Enlistment Officer MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Soldier |
| Abilities | First strike |
| Released | 2001-06-04 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Apocalypse |
| Set code | APC |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 9 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Wayne England |
Text of card
First strike When Enlistment Officer comes into play, reveal the top four cards of your library. Put all Soldier cards revealed this way into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library.
Cards like Enlistment Officer
Enlistment Officer is an intriguing card within Magic: The Gathering, offering a distinct advantage in deck-checking strategies. Its ability to reveal the top four cards of your deck and potentially add any Soldiers among them to your hand is a mechanic that echoes cards like Augury Owl, which also allows a peek into the future draws. What separates Enlistment Officer is the added benefit of immediately expanding your hand with specific creature types.
Militia Bugler is another card that comes to mind, sharing the creature-type inspection aspect, though Bugler narrows the search to creatures with power 2 or less, which might be less restrictive depending on the deck build. Where Enlistment Officer has an edge is in its capacity to potentially net more than one creature. Then there’s the Precinct Captain who, while not directly involved in deck manipulation, compliments the soldier synergy by creating soldier tokens but lacks the direct card advantage that Enlistment Officer provides.
In the grand scheme of cards with similar abilities in Magic: The Gathering, Enlistment Officer shines in soldier-centric strategies, offering card advantage that’s aligned with tribal themes, thus asserting itself as a formidable choice in decks that favor a militaristic approach.
Cards similar to Enlistment Officer by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Enlistment Officer’s ability to reveal cards until you reveal a soldier card adds a layer of anticipation and strategic depth to your game, offering a chance to draw and deploy a potentially game-changing piece directly onto the battlefield.
Resource Acceleration: By potentially putting a creature card into play, the Enlistment Officer streamlines your resource curve, allowing you to utilize your mana more efficiently in subsequent turns. This can be a pivotal move that helps in pacing the game in your favor.
Instant Speed: Though Enlistment Officer itself is not an instant, its ability triggers upon entry into battlefield or declaration as an attacker. This means you can set up surprise blocks or unexpected swings in board state at critical moments during your turn, thereby keeping your opponents on their toes and better responding to the evolving game state.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: With Enlistment Officer, a player must factor in potential card advantage loss. While the ability to look at the top four cards and potentially reveal an Ally creature card adds value, it does not compensate for strategic hand depletion that comes from needing to discard.
Specific Mana Cost: Enlistment Officer’s requirement for white mana in its casting cost means it naturally fits into white-based or multicolored decks. This mana specificity can limit flexibility and make it less attractive for mono-colored decks not aligning with white or those emphasizing other colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Carrying a casting cost of three colorless and one white mana makes the card a mid-game play. There are alternative creatures and spells that could be more impactful or less taxing on mana resources, providing a quicker board presence or strategic advantage for the same or lower mana investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Enlistment Officer offers a flexible role in decks that thrive on synergy between soldiers and card advantage. Its ability to potentially draw multiple cards by revealing soldiers from the top of your deck can be a game-changer.
Combo Potential: This card shines in combinations with effects that care about the number of creatures you control, the number of soldiers entering the battlefield, or the act of revealing cards from the top of your deck.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Enlistment Officer can be a valuable piece to outpace opponents by continually providing a stream of creatures and bolstering your battlefield presence.
How to Beat
The Enlistment Officer is a unique card in Magic the Gathering, known for its ability to potentially draw additional cards upon entering the battlefield. This ability is strictly tied to the presence of soldiers in your deck, making it a staple in any soldier-focused strategy. To effectively counter this card, it’s crucial to focus on disrupting the synergy within the soldier deck archetype.
One effective strategy is to use removal spells to target key creatures before the Enlistment Officer can trigger its ability. Counterspells are equally valuable in this scenario, preventing the Enlistment Officer from hitting the battlefield altogether. Another method involves graveyard manipulation – removing the soldiers it aims to retrieve before they can create additional value. Additionally, applying pressure with an aggressive deck can outpace the slower, more synergistic soldier decks, potentially denying them the chance to establish their board presence.
Ultimately, overcoming the Enlistment Officer card hinges on your ability to interrupt the soldier deck’s flow, utilizing disruption, removal and aggressive strategies to prevent the extensive card advantage it can provide.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Enlistment Officer MTG card by a specific set like Apocalypse, 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 Enlistment Officer 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Enlistment Officer has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |