Militia Bugler MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Soldier
Abilities Vigilance
Power 2
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers card advantage by fetching creatures, crucial for tactical deck setups and maintaining hand resources.
  2. Boosts mana resource acceleration indirectly through utility creature retrieval, aiding overall gameplay momentum.
  3. Enhances flexibility with potential for instant-speed play, adding unpredictability against opponents.
Vigilance card art

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.

Text of card

Vigilance (Attacking doesn't cause this creature to tap.) When Militia Bugler enters the battlefield, look at the top four cards of your library. You may reveal a creature card with power 2 or less from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Militia Bugler works wonders in terms of card advantage. When it hits the battlefield, its ability lets you look at the top four cards of your deck, giving you the opportunity to reveal a creature with power 2 or less from among them and put it into your hand. This selective process not only refills your hand but also sifts through your deck, edging you closer to finding the pieces you need for your strategic setup.

Resource Acceleration: While the Militia Bugler itself doesn’t directly accelerate your mana, it does a fantastic job of pulling utility creatures that may have those capabilities. By fetching key creatures that can untap lands, produce mana, or reduce the cost of future spells, it indirectly contributes to the acceleration of your resources on the battlefield.

Instant Speed: Although Militia Bugler acts at sorcery speed, the creatures it can fetch can be instant-speed players. By putting creatures with flash or those with abilities that can be activated at any time into your hand, Militia Bugler extends your reach into a potential instant-speed response, making your gameplay more flexible and unpredictable for your opponents.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: As Militia Bugler enters the battlefield, the requirement to look at the top four cards and potentially discard a creature can sometimes force players into difficult decisions, especially if valuable cards are revealed.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both white mana in its casting cost, Militia Bugler may not fit into every deck, particularly those that don’t have a strong white mana base or multi-colored decks that can’t consistently produce the necessary white mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the cost is not exorbitant, some players find the three mana investment for a 2/3 creature with Vigilance a bit steep. The deck thinning ability is useful, but there are cheaper creatures that can filter or draw cards more efficiently.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Militia Bugler is a versatile card, fitting seamlessly into Human or Soldier tribal decks, as well as toolbox strategies that seek specific creature cards. Its ability to dig into the top four cards of your library for a creature with power 2 or less helps ensure a steady board presence.

Combo Potential: This creature offers excellent combo potential by enabling you to search for key combo pieces. With Militia Bugler, decks that revolve around assembling specific interactions or require particular creatures can find the necessary components more consistently.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta dominated by creature-based strategies, Militia Bugler shines by providing card advantage and maintaining a solid board state. Its ability to sift through your deck for utility creatures keeps it relevant, especially when adapting to constantly shifting competitive landscapes.


How to beat

Militia Bugler is a utility creature card in Magic: The Gathering that can dig into a player’s deck for more creatures to play. It’s known for its ability to look at the top four cards of your library and reveal a creature card with power 2 or less from among them to put into your hand. The rest of the cards go on the bottom of the library.

To counter Militia Bugler, it’s effective to limit its ability to fetch resources. Using instant-speed removal spells that can target and destroy Militia Bugler upon entering the battlefield ensures the ability to look at the top four cards doesn’t trigger. Cards like Fatal Push or Shock are excellent choices for their low cost and instant speed. Another strategy is to employ counter magic like Negate or Essence Scatter to prevent Militia Bugler from resolving and hitting the field altogether.

Exiling is another potent way to neutralize Militia Bugler’s impact. Exile-enabling cards such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares can deal with it permanently, preventing any recurring effects from reusing Militia Bugler from the graveyard. By utilizing these tactics, players can effectively dampen the card advantage Militia Bugler aims to provide.


Cards like Militia Bugler

Militia Bugler slides into MTG decks as a quaint yet potent source of card advantage. Its ability to look at the top four cards of a player’s library and potentially put a creature card with power 2 or less into their hand parallels creatures like Silvergill Adept. What makes the Bugler stand out is the broader creature search it affords, though it requires the creature to have a lower power. Unlike the Adept, which is locked into a Merfolk tribe, Militia Bugler offers versatility across various creature-based strategies.

Seekers’ Squire serves as another analog, providing a look at the top card and a potential hand-refill plus a counter if the conditions are met. It boasts an explore mechanic, but lacks the same targeted selection. Furthermore, Bygone Bishop proffers a slightly different approach, rewarding players with Clue tokens for casting the small creatures, another avenue to draw cards over time. While Bishop might not provide immediate card in hand, it can eventually generate more card advantage than a single Bugler trigger.

Analyzing the value, Militia Bugler excels in its blend of immediate creature selection and its utility in decks seeking to maintain a consistent board presence while extracting card advantage stealthily within MTG’s vast library of spells.

Silvergill Adept - MTG Card versions
Seekers' Squire - MTG Card versions
Bygone Bishop - MTG Card versions
Silvergill Adept - Lorwyn (LRW)
Seekers' Squire - Ixalan (XLN)
Bygone Bishop - Shadows over Innistrad Promos (PSOI)

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Militia Bugler MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Core Set 2019, 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 Militia Bugler and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Militia Bugler Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2018-07-13 and 2022-07-08. Illustrated by David Gaillet.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 692602003normalblackDavid Gaillet
22018-07-13Core Set 2019M19 292015normalblackDavid Gaillet
32018-07-13Core Set 2019 PromosPM19 292015normalblackDavid Gaillet
42022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 192015normalblackDavid Gaillet

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Militia Bugler has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

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