Cathar's Shield MTG Card

Mana cost
Rarity	Common
Type	Artifact — Equipment
Abilities	Equip
Released	2016-07-22
Set symbol
Set name	Eldritch Moon
Set code	EMN
Number	192
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Mark Zug

Key Takeaways

Zero mana cost to cast allows fluid inclusion in spell-heavy or synergistic equipment decks.
Equip cost presents a manageable investment for bolstering creature defenses and enabling vigilance.
Despite its benefits, it can be restrictive with a specific mana requirement and lacks immediate impact.

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.

Text of card

Equipped creature gets +0/+3 and has vigilance. Equip (: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)

"A leader can inspire courage, but it is the smiths and healers who truly keep hope alive." —Thalia, heretic cathar

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Though Cathar’s Shield doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, its low cost and return potential can indirectly lead to card advantage. By protecting your key creatures from harm, it helps keep your threats on the board longer, outpacing your opponent’s resources.

Resource Acceleration: With a zero mana cost to cast, Cathar’s Shield is a boon for decks that benefit from casting numerous spells in a single turn. It synergizes with mechanics like improvise or convoke, essentially serving as a free spell that accelerates your strategy without dipping into your mana pool.

Instant Speed: While the shield itself isn’t cast at instant speed, its equip ability can be activated whenever you could cast an instant. This allows for reactive play during your opponent’s turn, equipping it to an untargeted creature in response to threats or surprise blockers.

Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Cathar’s Shield demands a white mana to equip, possibly restricting its inclusion in multicolored or colorless decks seeking equipment synergies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the card itself is cost-free to cast, its equip cost is 3 mana. This could be a setback when mana could be utilized for more impactful spells.

Discard Requirement: Unlike some equipment cards, Cathar’s Shield does not present an immediate return on investment or a discard effect to synergize with graveyard play, which can reduce its overall utility in some MTG strategies.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Cathar’s Shield is a lightweight addition to any deck, offering a boost to both defense and creature viability. Due to its zero mana cost for casting, it slips into numerous deck archetypes with ease, from aggressive strategies seeking to equip swiftly to more defensive configurations aiming to fortify key creatures.

Combo Potential: This accessory offers synergy with strategies that capitalize on equipping creatures. Its ability to be equipped for just three mana opens up possibilities for combination with cards that react to equipment, potentially setting off a cascade of in-game advantages.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where combat tricks and creature survivability are paramount, Cathar’s Shield stands out. Its capacity to give a creature an advantage in battle, typically where even a slight edge can pivot the tide, makes it a meaningful choice for the current tournament environments.

How to Beat

Cathar’s Shield is an intriguing equipment card in MTG that can be quite the game-changer on the battlefield. With a mana value of zero, it allows you to equip a creature with a bonus to their defense, at the mere cost of three to equip. Albeit, this can make any creature a sturdy blocker, but players can navigate around it.

The key lies in using removal spells that can bypass the equipped creature’s defense or rely on effects that don’t target creatures such as sweepers and global damage. Spell options like Abrade or Shatter are effective since they can destroy the artifact directly. Alternatively, countering the equip ability with instant-speed disruption forces the player to reinvest in equipping, potentially derailing their game plan.

One could also outpace the shielding strategy by ramping up their offensive capabilities with creatures that have trample or those that can deal damage regardless of a creature’s defense. Thus, while Cathar’s Shield presents a cost-effective way to boost a creature’s durability, foresight into your deck’s composition and a strategic approach should help you navigate around its protective embrace.

Cards like Cathar's Shield

Cathar’s Shield is a unique piece in the pantheon of equipment cards in Magic: The Gathering. This card is often compared to other zero-cost equipment like Accorder’s Shield and Spidersilk Net, which are also designed to boost a creature’s defenses. What distinguishes Cathar’s Shield is its Vigilance component, allowing equipped creatures to stay on guard even after attacking. While Accorder’s Shield grants a creature a higher defensive boost with +0/+3 and also vigilance, it does not have the spell cost reduction ability inherent to Cathar’s Shield.

Another analogue is Bone Saw, which is also free to cast but focuses on bolstering a creature’s offense with a slight +1/+0 increase. Similar to Cathar’s Shield, it has a fringe benefit by aiding in reducing spell costs for certain strategies. Nevertheless, it does not improve a creature’s staying power in the same way Cathar’s Shield does with its +0/+3 and vigilance boon.

Diving deeper, Sylvok Lifestaff stands out with its ability to gain life when a creature dies, yet unlike Cathar’s Shield, it comes with a casting cost and doesn’t enhance the creature’s defensive capabilities. Considering the value each equipment offers, Cathar’s Shield holds a special place, particularly for defensive-focused builds that benefit from vigilance and spell cost efficiencies.

Cards similar to Cathar's Shield by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cathar's Shield MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon, 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 Cathar's Shield and other MTG cards: