Vagrant Plowbeasts MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	7
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Beast
Released	2009-02-06
Set symbol
Set name	Conflux
Set code	CON
Power	6
Toughness	6
Number	129
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai

Key Takeaways

Provides creature protection via regenerate, thwarting opponents’ board clearing strategies.
Flexibility to respond to threats at instant speed, vital for maintaining board control.
While costly, its defensive capabilities can be key against removal-heavy metas.

Text of card

: Regenerate target creature with power 5 or greater.

Plowbeasts of Naya escaped their harnesses in droves, content to snack on the conveniently cultivated fields of Eos and Valeron.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Vagrant Plowbeasts can offer a strategic benefit by providing a recurring mechanism to protect your creatures. The regenerate ability ensures that your valuable creatures remain on the board, potentially frustrating your opponent’s efforts to clear your side and maintaining your presence in the game.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing mana or treasure, Vagrant Plowbeasts synergize well with decks that aim to ramp up their resources. By defending key mana dorks or other resource accelerators, these beasts ensure that your engine stays online, setting the stage for you to deploy your heavy hitters swiftly.

Instant Speed: Its ability to regenerate target creature at instant speed grants you the flexibility to respond to threats or removal attempts on the fly. This adaptability is critical during complex board states, allowing you to make decisions that could pivot the game in your favor, all the while keeping your mana open for other instant-speed interactions as the situation demands.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Vagrant Plowbeasts command a stringent cascade mechanic, necessitating the discard of other potentially crucial cards. This requirement can put players at a disadvantage when they are already short on options.

Specific Mana Cost: With a heavy reliance on a specific color combination in its mana cost, incorporating the Vagrant Plowbeasts into your deck can be challenging. This specific cost can limit your flexibility in deck building, especially if you are operating outside the required colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing a total of seven mana to bring into play, the Vagrant Plowbeasts possess a high-price tag compared to alternative creatures. In many scenarios, the initial investment of resources may not match the immediate impact on the game, leading players to opt for lower-cost creatures with more immediate or versatile effects.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Vagrant Plowbeasts offers a key defensive tool for decks that thrive on protecting valuable creatures. Its ability to regenerate target creature makes it a flexible pick for decks looking to maintain board presence.

Combo Potential: Not only does it protect individual creatures, it can also synergize with strategies that capitalize on creature tap abilities or utilize regeneration triggers for advantageous effects.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state dominated by removal spells, the Plowbeasts provide resilience against such strategies, potentially making this card a sleeper hit in creature-heavy metas.

How to beat Vagrant Plowbeasts

Vagrant Plowbeasts can be a resilient adversary on the battlefield due to its formidable regeneration ability. This means that traditional damage-based removal spells might not be effective as the opponents can simply pay the mana cost to regenerate it. However, one strategy to overcome Vagrant Plowbeasts hinges on using exile effects. Cards like Path to Exile can permanently remove Vagrant Plowbeasts from the game, bypassing its regeneration capability altogether.

Besides, countering it with spells like Cancel when it is on the stack before it has the chance to enter the battlefield is another method. Additionally, employing sacrifice effects can be particularly productive since they force the opponent to sacrifice a creature, and Vagrant Plowbeasts’ regeneration won’t save it from that fate. Edict effects like Diabolic Edict are perfect examples.

Moreover, utilizing cards that alter the rules of combat such as Holy Light, which can decrease the power of the opponent’s creatures, can ensure that Vagrant Plowbeasts is not as significant of a threat during battle.

Cards like Vagrant Plowbeasts

Vagrant Plowbeasts presents players with a unique defensive capability within the realm of Magic: The Gathering. This creature card stands shoulder to shoulder with other potent forms of board protection, such as Dauntless Escort. The Escort provides a similar one-shot effect, granting indestructibility but requires prior activation before the damage is dealt. Vagrant Plowbeasts differentiates itself by offering the benefit on a repeatable basis, as long as mana is available.

Another comparable card is Selfless Spirit, which also allows creatures to dodge destruction effects for a turn. However, the Spirit’s sacrifice is a one-and-done deal, which underscores the Plowbeasts’ repeatable advantage. Then there’s Knight Exemplar, which offers ongoing indestructibility to other Knights; although displaying a narrower focus, it’s superior in a dedicated Knight tribal deck. It highlights how Vagrant Plowbeasts can be a versatile tool, fitting into various deck types without tribal restrictions.

In essence, while analyzing the resilience these cards bring to the table, Vagrant Plowbeasts emerges as a flexible and robust option for protecting key creatures turn after turn in Magic: The Gathering, balancing mana investment with enduring board presence.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Vagrant Plowbeasts MTG card by a specific set like Conflux, 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 Vagrant Plowbeasts and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Vagrant Plowbeasts has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2009-02-01	This ability checks the targeted creature’s power only at the time the ability is activated and at the time it resolves. The regeneration shield it creates will work no matter what that creature’s power is at the time it would be destroyed.