Noble Quarry MTG Card

Born of the Gods (BNG)
2014-02-07 - Number 130

Commander 2015 (C15)
2015-11-13 - Number 193

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment Creature — Unicorn
Abilities	Bestow
Power	1
Toughness	1

Key Takeaways

Noble Quarry grants combat control, forcing all foes to block the enchanted creature.
Dual utility as creature or aura enriches deck versatility, saving card slots.
Bestow mechanic allows surprise play, akin to instant speed under certain conditions.

Text of card

Bestow (If you cast this card for its bestow cost, it's an Aura spell with enchant creature. It becomes a creature again if it's not attached to a creature.) All creatures able to block Noble Quarry or enchanted creature do so. Enchanted creature gets +1/+1.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Noble Quarry ensures that during your turn, you’re dictating the flow of combat. When bestowed upon a creature and the enchanted creature attacks, all opposing creatures must block if able, effectively simplifying the board and potentially providing you with the upper hand in card presence.

Resource Acceleration: Although Noble Quarry does not directly accelerate resources, it’s a versatile card, offering both a creature play and an aura. This dual functionality can effectively free up slots in your deck for other cards, indirectly contributing to resource optimization.

Instant Speed: While Noble Quarry is a card played at sorcery speed, its Bestow mechanic brings an element of surprise to the battlefield. You can convert it from an enchantment to a creature upon the enchanted creature’s death, often during your opponent’s turn, and in some respects mimics the reactionary play akin to instant-speed spells.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Noble Quarry can be used as an aura to bestow upon a creature, if you are required to discard it, you lose both a potential creature and enchantment benefit. This can set you back in terms of board presence and options.

Specific Mana Cost: Noble Quarry’s casting cost includes green mana symbols, which means it is only optimally playable in green or mixed decks with green mana sources. Its specific mana cost limits the flexibility compared to cards with generic mana costs, diminishing its universal appeal.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a bestow cost that is significantly high, there are scenarios where investing such an amount of mana might not yield a proportional advantage on the battlefield. Other creatures or enchantments could provide similar or greater value at a lower mana investment, making Noble Quarry a less efficient choice in some deck strategies.

Reasons to Include Noble Quarry in Your Collection

Versatility: Noble Quarry offers a unique approach to combat, making it a flexible addition to green creature-based decks or those looking for innovative ways to break through opponent defenses.

Combo Potential: Its ability to force blocks can be combined with cards that capitalize on creatures dying or dealing combat damage, offering creative synergies and unexpected combinations against your opponents.

Meta-Relevance: In formats where creature combat is prominent, Noble Quarry can shift the tide of battle, making it a tactical asset, especially against decks that rely heavily on key creatures to maintain board control.

How to beat

Noble Quarry is a unique card you might encounter on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. It brings an intriguing dynamic to combat with its bestowed abilities. Nevertheless, overcoming this enchantment creature can be straightforward with the right strategy. Firstly, consider the use of removal spells. Since Noble Quarry can make a single creature a forced target for attackers, eliminating the enchanted creature or the Noble Quarry itself can nullify the immediate threat.

Moreover, cards that allow you to bypass creatures altogether or deal direct damage can greatly diminish the efficacy of Noble Quarry. For instance, cards that can grant your creatures flying or other forms of evasion will help you avoid being locked into unfavorable combat. Another effective tactic is leveraging instant-speed spells or abilities during the declare attackers step—this will allow you to adjust the state of the board before combat locks in. Finally, a broader strategy could involve controlling the tempo of the game, keeping mana open for instant-speed interaction, or pressuring your opponent to make suboptimal plays.

Despite Noble Quarry’s potential to create complicated combat situations, a well-prepared player with a flexible strategy should be able to navigate around this obstacle and maintain control of the game.

Cards like Noble Quarry

Noble Quarry is an interesting card within the roster of Magic: The Gathering’s enchantment creatures. It draws a parallel to Nylea’s Forerunner, both providing a trample effect that can prove decisive in battle. However, Noble Quarry stands out with its ‘All creatures able to block Noble Quarry do so’ ability, compelling strategic block decisions. This can be a game-changer in combat, much like Lure, which shares this compelling attack dynamic.

Differences emerge as we compare it to similar cards like Setessan Tactics. That card not only boosts your creatures but also allows them to fight opposing creatures outside of the combat phase. While not directly related by effect, the tactical advantage it presents can be akin to Noble Quarry’s forced blocking under the right circumstances. However, unlike our Quarry, Setessan Tactics does not inherently provide a way to punch through defensive lines.

Ultimately, Noble Quarry carves a niche for itself as a utilitarian card, especially in green-focused strategies that benefit from open enemy lines. By compelling blockers and enabling potentially unobstructed attacks, Noble Quarry can be a key player, turning the tide of MTG matches with its unique battlefield manipulation.

Cards similar to Noble Quarry by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Noble Quarry MTG card by a specific set like Born of the Gods and Commander 2015, 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 Noble Quarry and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Noble Quarry Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2014-02-07 and 2015-11-13. Illustrated by Michael C. Hayes.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2014-02-07	Born of the Gods	BNG		130	2003	Normal	Black	Michael C. Hayes
2	2015-11-13	Commander 2015	C15		193	2015	Normal	Black	Michael C. Hayes

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Noble Quarry has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2013-09-15	An Aura that becomes a creature is no longer put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action. Rather, it becomes unattached and remains on the battlefield as long as it’s a creature. While it’s a creature, it can’t be attached to another permanent or player. An Aura that’s not attached to a legal permanent or player as defined by its enchant ability and also isn’t a creature will be put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action.
2013-09-15	Auras attached to a creature don’t become tapped when the creature becomes tapped. Except in some rare cases, an Aura with bestow remains untapped when it becomes unattached and becomes a creature.
2013-09-15	If a permanent with bestow enters the battlefield by any method other than being cast, it will be an enchantment creature. You can’t choose to pay the bestow cost and have it become an Aura.
2013-09-15	On the stack, a spell with bestow is either a creature spell or an Aura spell. It’s never both, although it’s an enchantment spell in either case.
2013-09-15	Unlike other Aura spells, an Aura spell with bestow isn’t countered if its target is illegal as it begins to resolve. Rather, the effect making it an Aura spell ends, it loses enchant creature, it returns to being an enchantment creature spell, and it resolves and enters the battlefield as an enchantment creature.
2013-09-15	Unlike other Auras, an Aura with bestow isn’t put into its owner’s graveyard if it becomes unattached. Rather, the effect making it an Aura ends, it loses enchant creature, and it remains on the battlefield as an enchantment creature. It can attack (and its abilities can be activated, if it has any) on the turn it becomes unattached if it’s been under your control continuously, even as an Aura, since your most recent turn began.
2013-09-15	You don’t choose whether the spell is going to be an Aura spell or not until the spell is already on the stack. Abilities that affect when you can cast a spell, such as flash, will apply to the spell after you’ve made this choice. For example, an effect that said you can cast creature spells as though they have flash won’t allow you to cast a creature card with bestow as an Aura spell anytime you could cast an instant, but one that said you can cast Aura spells as though they have flash will.