Crossbow Infantry MTG Card
1999-10-04 - Number 16
2001-04-11 - Number 12★
2001-04-11 - Number 12
2003-07-28 - Number 15
2003-07-28 - Number 15★
2005-07-29 - Number 12
2005-07-29 - Number 12★
| Card sets | Released in 7 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Soldier Archer |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
oc T: Crossbow Infantry deals 1 damage to target attacking or blocking creature.
The crossbow is the ideal weapon for the lazy Mercadians: just point and shoot.
Cards like Crossbow Infantry
Crossbow Infantry holds a presence amid the vast array of utility creatures in MTG. When examining its potential on the battlefield, one can find several analogs. Like Crossbow Infantry, Samite Healer grants the utility to prevent damage, albeit to creatures rather than dealing it to fliers. Both can be pivotal in stalling enemy advances, but they cater to different strategic needs within a deck’s design.
Moving onto Elvish Archers, we see a definitive offensive counterpart. This card also deals with flying creatures but through actual combat, providing a more proactive form of defense and potential board control. The nuances in their mana costs and abilities suggest specific roles within certain deck archetypes, influencing their inclusion during deck building.
Perhaps the closest relative to Crossbow Infantry is the card Femeref Archers. Similarly costed, it too concerns itself with dispatching flying threats. Yet, Femeref Archers has the added capability of dealing a significant amount of damage, thus positioning it as a more impactful, albeit situational, choice for players who anticipate numerous airborne assaults in their games.
While Crossbow Infantry may not headline the most powerful MTG cards, it finds its niche in the strategic ecosystem, offering a tailored response against decks with flying creatures.
Cards similar to Crossbow Infantry by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Crossbow Infantry doesn’t directly offer card draw, but its ability to potentially remove multiple creatures over the course of a game can indirectly lead to card advantage by preserving your own board presence.
Resource Acceleration: While Crossbow Infantry lacks direct mana acceleration, its low casting cost allows for an efficient use of resources, enabling a player to deploy other strategies without significant mana investment.
Instant Speed: The activated ability of Crossbow Infantry can be used at instant speed, giving you flexibility to respond to threats during the combat phase or at the end of your opponent’s turn, potentially disrupting their plans.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Crossbow Infantry necessitates a tap plus another untapped creature to activate its ability. This mandatory requirement can hinder your board presence, particularly when every creature counts during crucial game phases.
Specific Mana Cost: With its white mana cost, Crossbow Infantry is restricted to decks that can produce white mana, potentially limiting its inclusion to mono-white or color-specific strategies rather than a broader range of deck types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Given its mana cost for a relatively minor ability, Crossbow Infantry may not be the optimal choice when other cards could provide more impactful board control or offensive capabilities for the same or lower mana investment.
Reasons to Include Crossbow Infantry in Your Collection
Versatility: Crossbow Infantry offers flexibility in gameplay, capable of fitting into various white decks focused on control or defense. Its ability to deal direct damage makes it a complement to decks needing to pick off key threat creatures.
Combo Potential: The tap ability of Crossbow Infantry pairs well with cards that untap creatures, multiplying its effectiveness on the battlefield. It synergizes with effects that trigger upon dealing damage or targeting creatures.
Meta-Relevance: Depending on the flow of local games, Crossbow Infantry can emerge as a key player in environments heavy with utility creatures. In a meta where small, impactful creatures are prevalent, Crossbow Infantry can be a worthwhile inclusion.
How to beat Crossbow Infantry
In the scope of Magic: The Gathering, the Crossbow Infantry has long been a classic card from the Tempest set, known for its ability to deal one damage to attacking or blocking creatures. While seemingly minimal, this damage can deter or eliminate weak attackers or blockers paired with incremental damage strategies.
However, overcoming Crossbow Infantry’s ability is straightforward. Cards that bolster your creatures’ toughness can easily negate the damage inflicted by Crossbow Infantry, such as Giant Growth or other toughness-enhancing spells. Additionally, utilizing creatures with abilities like hexproof or shroud will render your opponent’s Crossbow Infantry’s ability useless since it cannot target them. Another strategy is to simply remove the Infantry from play through direct removal spells such as Doom Blade or Path to Exile, thereby eliminating the threat entirely.
Victory against a Crossbow Infantry card depends on managing board state and selecting the right counters. Whether by bolstering your creatures’ defences, using untouchable creatures, or opting for direct removal, there are numerous paths to mitigate the impact of Crossbow Infantry on your path to triumph in the game of Magic: The Gathering.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Crossbow Infantry MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques and Seventh Edition, 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 Crossbow Infantry 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 Crossbow Infantry Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 1999-10-04 and 2005-07-29. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999-10-04 | Mercadian Masques | MMQ | 16 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Greg Hildebrandt & Tim Hildebrandt | |
| 2 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 12★ | 1997 | Normal | Black | James Bernardin | |
| 3 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 12 | 1997 | Normal | White | James Bernardin | |
| 4 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 15 | 2003 | Normal | White | James Bernardin | |
| 5 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 15★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | James Bernardin | |
| 6 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 12 | 2003 | Normal | White | James Bernardin | |
| 7 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 12★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | James Bernardin |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Crossbow Infantry has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |