Topan Freeblade MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Soldier
Abilities Renown, Vigilance
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Topan Freeblade is a pivotal early-game creature due to its cost-efficient vigor and renowned growth mechanic.
  2. Vigilance allows it to remain a defensive stalwart while mounting pressure on opponents each turn.
  3. Despite its strengths, Topan Freeblade’s white mana requirement may limit deck compatibility and versatility.
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

Vigilance (Attacking doesn't cause this creature to tap.) Renown 1 (When this creature deals combat damage to a player, if it isn't renowned, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes renowned.)

"My scars are my sigils. I will wear them with pride long after you're gone."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Topan Freeblade offers a unique benefit as it strengthens each time it participates in combat via its renowned ability. Successfully dealing combat damage to a player lets the card earn a +1/+1 counter, which not only enhances its power and toughness but also contributes to an ever-increasing threat on the battlefield. This can pressure opponents and shift the game in your favor without requiring additional cards.

Resource Acceleration: While Topan Freeblade itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense, its low mana cost allows for a quick deployment on the field. Being a cost-efficient creature, it enables players to utilize their mana effectively in the early game, setting the pace and allowing for a more aggressive strategy. Its vigilance also means it can attack without tapping, conserving resources for defensive maneuvers.

Instant Speed: Although Topan Freeblade is a creature and not an instant, its vigilance trait provides an instant-like advantage by allowing it to attack without tapping, keeping it ready to block or respond to threats during the opponent’s turn. This flexibility gives players the benefit of aggression without sacrificing their defense, mimicking some of the tactical advantages usually associated with playing cards at instant speed.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Topan Freeblade doesn’t directly require a card to be discarded, having a crucial creature card like this often forces players to make tough decisions regarding what to keep and discard when hand size becomes an issue.

Specific Mana Cost: Topan Freeblade’s casting cost includes a white mana, which means it fits predominantly into white or multicolored decks, potentially limiting its versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While its casting cost is not exorbitant, there are lower-cost creatures that can fulfill a similar role in a deck without consuming as much mana, which could be critical in the early game.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Topan Freeblade is a solid addition to any white deck, bringing reliability to both aggressive and defensive strategies. Its Vigilance attribute allows it to attack without tapping, keeping your defense ready.

Combo Potential: This card’s renown ability, which boosts its strength and toughness upon dealing combat damage to a player, synergizes well with equipment and enchantment cards that further enhance its power.

Meta-Relevance: Equipped with both offensive and defensive qualities, Topan Freeblade can hold its ground in a variety of metagames, particularly in formats where creature-based strategies prevail.


How to beat

Topan Freeblade is a versatile creature card in Magic: The Gathering with the prowess to be a challenge on the battlefield. Its combination of vigilance and renown makes it a potential persistent thorn in an opponent’s side. To effectively counter Topan Freeblade, consider utilizing removal spells that can dispatch it before it becomes renowned. Instants like Doom Blade or Path to Exile can tackle the Freeblade on your opponent’s turn, preventing it from accumulating counters.

Another tactic is to block it with a creature that has enough power to destroy it in combat, ideally without suffering lethal damage in return. Focusing on creatures with ‘deathtouch’ can also be an efficient strategy, as they can take down the Freeblade regardless of its power and toughness once it’s renowned. If you’re playing a control deck, counterspells are also effective in keeping Topan Freeblade from hitting the board in the first place. Steering clear of one-on-one combat and using cards that affect multiple creatures could further tilt the odds in your favor against this otherwise impressive card.

In every strategy against Topan Freeblade, timing is essential. Acting swiftly before the creature becomes a bigger threat is key to managing this formidable ally on the battlefield.


Cards like Topan Freeblade

Topan Freeblade is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering, falling within the category of efficient early-game creatures. It bears comparison to cards like Elite Vanguard, which is also a 2/1 creature for a single white mana. However, Topan Freeblade comes with the added benefits of vigilance and renowned, allowing it to grow stronger over time and attack without having to tap, unlike the more straightforward Elite Vanguard.

Another card that it measures against is Ainok Bond-Kin. Both cards thrive in environments that favor combat, with Ainok Bond-Kin providing additional combat utility via its ability to grant first strike to creatures with +1/+1 counters. Although it lacks the self-enhancing ability of renown, it can be potent in a synergistic deck focused on counters. Conversely, Topan Freeblade stands out with its simplicity and ease of augmentation through combat success.

Ultimately, in the world of MTG, Topan Freeblade holds its ground as a solid choice for decks seeking to maintain pressure from the early stages of the game. Its combination of vigilance and the potential for growth through renown gives it a unique edge over its counterparts.

Elite Vanguard - Magic 2010 (M10)
Ainok Bond-Kin - Khans of Tarkir (KTK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Topan Freeblade MTG card by a specific set like Magic Origins and Iconic Masters, 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 Topan Freeblade and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Topan Freeblade Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2015-07-17 and 2019-11-15. Illustrated by Johannes Voss.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12015-07-17Magic OriginsORI 362015normalblackJohannes Voss
22017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 372015normalblackJohannes Voss
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 2632015normalblackJohannes Voss
42019-11-15Game Night 2019GN2 142015normalblackJohannes Voss
52020-09-26The ListPLST ORI-362015normalblackJohannes Voss

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Topan Freeblade has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2015-06-22 If a creature with renown deals combat damage to its controller because that damage was redirected, renown will trigger.
2015-06-22 If a renown ability triggers, but the creature leaves the battlefield before that ability resolves, the creature doesn’t become renowned. Any ability that triggers “whenever a creature becomes renowned” won’t trigger.
2015-06-22 Renown won’t trigger when a creature deals combat damage to a planeswalker or another creature. It also won’t trigger when a creature deals noncombat damage to a player.

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