Hardened-Scale Armor MTG Card

Enhances creature durability, increasing board presence and enabling sustained combat and card advantage. Instant speed play adds a layer of tactical flexibility and surprise in creature combat scenarios. Demands a fine balance between boosting power and managing resources due to discard and mana cost.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +3/+3.

A pangolin's scales are resistant to all sorts of damage and weaponry. Desire for them threatens to drive the pangolin to extinction.

Cards like Hardened-Scale Armor

Hardened-Scale Armor serves as a unique enchantment card for players looking to bulk up their creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Its resemblance to cards such as “Rancor” is notable, as both are enchantments that increase a creature’s power. Where Hardened-Scale Armor offers a single, fixed boost, Rancor grants a smaller, but recurring bonus, as it returns to a player’s hand when the enchanted creature dies.

Then, there’s “Unflinching Courage,” which not only gives creatures a power uptick but also lifelink and trample, providing additional combat strategies. However, while offering more versatility, its mana cost is higher than Hardened-Scale Armor’s. “Aspect of Hydra” differs as it provides a power boost that scales with the devotion to green, which can surpass Hardened-Scale Armor’s fixed enhancement in monogreen decks but lacks the permanence of an enchantment.

Altogether, Hardened-Scale Armor remains a straightforward and cost-effective way to fortify your creatures. It may not have the adaptability of other auras, but its solid and predictable effect makes it a reliable option for players looking to increase their creatures’ resilience on the battlefield.

Rancor - MTG Card versions
Unflinching Courage - MTG Card versions
Aspect of Hydra - MTG Card versions
Rancor - MTG Card versions
Unflinching Courage - MTG Card versions
Aspect of Hydra - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Hardened-Scale Armor bolsters your board presence by enhancing a creature’s toughness, providing increased durability and potential for card advantage over your opponents. This can translate into drawing into more opportunities as your fortified creature survives longer encounters.

Resource Acceleration: By providing a consistent buff without the need for an additional mana investment each turn, Hardened-Scale Armor can be seen as a form of resource acceleration. It allows you to allocate mana elsewhere, efficiently expanding your plays and strategic options.

Instant Speed: The ability to play Hardened-Scale Armor at instant speed offers flexibility and surprise advantage. You can adapt to the battlefield dynamically, reinforcing creatures in response to threats or before damage is dealt, which can be pivotal during combat and alter the course of the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To harness the full potential of Hardened-Scale Armor, you often need to discard other valuable cards, which can put you in a difficult position if your hand is already scant on options.

Specific Mana Cost: Restrictive mana requirements mean this card demands a specific energy investment, potentially clashing with the mana curve of your deck and limiting the diversity of strategies you can employ.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While enhancing a creature’s resilience, the mana you invest in Hardened-Scale Armor might be disproportionate to the protection it offers, especially when you need to respond to quicker, less resource-intensive threats on the battlefield.

Reasons to Include Hardened-Scale Armor in Your Collection

Versatility: Hardened-Scale Armor is a card that can enhance a wide array of deck types, particularly those that rely on +1/+1 counters. It excels in decks built around modular creatures or proliferate mechanics, easily integrating into the strategies that benefit from increased counter distribution.

Combo Potential: This card opens up the field for synergies and combos with any creature that comes into play bearing counters. When paired with cards such as Walking Ballista or Winding Constrictor, it amplifies their abilities, turning any creature into a potential game-changer.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the current competitive environment often sees creature-based strategies, having Hardened-Scale Armor can tip the scales in your favor by making your creatures more resilient and powerful against removal and in combat. It aligns with a proactive game plan and adapts well against various meta shifts.

How to beat

Hardened-Scale Armor presents itself as a formidable enchantment within the trading card game universe of Magic: The Gathering. Offering a sturdy boost to creatures, it can quickly turn a modest creature into a dominating force on the battlefield. Unlike other auras, Hardened-Scale Armor gives a creature a permanent buff for each counter placed upon it, potentially building a threat that can spiral out of control if left unchecked.

When facing such a strategy, it’s crucial to adjust your game plan. Efficient removal spells are key in keeping armored creatures in check. Direct destruction or exile effects which bypass the increased toughness can be a lifesaver. Cards like Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile provide answers regardless of how large the creature grows. Additionally, keeping enchantment removal like Disenchant or Naturalize in your sideboard can dismantle the synergy before it overwhelms you.

Employing board wipes that reset the field, like Wrath of God or Damnation, can also serve as a reset button on the growing might of the Hardened-Scale Armored creature. Always be prepared to respond to such permanent enhancements swiftly, as the longer they are in play, the harder it will be to claw back control of the game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hardened-Scale Armor MTG card by a specific set like Treasure Chest and Global Series Jiang Yanggu & Mu Yanling, 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 Hardened-Scale Armor and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Hardened-Scale Armor Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-11-16 and 2018-06-22. Illustrated by Tan Yan Yao.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-11-16Treasure ChestPZ2 707872015NormalBlackTan Yan Yao
22018-06-22Global Series Jiang Yanggu & Mu YanlingGS1 322015NormalBlackTan Yan Yao

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hardened-Scale Armor has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal