Barbary Apes, the key is to manage your plays smartly. Removal spells can address the creature directly and there are numerous options across the colors that can efficiently deal with single creatures. Board wipes can also clear them along with any other creatures on the field, though their low mana cost means they could return swiftly. Alternatively, playing fewer lands or using land destruction strategies might delay the ape’s arrival, giving you more time to establish control. Utilizing cards that restrict the types of lands an opponent can have untapped also undermines the strategic advantage the Barbary Apes could provide.
Ultimately, countering Barbary Apes relies on understanding its forest-dependent nature and timing your removal or land control tactics accordingly. Keeping these tips in mind can help tilt the matchup in your favor and maintain board superiority.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Barbary Apes MTG card by a specific set like Legends, 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 Barbary Apes 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
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Barbary Apes has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |