Disowned Ancestor MTG Card
2014-09-26 - Number 70
2019-11-07 - Number 630
2020-09-26 - Number KTK-70
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Spirit Warrior |
| Abilities | Outlast |
| Power | 0 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
Outlast (, : Put a +1/+1 counter on this creature. Outlast only as a sorcery.)
Long after death, the spirits of the Disowned continue to seek redemption among their Abzan kin.
Cards like Disowned Ancestor
Disowned Ancestor brings a unique tactical edge to MTG as a formidable one-mana creature. It stands out for its outlast ability, which lets you bolster its power and toughness during your turn. In the same realm, we find Ainok Bond-Kin, offering a similar outlast feature. Yet, the Bond-Kin steps up the synergy by granting other creatures with +1/+1 counters first strike. The ability to alter combat dynamics gives the Bond-Kin a situational advantage.
Another peer in this comparison is Mer-Ek Nightblade. While slightly more expensive mana-wise, the Nightblade also boasts outlast and grants deathtouch to your other creatures with +1/+1 counters. This transforms it into a pillar of defense that can deter opponents from attacking. Abzan Falconer shares this type of influence, swapping deathtouch for flying, effectively turning your creatures into aerial threats.
Assessing these options, Disowned Ancestor offers a low-cost way to start building a tougher creature, while Ainok Bond-Kin, Mer-Ek Nightblade, and Abzan Falconer escalate the strategic potential of counters. Each card provides versatility to MTG decks focused on counter interaction and combat strategy.
Cards similar to Disowned Ancestor by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Disowned Ancestor comes with Outlast, which at its core can lead to card efficiency by enhancing a creature’s stats over time. This ability allows you to strengthen your board position without having to dedicate more cards from hand, keeping your card advantage secure.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting mana resources, Disowned Ancestor’s low cost enables early board presence, which accelerates your strategy and paves the way for more impactful plays earlier in the game.
Instant Speed: While Disowned Ancestor itself isn’t an instant, the Outlast mechanic can be activated at the end of an opponent’s turn, making it a flexible addition to your strategy. This capability allows you to develop your board at instant speed, surprising opponents with a now-larger blocker or attacker when the time is right.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The buildup of Disowned Ancestor relies on the Outlast mechanic, which requires a tap action potentially leaving you unable to block threatening creatures or activate other abilities the same turn.
Specific Mana Cost: This card requires black mana to cast, making it less flexible for multicolor decks that might struggle to produce the necessary mana early on, impacting your board development negatively.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the initial cost is low, continually investing mana into Outlast to bolster Disowned Ancestor can result in a large mana investment over time. Other creatures or spells might provide immediate benefits or pose a more significant threat to opponents without ongoing costs.
Reasons to Include Disowned Ancestor in Your Collection
Versatility: Disowned Ancestor is a solid card for decks that need an early blocker or are looking to build upon +1/+1 counters strategies. Its low mana cost makes it an accessible option in multiple formats.
Combo Potential: This card can seamlessly integrate with synergistic mechanics like Outlast, enabling you to strategically bolster your creatures over time. It fits well into decks that capitalize on counter manipulation.
Meta-Relevance: Given its potential as a sturdy early-game defense, Disowned Ancestor may find a place in metagames that favor aggressive strategies, allowing you to stall opponents while setting up your own board.
How to beat
Engaging with Disowned Ancestor on the battlefield can be a subtle psychological duel as in many of Magic: The Gathering’s confrontations. With its sturdy starting defense and the Outlast ability which only gets stronger under your opponent’s control, this creature potentially becomes a wall that can discourage attacks. One effective tactic to break through this growing defense is to utilize removal spells such as Murder or Path to Exile to simply take it off the board before it becomes too powerful.
Combat tricks are equally useful; spells like Giant Growth can unexpectedly tip the scales during combat, allowing your weaker creatures to overpower even the most bolstered Disowned Ancestor. In addition, since Outlast can only be activated at sorcery speed, timing your removal or tricks when your opponent is tapped out can ensure your strategy isn’t interrupted. Penetrating this formidable defender also becomes easier with flyers and creatures with unblockable abilities, as they can deliver damage to your opponent while bypassing the Ancestor altogether.
No matter the strategy used to confront Disowned Ancestor, remember that pacing and resource management often play critical roles. Keeping pressure while managing your own defenses will assist in maintaining control over the game, and ultimately, defeating this enduring adversary from MTG.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Disowned Ancestor MTG card by a specific set like Khans of Tarkir and Mystery Booster, 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 Disowned Ancestor 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
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Printings
The Disowned Ancestor Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2014-09-26 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Zack Stella.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2014-09-26 | Khans of Tarkir | KTK | 70 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zack Stella | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 630 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zack Stella | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | KTK-70 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zack Stella |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Disowned Ancestor 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 |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Disowned Ancestor card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2014-09-20 | Several creatures with outlast also grant an ability to creatures you control with +1/+1 counters on them, including themselves. These counters could come from an outlast ability, but any +1/+1 counter on the creature will count. |
| 2014-09-20 | The cost to activate a creature’s outlast ability includes the tap symbol (). A creature’s outlast ability can’t be activated unless that creature has been under your control continuously since the beginning of your turn. |