Dauntless Escort Avatar MTG Card

Rarity	Rare
Type	Vanguard
Released	2003-01-01
Set symbol
Set name	Magic Online Avatars
Set code	PMOA
Number	94
Frame	2015
Layout	Vanguard
Border	Black
Illustred by	UDON

Key Takeaways

Dauntless Escort Avatar grants crucial creature protection, thwarting board wipes and preserving board state.
The card’s instant-speed activation offers tactical flexibility and opportune defense in tight situations.
Costly sacrifice and strict mana requirements may limit its use in certain strategies or decks.

Text of card

Creatures you control have exalted.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dauntless Escort Avatar enables players to protect their valuable creatures, effectively preventing card disadvantage due to board wipes or removal spells. This ability can be a significant factor in maintaining a strong board presence.

Resource Acceleration: While the card itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources in terms of mana, its ability to safeguard a player’s creature investments can preserve the mana and turns spent developing a formidable battlefield. This indirect resource protection can be crucial during the mid to late game stages.

Instant Speed: The power to use Dauntless Escort Avatar’s ability at instant speed means that one can respond to threats or unfavorable conditions at a moment’s notice, without the need for preemptive actions. This tactical flexibility allows players to adapt to evolving game states, shield key creatures unexpectedly, and potentially turn the tide of a duel in their favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Players must be wary when utilizing Dauntless Escort Avatar as it demands a creature as a sacrifice to activate its ability. This can be a steep price for decks that lack a steady flow of creatures or in situations where every creature on the board is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: Dauntless Escort Avatar requires a well-structured mana base owing to its specific colored mana cost, particularly white and green. As a result, playing it outside of a Selesnya or multicolored deck that supports these colors could be challenging.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that involves three mana, including one green and one white, the card enters the battlefield at a moment where players might prefer to cast other impactful spells or establish board presence with other creatures. In some deck archetypes, this mana could be allocated to more versatile or disruptive options.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Dauntless Escort Avatar shines in a broad spectrum of decks that appreciate creatures with useful abilities. Its resilience against sweepers makes it a solid addition to creature-focused strategies that aim to maintain a presence on the board.

Combo Potential: This card is a key component in combos aimed at maintaining an indestructible creature army. It can be paired with self-sacrificing creatures and recursion mechanics for continuous board protection, enhancing strategies that require a stable board to execute game-winning combos.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where board wipes are prevalent, Dauntless Escort Avatar proves to be invaluable. Its ability to save an entire team from otherwise devastating effects keeps it relevant and oftentimes signifies the difference between defeat and a well-earned victory.

How to beat

The Dauntless Escort Avatar card presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its ability to safeguard your creatures from potential threats. Taking it down requires strategic moves and an understanding of how to interrupt its protective prowess. What separates it from other creature cards are the sacrificial mechanics it brings into play, much like spells that offer temporary indestructibility.

To effectively counter this avatar, instant speed removals or board wipes that don’t destroy are your ticket to success. Consider cards like Terminus or Settle the Wreckage, which can circumvent the avatar’s ability by tucking or exiling creatures instead. Another tactic is to employ control cards that manipulate or prevent the activation of abilities, keeping Dauntless Escort Avatar from fulfilling its role as a guardian.

Every strategy aiming to defeat this formidable avatar must account for its ability to act at instant speed. Timing and the element of surprise will play in your favor. Forethought, precision, and the right choice of spells are the hallmarks of outmaneuvering your opponent and nullifying the protective shield created by the Dauntless Escort Avatar in the world of Magic: The Gathering.

Cards like Dauntless Escort Avatar

Diving into the realm of creature protection in Magic: The Gathering, Dauntless Escort stands out amongst its kin. This creature bears a resemblance to Selfless Spirit in the way it safeguards your other creatures from destruction. Both allow you to sacrifice the creature itself to grant indestructibility to the rest of your army until end of turn. Yet, Dauntless Escort differs by requiring a tap and catering to a larger swathe of creatures, including larger convoke decks due to its 3/3 stat line.

Another similar card worth mentioning is Loxodon Hierarch. While it also provides a protective blanket by preventing damage, it doesn’t offer the same level of defense against board wipes that Dauntless Escort does. Additionally, Heroic Intervention is in the same conversation. It gives permeating protection to all your permanents, not just creatures, by making them indestructible and hexproof for a turn. Still, this is an instant-speed spell, unlike the Escort which is a creature that requires foresight to utilize effectively.

In conclusion, for players looking to fortify their creatures against the ever-looming threat of a clear board, Dauntless Escort serves as a valiant and proactive choice in Magic: The Gathering, adept at turning the tide by ensuring your forces live to fight another turn.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dauntless Escort Avatar MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Avatars, 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 Dauntless Escort Avatar and other MTG cards:

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