Baton of Courage MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Artifact
Abilities	Sunburst, Flash
Released	2004-06-04
Set symbol
Set name	Fifth Dawn
Set code	5DN
Number	105
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Heather Hudson

Key Takeaways

The modularity of Baton of Courage grants flexibility, using one card for various incremental boosts.
Its instant-speed counter distribution offers tactical advantages during critical game moments.
Despite resource demands, the artifact shines in aggressive MTG strategies and combat trickery.

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

You may play Baton of Courage any time you could play an instant. Sunburst (This comes into play with a charge counter on it for each color of mana used to pay its cost.) Remove a charge counter from Baton of Courage: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Baton of Courage may not directly provide card draw, but it offers flexibility and potential multi-use from the modular ability. Every charge counter represents potential value that you can leverage across multiple creatures or a single target, effectively using one card for several incremental advantages.

Resource Acceleration: Though not a direct source of mana, Baton of Courage can be a form of resource acceleration by enhancing your creatures’ capabilities in combat. Faster wins equate to saved resources, making this artifact an asset in aggressive strategies.

Instant Speed: The ability to distribute charge counters at instant speed gives Baton of Courage tactical superiority. You can adapt during combat, strengthen your creatures in response to removal, or surprise an opponent with unanticipated power boosts, making it a versatile tool in any match.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Holding onto Baton of Courage can be a downside during play, as it lacks an immediate impact when drawn and doesn’t contribute to hand efficiency. This might lead you to discard it for other options.

Specific Mana Cost: Baton of Courage requires three mana of any color to be played. While this doesn’t restrict it to a specific color, it does demand a significant amount of resources to be allocated which might hinder your ability to cast other spells in the same turn.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its activation cost that requires sunburst—essentially paying five mana of different colors for a maximized effect—it competes with several other powerful spells within the same mana range which could potentially offer greater immediate benefits.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Baton of Courage can be a fitting addition to various deck archetypes that demand flexibility in combat scenarios. Its Flash ability lets you adapt on the go, potentially shifting the tide during key battles.

Combo Potential: This artifact’s ability to distribute charge counters opens up synergies with cards that benefit from or leverage +1/+1 counters, enhancing your strategic options and enabling powerful interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where combat tricks and incremental advantages dominate, Baton of Courage can be particularly effective. As it can easily slot into decks that aim to outmaneuver opponents through creature buffs, its relevance in certain metagames should not be underestimated.

How to beat

Baton of Courage is a unique artifact in the MTG landscape, bringing versatility to the battlefield with its charge counters mechanic. When facing this card, it’s important to recognize its potential to boost creatures significantly over time. Disabling or removing it promptly can be key to ensuring your opponent doesn’t gain an overwhelming advantage.

Effective strategies against Baton of Courage include direct artifact removal spells such as Naturalize or Shatter. Utilizing bounce spells that return permanents to their owner’s hand can also be disruptive, resetting any built-up counters on the Baton. Additionally, countering it upon its initial cast with spells like Negate can prevent it from ever impacting the game. Timing and awareness of your opponent’s mana availability for activating Baton of Courage are vital, as is maintaining pressure to force them to use resources elsewhere.

Cards that limit the usage of activated abilities, such as Pithing Needle, named specifically for Baton of Courage, can also halt its usage without removing it from the field. Monitoring and managing the battlefield to mitigate Baton’s influence can be the difference between victory or defeat.

Cards like Baton of Courage

Baton of Courage enters the landscape of artifact equipment in MTG with its own distinctive flair. It mirrors the capabilities of equipment like Bonesplitter, which also provides a power boost to creatures. However, unlike Bonesplitter’s static buff, Baton of Courage offers a flexible modus operandi via charge counters, allowing players to tailor the power surge to their tactical needs.

Another parallel can be drawn with Leonin Scimitar, as both are low-cost equipment that enhance creature abilities. While the Scimitar offers a consistent augmentation, Baton of Courage stands out with its potential for a one-time substantial enhancement through the removal of charge counters. This introduces a strategic layer of when to capitalize on the power spike.

It is also reminiscent of Sunforger, though Sunforger caters to a different strategy, allowing for retrieval and free casting of instants from your deck. Baton of Courage’s unique charge counter system, which gives players the opportunity to accumulate and strategically unleash power, differentiates it in a deck that’s built around +1/+1 counter synergies or surprise offensive boosts.

Ultimately, Baton of Courage holds a distinctive position in MTG’s equipment catalog, marked by its versatility to both incrementally and explosively enhance a creature’s capabilities at crucial moments in the game.

Cards similar to Baton of Courage by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Baton of Courage MTG card by a specific set like Fifth Dawn, 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 Baton of Courage and other MTG cards: