Combat Professor MTG Card
2021-04-23 - Number 11
2022-12-02 - Number 167
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Bird Cleric |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
Flying At the beginning of combat on your turn, target creature you control gets +1/+0 and gains vigilance until end of turn.
"Before Yovus was cut down at Pranticle Peak, she performed which maneuver? Anyone? From the reading?"
Cards like Combat Professor
In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, Combat Professor offers a unique blend of aggressive advantage and tactical support. Cards like Trusted Pegasus share a similar path, granting flying to another creature when it attacks. Yet, Combat Professor carves its niche by automatically providing a power bonus to another attacker during your combat phase. This not only elevates a creature’s threat level but also provides consistent value without needing to tap.
Skyscanner enters the fray as another creature providing aerial support, though it focuses on card draw rather than combat enhancement. Where Skyscanner presents a one-time value upon entering the battlefield, Combat Professor reliably augments combat turn after turn. Additionally, Elite Inquisitor stands out as a creature card with impressive combat abilities. However, it leans more towards being a self-sufficient threat, lacking the Combat Professor’s ability to buff other creatures and alter the battlefield dynamics.
Ultimately, Combat Professor stands out in MTG strategies that capitalize on shifting the balance of power during the combat phase. Its ongoing ability to strengthen your offensive force each turn offers a significant tactical edge, setting it apart from other cards that might offer similar soaring capabilities or one-time benefits.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Combat Professor provides an ongoing benefit each combat that can shift the tide in a player’s favor. By granting a flying creature an additional power boost during your turn, it ensures your key creatures can pack a more significant punch, potentially drawing out responses from opponents and subtly influencing the game’s flow.
Resource Acceleration: Although not directly impacting mana resources, the consistent ability boost Combat Professor offers can accelerate your board presence, effectively reducing the need for additional spells or effects to achieve favorable combat outcomes. This can allow players to allocate resources elsewhere, effectively streamlining their game plan.
Instant Speed: While Combat Professor operates at sorcery speed, the instant-speed flexibility it indirectly provides cannot be ignored. By enhancing a flying creature during your turn, it allows players to keep mana open for other instant-speed interactions on the opponent’s turn, knowing their combat phase has already been augmented by the Professor’s teachings.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Combat Professor lacks a discard ability, which means it doesn’t provide the player with the option to cycle through their deck for better cards. This can be a significant drawback when facing a hand that lacks actionable moves or when attempting to draw into better situational responses.
Specific Mana Cost: Combat Professor has a specific mana cost that necessitates two white mana to play. This requirement can limit its inclusion to decks that are heavy on white mana or can reliably produce it. Decks that operate on a different color spectrum or multicolor decks that are strapped for white mana may find it challenging to incorporate this card effectively.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, including the aforementioned two white mana, Combat Professor demands a significant investment. In competitive play where mana efficiency is critical, there are instances where other creatures and spells at a similar or lower mana cost might offer more immediate impact or versatility on the battlefield.
Reasons to Include Combat Professor in Your Collection
Versatility: Combat Professor offers a flexible role in decks by providing both a decent flying body and a static ability to boost other creatures. This makes it a solid inclusion for decks that need an aerial presence or want to enhance their combat phase.
Combo Potential: With its ability to give another attacking creature a power boost and vigilance each combat, Combat Professor synergizes with strategies that benefit from tapping and untapping creatures or that have attack triggers.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that appreciates flyers and continuous creature buffs, Combat Professor fits right in. Its propensity to enable aggressive tactics while maintaining a defensive posture thanks to vigilance makes it particularly useful in the current pacing of the game.
How to beat
Combat Professor is a notable creature card in MTG that can be a thorn in an opponent’s side with its ability to boost other creatures during combat, especially in limited formats like Draft or Sealed. To counteract this airborne professor, one should focus on removing it before the combat phase. Utilizing instant-speed removal spells like Shock or Heartless Act can effectively neutralize it, thereby preventing the advantageous end-of-turn buff it provides.
Ensnaring it with enchantment-based control effects such as Pacifism or the more comprehensive Banishing Light also renders the Professor harmless, effectively grounding the threat. In the realm of combat trades, it’s wise to remove it during the opponent’s turn or before blocks are declared. Be wary, though, of protecting spells that could foil your attempt. Having a game plan to address flyers or key creatures like Combat Professor is essential in maintaining board control and securing victory in a game of MTG.
Thus, quick reaction and strategic removal are the keys to beating Combat Professor, ensuring it never has the chance to tutor its way to dominance on the battlefield.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Combat Professor MTG card by a specific set like Strixhaven: School of Mages and Jumpstart 2022, 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 Combat Professor 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Combat Professor Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-04-23 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Andrey Kuzinskiy.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-04-23 | Strixhaven: School of Mages | STX | 11 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Andrey Kuzinskiy | |
| 2 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 167 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Andrey Kuzinskiy |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Combat Professor has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Guide to Vigilance card ability
In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.