Jousting Lance MTG Card
2018-04-27 - Number 221
2022-12-02 - Number 779
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Artifact — Equipment |
| Abilities | Equip |
Key Takeaways
- Provides reusable buffs each turn, upping creature pressure without depleting hand resources.
- Its low equip cost enables strategic resource allocation for impactful battlefield presence.
- Equipping at instant speed grants surprise tactical advantages during combat phases.
Text of card
Equipped creature gets +2/+0. As long as it's your turn, equipped creature has first strike. Equip (: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Though Jousting Lance doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, it provides a reusable boost to a creature every turn. This can help maintain pressure on your opponent without the need to commit additional cards from your hand.
Resource Acceleration: Jousting Lance is valuable for its low equip cost, which means you can quickly enhance a creature for only two mana. This efficiency allows you to utilize your resources effectively, keeping mana open for other strategic plays.
Instant Speed: While Jousting Lance itself isn’t an instant, its equip ability can be activated at instant speed. This versatile trait lets you respond to your opponent’s actions during their turn, potentially surprising them with an increased power creature ready to block or capitalize on a combat trick.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Jousting Lance doesn’t explicitly require discarding cards, but in deck building, considering its specific role, you may need to forego other cards. This means making strategic choices about what to discard from your deck to include the Lance, affecting your resource balance.
Specific Mana Cost: Although Jousting Lance asks for generic mana, its equip cost requires two mana. In some cases, this can be restrictive, especially in multicolored decks that might struggle with mana availability and would prefer utilizing their mana for spells that align closely with their deck’s strategy.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of two and an equip cost of two, Jousting Lance may feel inefficient compared to other equipment with lower equip costs. Some players may find that equipping Jousting Lance isn’t the best use of their mana, especially in the early to mid-game where tempo is crucial.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Jousting Lance is a flexible card that can slot into a variety of decks. Its ability to give any creature a boost in power and the all-important first strike makes it a valuable addition in both aggressive and defensive strategies.
Combo Potential: Equip-centric decks, especially those that leverage the synergies of “Knights” or “Soldiers,” can utilize Jousting Lance to enhance combat capabilities. This card can also work well with strategies looking to maximize tapped/untapped creature status.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta dominated by creature-focused tactics, Jousting Lance gains relevance as a tool to help smaller creatures threaten larger ones and survive combats they otherwise wouldn’t. This card could be a key piece in tipping the scales in your favor during matches.
How to beat
Jousting Lance is an equipment artifact that gives a significant edge to creatures in Magic: The Gathering by granting them an additional +2/+0 and first strike during their turn. Recognizing its potential to quickly turn a tide of an otherwise evenly matched game is crucial for any player. To effectively navigate against an opponent wielding such a card, consider increasing your creature removal spells or counterspells, aiming to keep their creatures off the board so the Lance has nothing to latch onto.
Another strategy would be to employ enchantment removal or artifact destruction spells. Cards such as Naturalize or Disenchant are perfect examples, ready to neutralize the Lance before it becomes a threat. Moreover, flash creatures can provide a surprise block, negating the first strike advantage by dealing with the equipped creature in combat before it can do any serious damage.
Ultimately, while Jousting Lance can bolster an enemy’s forces, it can be mitigated through well-timed removals, smart deck building with control elements, and strategic gameplay. This can diminish the Lance’s impact, ensuring that your opponent’s temporary strength doesn’t lead to your downfall.
Cards like Jousting Lance
Jousting Lance is an equipment card that can certainly bolster your creatures’ potential on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. It shares a similar role with other equipment cards like Short Sword, which also provides a modest power boost. Jousting Lance, though, has the added advantage of granting first strike when the equipped creature attacks, giving it an edge during combat. Short Sword lacks this combat trick, offering merely a static power and toughness increase.
Further along the line, we encounter the Marauder’s Axe. This equipment also amplifies a creature’s power, but without imparting any additional abilities. Here is where Jousting Lance excels by enhancing both power and tactical play options. Additionally, there’s the Heavy Mattock, another comparable card. While it provides a bonus to both power and toughness, unlike Jousting Lance, it doesn’t hand out first strike and it’s conditional on controlling a modified creature.
In essence, when comparing Jousting Lance to its counterparts, the card stands out in decks that emphasize attack strategies. Its ability to turn any creature into a first-strike attacker each turn makes it a strong candidate in aggressive MTG builds that aim to dominate combat.
Cards similar to Jousting Lance by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Jousting Lance MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria and Jumpstart 2022, 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 Jousting Lance and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Jousting Lance Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-04-27 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Alayna Danner.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-04-27 | Dominaria | DOM | 221 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alayna Danner | |
| 2 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 779 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alayna Danner |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Jousting Lance 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 |
