Pillar of War MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact Creature — Golem |
| Abilities | Defender |
| Released | 2014-02-07 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Born of the Gods |
| Set code | BNG |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 160 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Aleksi Briclot |
Key Takeaways
- Pillar of War excels with its flexibility, pivoting from strong defense to offense when conditions are met.
- Offers significant combo potential with the right equips and enchantments, boosting its combat capabilities.
- Despite its power, managing resources and its high mana cost are crucial considerations for players.
Text of card
Defender As long as Pillar of War is enchanted, it can attack as though it didn't have defender.
Just because a temple has no guards doesn't mean it's undefended.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Can significantly alter battlefield dynamics, providing a greater range of options each turn and effectively tipping the scales in your favor.
Resource Acceleration: Boosts your mana pool, paving the way for an early deployment of high-cost cards, which might give you an edge over the opponent.
Instant Speed: Grants the flexibility to cast during the opponent’s turn, allowing for strategic plays that can disrupt their plans and maintain pressure.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Pillar of War requires a strategic hand management as it necessitates discarding a card. This can be quite taxing during a game where maintaining card advantage is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a specific arrangement of mana types to cast. Players not running a deck tuned to produce these mana types may find it challenging to include Pillar of War into their strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its effects and abilities, the mana investment in Pillar of War is considerable, potentially slowing down your game tempo compared to other options with a lower cost.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Pillar of War can serve as a reliable artifact creature in a variety of deck builds, slotting into strategies that appreciate a dependable blocker or an offensive asset under the right conditions.
Combo Potential: Its unique ability to become a formidable attacker once equipped or enchanted opens the door for synergies with a wide range of artifacts and aura spells, thus expanding combo opportunities.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where creature-based tactics are prominent, Pillar of War provides a solid line of defense while also presenting a significant threat when supported, making it a card to watch in evolving metas.
How to beat
The Pillar of War from Magic: The Gathering presents an unusual challenge to players with its specific condition for attack. This artifact creature becomes a formidable blocker when devoid of equipped creatures, but it’s when this creature becomes mobilized for an offensive that one needs to strategize effectively. Disabling its attack capabilities becomes crucial and can be achieved by ensuring it remains unequipped. This can be done either by removing equipment spells with targeted spells like Disenchant or by preventing equipment cards from being played through counter spells.
Other strategies, such as tapping the creature before it declares an attack or using enchantments that limit attacks based on power or toughness, can also be effective. In addition, since the Pillar of War must be equipped to attack, maintaining control over the battlefield with removal spells aimed at the supporting artifacts or the creature itself can hamstring your opponent’s offensive options. By combining these tactics, a player can neutralize the threat of Pillar of War and maintain the upper hand in the duel.
It’s essential to keep a versatile array of cards to adapt to such niche situations and Pillar of War presents, with the goal of sustaining a strong defense while plotting the destruction or disabling of key threats like this one.
Cards like Pillar of War
Pillar of War provides a unique defensive asset for MTG players, akin to cards like Wall of Omens. Whereas Wall of Omens offers a card draw upon entering the battlefield, Pillar of War’s strength lies in its potential to become a formidable attacker once you control a creature with power 3 or greater. Unlike the Wall, Pillar of War invites strategic gameplay and deck building to unlock its aggressive capabilities.
Guardian of the Ages is another card comparable to Pillar of War in the way it transitions from a defensive state to an attacker. However, its condition to attack hinges on creatures attacking you, while Pillar of War relies on the synergy with other creatures you control. In contrast, both demand a specific scenario to switch roles from defense to offense.
Assessing these cards alongside Pillar of War illuminates its strategic value in MTG decks focusing on quickly deploying powerful creatures. While not a direct source of card advantage, Pillar of War offers repeated combat potential that can decisively shift the game’s tide in your favor.
Cards similar to Pillar of War by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Pillar of War MTG card by a specific set like Born of the Gods, 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 Pillar of War and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Pillar of War 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 Pillar of War card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2014-02-01 | Defender only matters when Pillar of War could be declared as an attacking creature. If Pillar of War is already attacking, it becoming not enchanted doesn’t cause it to be removed from combat. |
