Cao Ren, Wei Commander MTG Card
1999-05-01 - Number 69
2016-11-16 - Number 65817
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Human Soldier Warrior |
| Abilities | Horsemanship |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
Horsemanship When Cao Ren comes into play, you lose 3 life.
Cao Cao's cousin, Cao Ren was known throughout the three kingdoms as the fiercest of warriors.
Cards like Cao Ren, Wei Commander
Diving into the intricate world of Magic: The Gathering, Cao Ren, Wei Commander stands out for its potential in green-black decks. Its abilities resonate with other powerful cards like Tymaret, the Murder King and Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim. While Tymaret offers a grave-recursion theme and the chance to sacrifice creatures for damage, it doesn’t provide the static buffs to other creatures that Cao Ren, Wei Commander does. Ayli, on the other hand, presents a distinct advantage with her life gain and exile abilities, yet she lacks the direct combat enhancement conferred by Cao Ren.
Another card with similarities is Xantcha, Sleeper Agent. Both cards shake up the traditional gameplay by influencing opponents’ choices and resources. However, Cao Ren’s ability to pseudo-protect your other creatures gives it a unique edge in multiplayer settings. Additionally, Whisper, Blood Liturgist offers compelling synergy with sacrifice strategies, yet Cao Ren provides more consistent board presence enhancement. While both cards foster a strategy built on creature sacrifice, Cao Ren broadens your tactical horizons.
When considering commanders who favor a creature-based approach, Cao Ren, Wei Commander emerges as a multifaceted choice that bolsters your forces while complicating your opponents’ battlefield strategies.
Cards similar to Cao Ren, Wei Commander by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Cao Ren, Wei Commander is a powerhouse when it comes to card advantage. Designed to outpace opponents, this card provides steady card draw, ensuring that your hand remains full and your options open as the game progresses. Those additional cards can often mean the difference between victory and defeat in the strategic world of MTG.
Resource Acceleration: As a commander, Cao Ren excels at ramping up your resource pool. Whether it’s through generating additional mana or enabling the deployment of potent threats ahead of schedule, this card sets you up for success. By swiftly expanding your available resources, Cao Ren can effectively tip the scales in your favor leading to more dominant gameplay.
Instant Speed: One aspect of Cao Ren that can catch opponents off guard is the ability to interact at instant speed. This flexibility allows you to remain reactive to your opponent’s strategies. The instant speed interactions empower you to make pivotal decisions perfectly timed to disrupt and dismantle the opposition’s tactics while securing your stronghold on the game state.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The necessity to discard cards to activate certain abilities can leave players with depleted hands, making it more challenging to respond to opponents’ moves.
Specific Mana Cost: Cao Ren, Wei Commander, requires specific color mana for casting, which could reduce its versatility in multicolored decks that may struggle with color fixing.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its higher casting cost, this MTG card competes with other impactful game-changers which may offer more immediate board presence or value.
Reasons to Include Cao Ren, Wei Commander in Your Collection
Versatility: Cao Ren, Wei Commander is a card designed to adapt to various gameplay situations, offering both offensive and defensive advantages. This makes it an excellent addition to decks looking to stay one step ahead, regardless of what the opponent throws their way.
Combo Potential: As a legendary creature, this card holds immense potential for combos, particularly in decks that exploit synergies with legendary creatures or utilize tactics that benefit from its unique abilities.
Meta-Relevance: Considering the ever-evolving meta of MTG, Cao Ren, Wei Commander remains a relevant choice due to its ability to counteract a wide array of popular strategies, making it a smart tactical inclusion in any player’s collection.
How to beat
Cao Ren, Wei Commander presents a unique challenge on the battlefield due to its solid defensive capabilities and potential to disrupt opponent strategies. Facing this resilient opponent requires a strategic approach to overcome the advantage it gives to control decks. One effective strategy is to prioritize direct removal spells that can bypass its protection features. Playing cards that can exile, such as Path to Exile, provide a clean answer to this formidable card.
Another tactic is to limit the card’s impact by restricting the opponent’s graveyard, which Cao Ren, Wei Commander relies on. Tormod’s Crypt and Rest in Peace are excellent at keeping graveyards empty, thus diminishing Cao Ren’s power on the board. Additionally, focusing on playing aggressively and applying pressure can outpace the defensive nature of Cao Ren, forcing the opponent to react rather than establish their preferred game pace.
With careful deck building and a proactive game plan, Cao Ren, Wei Commander’s influence can be mitigated, allowing players to navigate around its strengths and secure victory through strategic thinking and timely responses.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Cao Ren, Wei Commander MTG card by a specific set like Portal Three Kingdoms and Treasure Chest, 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 Cao Ren, Wei Commander 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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Printings
The Cao Ren, Wei Commander Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1999-05-01 and 2016-11-16. Illustrated by Junko Taguchi.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999-05-01 | Portal Three Kingdoms | PTK | 69 | 1997 | Normal | White | Junko Taguchi | |
| 2 | 2016-11-16 | Treasure Chest | PZ2 | 65817 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Junko Taguchi |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Cao Ren, Wei Commander has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Predh | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Cao Ren, Wei Commander card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2009-10-01 | Despite the similarities between horsemanship and flying, horsemanship doesn’t interact with flying or reach. |