Boros Challenger MTG Card
2018-10-05 - Number 156
2018-10-05 - Number 156
2019-11-07 - Number 1403
2002-06-24 - Number 69953
2020-09-26 - Number GRN-156
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Soldier |
| Abilities | Mentor |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
Mentor (Whenever this creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on target attacking creature with lesser power.) : Boros Challenger gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
Cards like Boros Challenger
Boros Challenger from Magic: The Gathering provides a unique mix of power boosting and mentor mechanics, essential for players looking to build momentum on the battlefield. A close relative in function and strategy is the Swiftblade Vindicator, a creature card that, while it doesn’t offer the mentor ability, excels with double strike and vigilance, potentially delivering more immediate combat threat. Both cards are valued for their ability to exploit the aggressive Boros playstyle.
Another akin card is the Tajic, Legion’s Edge, which doesn’t simply enhance other creatures through mentor but also gives a protective edge against noncombat damage to other creatures you control. While Tajic might not pump itself like Boros Challenger can, its leadership role in safeguarding your army can be equally strategic. Additionally, Legion Warboss brings a similar mentor feature to the table but shines by generating 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens with its ability, offering a different angle of battlefield development.
Breaking down these options, Boros Challenger stands as a formidable choice within MTG red-white decks, especially for enthusiasts who value incremental creature growth paired with the resilience to push through the opponent’s defenses over the course of a match.
Cards similar to Boros Challenger by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While the Boros Challenger itself may not directly provide card draw, its Mentor ability can help strengthen your other creatures. By boosting the power of smaller units on the battlefield each time it attacks, it indirectly contributes to card advantage by making your existing creatures more valuable and tougher for your opponent to deal with. This intrinsic synergy amplifies each card’s potential on your side of the field.
Resource Acceleration: Boros Challenger offers resource acceleration not through mana production but by proactively increasing your board presence’s power. Each attack phase presents an opportunity to accelerate the growth of your army, making it a threat that can escalate quickly if left unchecked. Through its Mentor ability, it essentially accelerates the value you get from your creatures over time, an essential factor in the fast-paced Boros strategy.
Instant Speed: Although the Challenger does not operate at instant speed, its inherent ability to be activated at any time you could cast an instant offers strategic flexibility. You can bolster its power during combat or at the end of your opponent’s turn, forcing them to reconsider their tactics. This can catch an opponent off guard and turn the tides in combat, mirroring the surprise factor of instant-speed interactions.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Boros Challenger has a versatile mentor ability, it comes with no inherent card advantage. In metagames where tempo is key, needing to invest further resources to make it impactful can be taxing for a player’s hand.
Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana cost demands both red and white, which makes it exclusive to Boros or multicolor decks. For players not running a red-white color scheme, it’s a non-starter, reducing its flexibility in deckbuilding.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of two mana, Boros Challenger competes with other impactful two-drops in the format. In scenarios where board presence or efficiency is paramount, there are options that could potentially offer more immediate value or less mana-intensive synergies.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Boros Challenger fits seamlessly into aggressive strategies, but its Mentor ability to enhance other creatures makes it advantageous in various deck builds, supporting growth on the battlefield.
Combo Potential: Utilizing its Mentor attribute, this card pairs well with lower strength creatures, giving them the necessary boost to compete in the ever-evolving battlefield, thus enabling diverse and powerful combos.
Meta-Relevance: With the importance of quick, impactful plays in the current competitive scene, Boros Challenger stands out as a robust choice, capable of exerting early pressure yet scaling well into the late game.
How to Beat
Boros Challenger is a versatile card in the current landscape of Magic: The Gathering, fostering aggressive gameplay with its mentor ability which strengthens other creatures, making it a potential linchpin in Boros-themed decks. To effectively counter the Challenger, consider using instant removal spells that can target it before the mentor ability triggers such as Fatal Push or path to Exile, thus nullifying the potential advantage it provides.
Strategically, countering the Challenger’s ability by maintaining board control is essential. Cards that deal damage across the board like Sweltering Suns can wipe out the Challenger along with other mentored creatures before they grow out of control. Additionally, blocking wisely to prevent the Challenger from attacking and mentoring altogether is a worthwhile tactic. Cards with deathtouch like Typhoid Rats can dissuade attacks or trade favorably, preserving board parity.
Understanding how the Boros Challenger operates within a deck’s strategy is the key to beating it. Prioritize removal, plan for board wipes, and block intelligently to keep the Boros Challenger’s influence in check. By doing so, the momentum can swing in your favor, leaving the Boros deck without one of its key components.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Boros Challenger MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Guilds of Ravnica Promos, 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 Boros Challenger and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
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- MTG Mint Card
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Printings
The Boros Challenger Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2018-10-05 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 69953 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lucas Graciano | ||
| 2 | 2018-10-05 | Guilds of Ravnica Promos | PGRN | 156 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lucas Graciano | |
| 3 | 2018-10-05 | Guilds of Ravnica | GRN | 156 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Gabor Szikszai | |
| 4 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1403 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Gabor Szikszai | |
| 5 | The List | PLST | GRN-156 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Gabor Szikszai |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Boros Challenger has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Boros Challenger card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-10-05 | If the creature with mentor leaves the battlefield with mentor on the stack, use its power as that creature last existed on the battlefield to determine whether the target creature has less power. |
| 2018-10-05 | If the target creature’s power is no longer less than the attacking creature’s power as the ability resolves, mentor doesn’t add a +1/+1 counter. For example, if two 3/3 creatures with mentor attack and both mentor triggers target the same 2/2 creature, the first to resolve puts a +1/+1 counter on it and the second does nothing. |
| 2018-10-05 | Mentor compares the power of the creature with mentor with that of the target creature at two different times: once as the triggered ability is put onto the stack, and once as the triggered ability resolves. If you wish to raise a creature’s power so its mentor ability can target a bigger creature, the last chance you have to do so is during the beginning of combat step. |