Cached Defenses MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Bolster |
| Released | 2015-01-23 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Fate Reforged |
| Set code | FRF |
| Number | 126 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Zack Stella |
Text of card
Bolster 3. (Choose a creature with the least toughness among creatures you control and put three +1/+1 counters on it.)
The glittering scales in the Abzan vaults represent mighty deeds of the past and protection for generations to come.
Cards like Cached Defenses
Cached Defenses from Magic: The Gathering finds its parallels in the spectrum of bolster mechanics, weaving a unique tapestry with its blend of strength enhancement strategies. Like Solidarity, which grants an across-the-board boost to your creatures’ toughness, Cached Defenses focuses singularly, bolstering one creature and permanently augmenting its power and durability. It’s this specificity that sets it apart, enabling strategic build-up of a single, formidable force.
Contemplating other cards, Incremental Growth stands as a noteworthy comparison. Though more cost-intensive, it distributes counters among three creatures, differing from Cached Defenses’ one-target approach. This broader reach can orchestrate a balanced field of strengthened allies. Then we encounter Inspiring Call, a card akin in its growth-inducing nature. It protects your invigorated creatures with indestructibility and awards you with card draw, unlike Cached Defenses which solely focuses on empowerment.
Evaluating them side by side, Cached Defenses secures its place by offering targeted creature enhancement at a modest mana value. This advantage, entwined with its capacity to tip the scales with sizeable creature growth, anchors its position within the bolster mechanics of Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Cached Defenses by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Cached Defenses not only places a +1/+1 counter on target creature, but also bolsters for an additional counter, potentially impacting two creatures and increasing your board presence.
Resource Acceleration: Boosting creatures with additional counters can rapidly accelerate your resource value on the battlefield, setting up commanding plays and enabling stronger creature-based strategies.
Instant Speed: As a sorcery, Cached Defenses necessitates strategic timing for maximum impact, requiring foresight and planning to bolster your forces ahead of critical turns.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One downside to Cached Defenses is the necessity of already having a creature on the battlefield to use its bolster ability. This means that it’s not always immediately impactful, especially if you’re facing a board wipe or if you’re trying to recover after an opponent’s removal spell.
Specific Mana Cost: The card’s green mana requirement ties it specifically to green or multicolor decks. Players running decks without a significant green mana base will find Cached Defenses incompatible, limiting its versatility across different deck types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While it can provide a solid boost to a creature’s power and toughness, the three mana needed to cast Cached Defenses can be quite steep, especially when considering alternative cards in the same mana range that may offer a more comprehensive solution or immediate board presence.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Cached Defenses fits into a variety of green decks that focus on bolstering creatures. Its ability to place multiple +1/+1 counters can enhance any strategy that synergizes with creature growth.
Combo Potential: It has the potential to work well with mechanics like proliferate or evolve, significantly increasing the power of your creatures each turn and enabling powerful combos in both casual and competitive play.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where board presence can mean the difference between victory and defeat, the immediate impact of Cached Defenses on your creatures can swing games in your favor, especially in metas that favor creature-based strategies.
How to beat Cached Defenses
Cached Defenses offers a significant boost in Magic: The Gathering, allowing players to bolster a single creature with three +1/+1 counters. This sorcery can swing games by creating a sudden and daunting threat on the board that adversaries must address quickly. However, this card’s strength can be its downfall, with its power concentrated on one creature, making it vulnerable to removal spells. Effects like Murder or Path to Exile can easily offset the tempo gained by Cached Defenses, rendering the mana and card spent on it moot.
Moreover, Cached Defenses demands that players commit to a creature that survives until the spell resolves, which can be interrupted by counterspells, especially when planning to stake all on one significant threat. Hence, strategizing against Cached Defenses involves efficient removal to disrupt the opponent’s strategy, countering key spells, or keeping the board clear so that investing in a single creature becomes a liability for the opponent. A well-timed removal or bounce spell can effectively neutralize the advantage Cached Defenses might grant, preserving your stance in the game.
Treading carefully around the potential pitfalls of this card ensures that its user doesn’t gain the upper hand, keeping you one step ahead in the match-up.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Cached Defenses MTG card by a specific set like Fate Reforged, 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 Cached Defenses 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
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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Cached Defenses has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Cached Defenses card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2014-11-24 | Bolster itself doesn’t target any creature, though some spells and abilities that bolster may have other effects that target creatures. For example, you could put counters on a creature with protection from white with Abzan Skycaptain’s bolster ability. |
| 2014-11-24 | You determine which creature to put counters on as the spell or ability that instructs you to bolster resolves. |