Sergeant-at-Arms MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sergeant-at-Arms offers a unique twist on card advantage by allowing you to create two additional 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens with its kicker cost. Deploying multiple creatures from a single card can give you a significant presence on the battlefield, edging you ahead of opponents in terms of sheer numbers and potential board control.

Resource Acceleration: While Sergeant-at-Arms doesn’t directly accelerate your mana resources, it can be seen as a form of resource acceleration in the sense that it effectively utilizes available mana to expand your army. By paying the kicker cost, you’re getting more utility out of the mana spent, deploying extra units to apply pressure or defend crucial positions.

Instant Speed: Although Sergeant-at-Arms doesn’t have instant speed itself, it synergizes well with cards that can be played at instant speed. Having a stable and expanded board presence thanks to the Sergeant’s tokens can allow you to hold mana and cards back, waiting for the opportune moment to utilize instant speed spells or abilities to disrupt your opponent’s strategy.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Players may find the kicker cost of Sergeant-at-Arms demanding because it necessitates discarding cards, which can be a setback when your hand is already depleted.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both white mana and generic mana, the card can be restrictive, especially in multicolored decks that might struggle with color fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The initial casting cost combined with the kicker for Sergeant-at-Arms is substantial. In scenarios where resources are tight, this cost may be too steep compared to other creatures that offer similar or better board presence for less investment.

Reasons to Include Sergeant-at-Arms in Your Collection

Versatility: Sergeant-at-Arms is a solid addition to decks that thrive on having numerous creatures on the board. This card can be played early as a decent body or later for its kicker cost to create soldier tokens, adapting to the game’s needs as it progresses.

Combo Potential: The additional soldier tokens it creates work well with strategies that capitalize on creatures entering the battlefield or with mechanics like convoke, where you can tap creatures to help cast spells. This can lead to explosive plays and turns where you summon even more formidable forces.

Meta-Relevance: Sergeant-at-Arms can hold its own in any meta that favors creature-based tactics. Token generation is always a valuable asset, helping to maintain board presence and applying pressure or serving as a defensive line against aggressive opponents.

How to beat

Sergeant-at-Arms enters the battlefield as a rather unassuming card, but with its kicker cost paid, it brings along two additional soldiers to the fray. The ability to amp up your board presence can’t be overstated in Magic: The Gathering, where numbers often equate to power. This creates a challenge for players facing it, as they must find a way to deal with not just a single creature, but three.

A successful strategy against Sergeant-at-Arms requires efficient removal spells. By utilizing spells that can clear multiple creatures at once, such as board wipes, you can counteract the potential advantage this card offers. Cards like Wrath of God or Supreme Verdict become invaluable, wiping the board clean regardless of how many warriors have joined the ranks. Similarly, spot removal spells that can target creatures with specific attributes can be handy in picking off the tokens before they become bolstered by other effects. It’s also effective to limit the amount of mana your opponent can access, thereby preventing the kicker cost from being paid altogether. In short, proactiveness and good removal are key in successfully holding back the strategic advances Sergeant-at-Arms is capable of.