Farrel's Zealot MTG Card

Farrel’s Zealot offers both a threat on board and an opportunity to wield your opponent’s cards. Playing exiled cards accelerates resources, potentially tipping the game in your favor. Instant-speed playability adds strategic depth, keeping opponents on their toes.

Fallen Empires (FEM)
1994-11-01 - Number 3a

Fallen Empires (FEM)
1994-11-01 - Number 3b

Fallen Empires (FEM)
1994-11-01 - Number 3c

Farrel's Zealot - Masters Edition II (ME2)

Masters Edition II (ME2)
2008-09-22 - Number 14

Card sets	Released in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human
Power	2
Toughness	2

Text of card

If Farrel's Zealot attacks and is not blocked, you may choose to have it deal 3 damage to a target creature. If you do so, it deals no damage to opponent this turn.

After the fall of Trokair, Farrel and his followers formally broke their ties with the rest of Icatia.

Cards like Farrel's Zealot

Farrel’s Zealot holds its own niche among the creatures within Magic: The Gathering. In analyzing creatures that echo its abilities, White Knight is a noteworthy comparison point. Similar to Farrel’s Zealot, White Knight offers protection from black, giving it a strategic edge in specific matchups. However, unlike our Zealot, White Knight does not require a discard upon dealing damage to an opponent, making it more straightforward for battlefield presence.

Another relative card in the trove of MTG is Order of Leitbur. This card mirrors Farrel’s Zealot’s white mana identity and has protection from black as well. However, it distinguishes itself with the ability to gain first strike or get bigger, giving it a more flexible approach in combat scenarios. It’s important to note that both Order of Leitbur and Farrel’s Zealot cater to players who anticipate a heavy presence of black in their meta.

When considering the broader environment and card synergy, Farrel’s Zealot offers a unique balance. Its ability to disrupt an opponent’s hand when it inflicts damage sets it apart from many in its class. Players looking for defensive capabilities along with subtle offensive hand control will find Farrel’s Zealot to be a compelling addition to their white decks.

Cards similar to Farrel's Zealot by color, type and mana cost

Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Farrel’s Zealot enables a unique twist on traditional card advantage. When it successfully deals combat damage to a player, you can sacrifice it to exile the top card of your opponent’s library, then play that card this turn. This presents an opportunity not only to remove a potentially valuable card from your opponent’s resources but also to utilize it for your own strategy, effectively disrupting your opponent while bolstering your own options.

Resource Acceleration: The ability to play an exiled card without paying its mana cost can equate to significant resource acceleration. In essence, Farrel’s Zealot can put you ahead of the curve by allowing you to deploy additional spells without tapping into your own lands or mana sources. This can lead to a substantial tempo boost, especially if the exiled card is of high value or if it’s a land that you can then use to generate mana.

Instant Speed: While Farrel’s Zealot itself does not operate at instant speed, its ability to capitalize on the card exiled on combat hit can potentially be used with instant-speed spells depending on the drawn card. This variability in potential plays makes your strategy less predictable and more adaptable to the changing pace of the game, potentially providing a surprise factor and flexibility during crucial turns.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Farrel’s Zealot necessitates discarding another card upon activation. This can be a steep price to pay, especially when your hand is already running low on options.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s activation is bound by white mana, which restricts its inclusion to certain deck archetypes, potentially limiting its versatility across the broader MTG landscape.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost that is on the higher side for its effects, players might find that other cards could execute similar functions at a lower expense, providing better value and efficiency in a game.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Farrel’s Zealot is a flexible card that can easily find its place in decks that thrive on aggressive strategies. With its ability to operate as both an attacker and a useful blocker, it supports various gameplay approaches.

Combo Potential: This creature pairs well with cards that benefit from sacrifice effects or death triggers, offering savvy players the chance to craft powerful synergies and unexpected combos within their decks.

Meta-Relevance: Given its potential to disrupt creature-based strategies by forcing opponents to deal with an immediate threat, Farrel’s Zealot can be an effective tool in shifting the immediate board state, particularly in a meta with creature-dependent decks.

How to Beat Farrel’s Zealot

Strategizing against Farrel’s Zealot in your MTG engagements hinges on understanding its strengths and limitations. As a card known for its potential to create swift advantage through life loss, keeping a tactic in place to mitigate this effect is essential. Players can outmaneuver Farrel’s Zealot by employing removal spells promptly before their opponents can capitalize on the life-draining ability. Quick removal spells like Murder or Fatal Push can be particularly effective against it.

Another approach is to utilize counterspells, preventing Farrel’s Zealot from entering the battlefield in the first place. A card like Counterspell or Mana Leak can be critical in stopping your opponent’s plans. Additionally, cards that gain you life can offset the life loss Farrel’s Zealot elicits. Creatures with lifelink or spells like Rest for the Weary can provide the necessary cushion to your life total, maintaining a balance against its aggressive tactics.

Ultimately, such awareness and preparation can make the difference in a tightly contested game, keeping Farrel’s Zealot from tilting the scales in your opponent’s favor, and potentially securing your victory.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Farrel's Zealot MTG card by a specific set like Fallen Empires and Fallen Empires, 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 Farrel's Zealot and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Farrel's Zealot Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1994-11-01 and 2008-09-22. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1994-11-01	Fallen Empires	FEM	3a	1993	Normal	Black	Melissa A. Benson
2	1994-11-01	Fallen Empires	FEM	3b	1993	Normal	Black	Richard Kane Ferguson
3	1994-11-01	Fallen Empires	FEM	3c	1993	Normal	Black	Edward P. Beard, Jr.
4	2008-09-22	Masters Edition II	ME2	14	1997	Normal	Black	Richard Kane Ferguson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Farrel's Zealot has restrictions

Format	Legality
Oldschool	Legal
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Farrel's Zealot card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2004-10-04	In a multiplayer game, the target creature does not need to be one of the ones controlled by the player you actually attacked.
2008-10-01	If there are no other creatures on the battlefield, Farrel’s Zealot will have to target itself. Of course, you can choose not to use the ability when it resolves.
2008-10-01	This ability resolves during the declare blockers step. If the damage dealt this way is enough to destroy an attacking or blocking creature, that other creature won’t be around to deal its combat damage.
2013-04-15	An ability that triggers when something “attacks and isn’t blocked” triggers in the declare blockers step after blockers are declared if (1) that creature is attacking and (2) no creatures are declared to block it. It will trigger even if that creature was put onto the battlefield attacking rather than having been declared as an attacker in the declare attackers step.