Eternal Warrior MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant

Key Takeaways

  1. Eternal Warrior enhances creatures, allowing them to attack and block efficiently, maximizing battlefield presence.
  2. It offers resource management benefits, reducing the need for additional blocking creatures.
  3. Acting at instant speed, it enables unexpected defensive plays, making it a versatile card.
Vigilance card art

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

Attacking does not tap target creature.

Warriors of the Tsunami-nito School spend years in training to master the way of effortless effort.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Eternal Warrior can be a key part in strategies that focus on keeping important creatures on the board. Granting vigilance to a creature allows it to attack without tapping, which in turn means it’s still available to block during your opponent’s turn. This dual utility can lead to maintaining presence on the battlefield, effectively getting more value out of your creatures each turn.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly increasing your mana pool, the ability to have your creatures remain untapped means you maintain a better defensive position. This in turn may reduce the need to spend mana on additional creatures for blocking, effectively freeing up resources for other spells and plays, accelerating your overall game plan.

Instant Speed: The power of granting vigilance at instant speed should not be underestimated. Eternal Warrior allows for surprise defensive maneuvers, keeping your opponent guessing and potentially altering their attack strategy. This reactive potential adds a layer of complexity and advantage to your gameplay, enabling you to adapt swiftly to the ever-changing landscape of a match.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Eternal Warrior’s gameplay requires the player to discard a card, potentially depleting valuable hand resources which could be critical in the late game or in moments where every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: With a red mana cost, Eternal Warrior finds itself constrained to red-centric or multi-colored decks, limiting its versatility in mono-colored decks of other hues or strategies that do not heavily feature red.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a card that offers a specific type of combat advantage, the mana investment for Eternal Warrior might be considered steep. This could detract from its playability when compared with other cards at lower mana points that offer similar or broader enhancements to creatures.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Eternal Warrior offers flexibility in a variety of deck types, granting creatures you control much-needed vigilance. This can be especially pivotal in decks that capitalize on attacking without leaving you defenseless.

Combo Potential: Alongside cards that trigger on attacking or tapping, Eternal Warrior can help create effective and unexpected synergies, fueling intricate combo lines or enabling constant on-board pressure.

Meta-Relevance: In today’s ever-shifting meta, the ability to keep attacking while guarding against threats is a considerable advantage. Eternal Warrior can fit into aggressive strategies that aim to maintain board presence against control or tempo decks.


How to beat

Eternal Warrior is a classic card that brings a distinct dynamic to the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This red enchantment gives a creature the ability to stay untapped, maintaining a defensive posture even after an aggressive turn. Tackling a card like Eternal Warrior can be challenging due to its enhancement of combat strategy, but there are effective methods to neutralize its advantage.

One strategy is to employ removal spells or abilities that can bypass the untap feature. Cards like Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile can exile creatures outright, rendering the Eternal Warrior’s effect moot. Targeted removal ensures that no matter the creature’s vigor, it won’t be a recurring threat. Another approach is to use board wipes like Wrath of God to reset the playing field, stripping away the benefits provided by the enchantment.

Alternatively, taking control of the game’s pace with cards that can tap or immobilize creatures can also undermine Eternal Warrior. This reasserts control and prevents your opponent from exploiting both attack and defense phases. By using these tactics thoughtfully, players can efficiently handle the resilience posed by Eternal Warrior and continue to strategically command their own presence on the MTG battlefield.


Cards like Eternal Warrior

Eternal Warrior occupies a unique space in Magic: The Gathering as an enchantment that grants creatures vigilance. A parallel can be drawn to cards like Brave the Sands, which not only confers vigilance but also allows creatures to block an additional attacker. While Brave the Sands offers broader defensive capabilities, Eternal Warrior provides targeted vigilance to a singular creature, which can be particularly valuable in a deck focused on a key attacker.

Considering Always Watching, another card in the vigilance-granting arena, the contrast is sharp. Always Watching buffs all non-token creatures with vigilance, plus an additional power and toughness boost. However, Eternal Warrior’s single-target effect comes at a lower cost, making it a more accessible option in early gameplay.

In terms of evaluating which card to include in your deck, the specific strategy and creature focus could lead you to lean towards the singular enhancement of Eternal Warrior. Its simplicity and cost-effectiveness make it a reasonable choice for decks that hinge on a pivotal creature leading the battlefield charge.

Brave the Sands - MTG Card versions
Always Watching - MTG Card versions
Brave the Sands - Khans of Tarkir (KTK)
Always Watching - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)

Cards similar to Eternal Warrior by color, type and mana cost

Earthbind - MTG Card versions
Firebreathing - MTG Card versions
Burrowing - MTG Card versions
Storm World - MTG Card versions
Immolation - MTG Card versions
Imposing Visage - MTG Card versions
Ironclaw Curse - MTG Card versions
Veteran's Voice - MTG Card versions
Mob Mentality - MTG Card versions
Crown of Flames - MTG Card versions
Tahngarth's Rage - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Blade - MTG Card versions
Reflexes - MTG Card versions
Mark of Fury - MTG Card versions
Seal of Fire - MTG Card versions
Laccolith Rig - MTG Card versions
Brutal Suppression - MTG Card versions
Need for Speed - MTG Card versions
Crackling Club - MTG Card versions
Mass Hysteria - MTG Card versions
Earthbind - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Firebreathing - Magic 2012 (M12)
Burrowing - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Storm World - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Immolation - Innistrad: Midnight Hunt (MID)
Imposing Visage - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Ironclaw Curse - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Veteran's Voice - Alliances (ALL)
Mob Mentality - Visions (VIS)
Crown of Flames - Invasion (INV)
Tahngarth's Rage - Tempest (TMP)
Flowstone Blade - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Reflexes - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Mark of Fury - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Seal of Fire - Duel Decks Anthology: Jace vs. Chandra (JVC)
Laccolith Rig - Nemesis (NEM)
Brutal Suppression - Prophecy (PCY)
Need for Speed - Odyssey (ODY)
Crackling Club - Torment (TOR)
Mass Hysteria - The List (PLST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Eternal Warrior MTG card by a specific set like Legends and Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border, 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 Eternal Warrior and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Eternal Warrior Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 1994-06-01 and 1997-03-24. Illustrated by Anson Maddocks.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11994-06-01LegendsLEG 1441993normalblackAnson Maddocks
21995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 1901993normalblackAnson Maddocks
31995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 1901993normalwhiteAnson Maddocks
41995-08-01RenaissanceREN 841993normalblackAnson Maddocks
51997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 2251997normalwhiteAnson Maddocks

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Eternal Warrior has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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