Camel MTG Card


Advantageous for hand variety and mana ramping, Camel cards enrich MTG gameplay significantly. Drawbacks include discard choices and specific mana costs, impacting strategic flexibility. Despite challenges, Camels enhance collections with their meta-relevant protection and combo play.
Camel - Arabian Nights
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Camel
Abilities Banding
Released1993-12-17
Set symbol
Set nameArabian Nights
Set codeARN
Power 0
Toughness 1
Number3
Frame1993
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred bySandra Everingham

Text of card

Bands All creatures attacking in a band with Camel are immune to damage done by Deserts.

Everyone knew Walid was a pious man, for he had been blessed with many sons, many jewels, and a great many Camels.


Cards like Camel

The Camel card is a unique addition to the creature pool in Magic: The Gathering, with a few creatures sharing its desert-oriented abilities. Its protection from deserts feature recalls the Obsidian Acolyte, which grants protection from a chosen color. Like the Camel, it also serves as a functional tool for specific meta scenarios. However, the Camel’s specificity in protection limits its versatility when compared to the Acolyte’s broader defensive utility.

Another creature that comes to mind is the beloved Sacred Cat, providing lifelink and a secondary life through embalm. Although the Sacred Cat doesn’t share the Camel’s protection ability, it fits well into strategies focused on life gain and resilience. Finally, compare the Camel to the Desert Nomads, which boasts not only protection from deserts but also an immunity to being blocked by creatures with the desert land type, giving it a niche edge in certain gameplay situations.

Overall, Camel finds its place among the thematic creatures of MTG that tend to shine in more specialized decks. While not as widely applicable as some alternatives, its unique protection ability can be a game-changer in matches where deserts are a common threat on the battlefield.

Obsidian Acolyte - MTG Card versions
Sacred Cat - MTG Card versions
Desert Nomads - MTG Card versions
Obsidian Acolyte - MTG Card versions
Sacred Cat - MTG Card versions
Desert Nomads - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Camel by color, type and mana cost

Savannah Lions - MTG Card versions
Benalish Hero - MTG Card versions
Icatian Infantry - MTG Card versions
Icatian Scout - MTG Card versions
Icatian Javelineers - MTG Card versions
Kjeldoran Warrior - MTG Card versions
Trade Caravan - MTG Card versions
Vigilant Martyr - MTG Card versions
Honor Guard - MTG Card versions
Volunteer Militia - MTG Card versions
Nomads en-Kor - MTG Card versions
Soul Warden - MTG Card versions
Resistance Fighter - MTG Card versions
Cho-Arrim Alchemist - MTG Card versions
Honorable Scout - MTG Card versions
Devoted Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - MTG Card versions
Kor Duelist - MTG Card versions
Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful - MTG Card versions
Mother of Runes - MTG Card versions
Savannah Lions - MTG Card versions
Benalish Hero - MTG Card versions
Icatian Infantry - MTG Card versions
Icatian Scout - MTG Card versions
Icatian Javelineers - MTG Card versions
Kjeldoran Warrior - MTG Card versions
Trade Caravan - MTG Card versions
Vigilant Martyr - MTG Card versions
Honor Guard - MTG Card versions
Volunteer Militia - MTG Card versions
Nomads en-Kor - MTG Card versions
Soul Warden - MTG Card versions
Resistance Fighter - MTG Card versions
Cho-Arrim Alchemist - MTG Card versions
Honorable Scout - MTG Card versions
Devoted Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - MTG Card versions
Kor Duelist - MTG Card versions
Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful - MTG Card versions
Mother of Runes - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Camel card facilitates broader hand options by potentially replacing itself in your hand upon fulfilling certain game conditions.

Resource Acceleration: This creature can be a key piece for ramping up your mana resources effectively, enabling you to cast more powerful spells ahead of the curve.

Instant Speed: Although not an instant itself, this card synergizes well with instant speed spells by providing a buffer through its defensive capabilities, making it a versatile addition to your strategy.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing a Camel card often comes with the downside of having to discard other cards from your hand. This can be a tough call when your hand is full of valuable spells and creatures, leaving you to make hard choices about which strategies to abandon.

Specific Mana Cost: Most Camel cards are associated with a particular color identity which dictates a specific mana requirement. This can create a constraint when building your deck, as you’ll need to ensure a consistent mana base that can support this cost, potentially limiting the deck’s flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Camel cards can feature a high mana cost relative to their impact on the game. In a fast-paced environment, allocating a significant amount of mana to a single play might not be the most efficient use of your resources, particularly when there may be other cards offering more immediate benefits or having a greater influence on the board for a similar cost.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Camel card is a resilient addition to any deck, particularly those that face environments with heavy land destruction. Its ability to prevent damage from deserts ensures it remains a steadfast defender in prolonged matches.

Combo Potential: Camels play well in synergistic strategies, acting as a safeguard for other crucial creatures. Their unique desert protection can be part of a tactical approach that capitalizes on specific land types.

Meta-Relevance: With decks constantly evolving, the right meta can see the Camel become a tactical choice against strategies that involve land-based damage. Its presence can deter opponents from targeting your life points through desert lands.


How to Beat

Camel is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering with an ability that provides protection from deserts, making it a bit of an oddball in the landscape of defensive creatures. To overcome Camel, it’s essential to use strategies that don’t rely on land types or environments for dealing damage. Direct removal spells such as Doom Blade or Path to Exile are effective as they bypass the Camel’s desert protection by targeting it directly. If Camel is part of a larger strategy revolving around deserts or land control, going for a more aggressive deck with a curve that peaks early to outpace the opponent before they can establish their board is an efficient tactic. Cards that affect all creatures like Wrath of God can also clear the board of Camels, as its protection does not cover global destruction effects. Additionally, utilizing creature abilities that don’t target can nullify Camel’s protective ability, allowing for a straightforward combat strategy. Keep tempo in your favor, focus on non-specific threats, and the Camel shouldn’t pose a significant challenge to your victory.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Camel MTG card by a specific set like Arabian Nights, 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 Camel and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Camel has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2004-10-04 It does prevent damage from animated Deserts in combat.
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.