Battering Ram MTG Card
1994-03-04 - Number 41
1995-04-01 - Number 297
1995-04-01 - Number 297
1995-08-01 - Number 107
1995-08-01 - Number 105
1996-07-01 - Number 47
1996-12-31 - Number 48
1997-03-24 - Number 353
| Card sets | Released in 8 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Artifact Creature — Construct |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
Bands, but only when attacking. Any wall blocking Battering Ram is destroyed. Walls destroyed this way deal their damage before dying.
By the time Mishra was defeated, no mage was foolish enough to rely heavily on walls.
Cards like Battering Ram
The Battering Ram holds its ground in the realm of artifact creatures within Magic: The Gathering, comparable to cards that share a penchant for direct assault strategies. It shares tactical similarities with the venerable Ankh of Mishra, with its inherent potential to impact opponents during combat. But it’s the ability of the Battering Ram to grant itself banding upon attacking that gives it a distinct tactical edge over the Ankh.
Analogous to the Battering Ram’s aggressive nature are cards like Ballista Charger and Keldon Battlewagon. Both of these artifact creatures can eliminate blockers or chip away at an opponent’s life, albeit with subtler nuances. The Ballista Charger, while more costly, can deal damage without even needing to attack, while the Keldon Battlewagon requires a more significant sacrifice, foregoing its power to be untapped during the next untap step. However, neither offer the same degree of offensive synergy with other creatures that comes from Battering Ram’s banding.
Hence, within the array of artifact creatures and attack enhancers, Battering Ram affirms its unique role by combining a solid offensive presence with the strategic flexibility brought on by its banding ability, making it a card that subtly influences battlefield tactics.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Battering Ram may not seem like a traditional source of card advantage, but it provides consistent board presence which forces your opponent to deal with it, effectively causing them to utilize resources they could have allocated elsewhere.
Resource Acceleration: While Battering Ram itself does not directly accelerate resources, its relentless ability to become unblockable by walls can quickly whittle down an opponent’s defenses, making your other creatures more effective and speeding up your victory.
Instant Speed: Although Battering Ram operates at sorcery speed, its capability to attack each turn unfettered by walls can apply pressure at a pace akin to that of instant speed interactions, dictating the rhythm of the game and demanding immediate answers.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Battering Ram does not have a discard requirement itself, it can indirectly lead to a heavier hand rotation especially if you’re integrating equipment cards or auras to make full use of its abilities. This need to constantly replenish your hand can be a pitfall if you do not have the right card draw support in your deck.
Specific Mana Cost: Battering Ram’s casting cost requires two mana, including one generic and one specific to artifacts or those with an affinity for them. This can pose a limitation in mana-flexibility and may not easily fit into decks that are not geared towards artifact synergy.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For an artifact creature that simply grants banding and can destroy walls, the cumulative cost of playing Battering Ram and enhancing it to be more formidable can be quite steep. In Magic The Gathering’s evolving metagame, other creatures and artifact options might provide more impactful effects or present more versatile utility at a similar or lower mana cost.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Battering Ram offers a unique angle to artifact-centric decks, as it can act both as an attacker and a pathway to making key creatures unblockable, aligning with various strategy shifts during gameplay.
Combo Potential: When integrated with cards that grant artifacts additional abilities or when used in conjunction with untap mechanics, Battering Ram can become a recurring threat that’s hard to block, maximizing its assault capabilities.
Meta-Relevance: In scenarios where defender creatures are prevalent, Battering Ram excels by not only bypassing potential blockers but also knocking down walls that can impede aggressive strategies, making it a tactical choice for an evolving meta.
How to beat
Battering Ram, a vintage MTG card, presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its ability to become unblockable if the defending player has walls. Its banding ability also allows for strategic combat decisions, which can be tough for opponents to navigate. Despite these features, overcoming Battering Ram revolves around preemptive control and removing potential wall defenders from play.
Effective strategies include using removal spells to clear the board of walls, thus negating Battering Ram’s automatic unblockable condition. Direct damage spells or fighting abilities can deal with it before the banding effect complicates combat math. Artifact destruction also comes in handy considering Battering Ram is an artifact creature, making it vulnerable to cards like Shatter or Naturalize. Lastly, evasion techniques, such as flying or shadow abilities, can outmaneuver it, forcing the Battering Ram player to adjust their game plan.
Understanding Battering Ram’s strengths and weaknesses is key. By maintaining board control and having an answer for its abilities, you can neutralize this card’s impact and keep your defenses strong throughout the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Battering Ram MTG card by a specific set like Antiquities and Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border, 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 Battering Ram 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
Printings
The Battering Ram Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 1994-03-04 and 1997-03-24. Illustrated by Jeff A. Menges.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994-03-04 | Antiquities | ATQ | 41 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Jeff A. Menges | |
| 2 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border | 4BB | 297 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Jeff A. Menges | |
| 3 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition | 4ED | 297 | 1993 | Normal | White | Jeff A. Menges | |
| 4 | 1995-08-01 | Renaissance | REN | 107 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Jeff A. Menges | |
| 5 | 1995-08-01 | Rinascimento | RIN | 105 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Jeff A. Menges | |
| 6 | 1996-07-01 | Rivals Quick Start Set | RQS | 47 | 1993 | Normal | White | Jeff A. Menges | |
| 7 | 1996-12-31 | Introductory Two-Player Set | ITP | 48 | 1993 | Normal | White | Jeff A. Menges | |
| 8 | 1997-03-24 | Fifth Edition | 5ED | 353 | 1997 | Normal | White | Jeff A. Menges |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Battering Ram has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Battering Ram card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-10-01 | A maximum of one nonbanding creature can join an attacking band no matter how many creatures with banding are in it. |
| 2008-10-01 | Creatures in the same band must all attack the same player or planeswalker. |
| 2008-10-01 | If a creature with banding attacks, it can team up with any number of other attacking creatures with banding (and up to one nonbanding creature) and attack as a unit called a “band.” The band can be blocked by any creature that could block a single creature in the band. Blocking any creature in a band blocks the entire band. If a creature with banding is blocked, the attacking player chooses how the blockers’ damage is assigned. |
| 2009-10-01 | If a creature in combat has banding, its controller assigns damage for creatures blocking or blocked by it. That player can ignore the damage assignment order when making this assignment. |