Icewind Stalwart MTG Card
2022-06-10 - Number 27
2022-07-07 - Number 93
Key Takeaways
- Increases hand size by drawing cards, vital for maintaining control in matches.
- Mana acceleration from Icewind Stalwart enables faster, more powerful spells.
- Instant speed play allows for responsive and flexible strategies in-game.
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Icewind Stalwart. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Bant Midrange | Gladiator | Sword and Sandals Showdown: AM Week 06 2024 |
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Icewind Stalwart MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate and Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate, 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 Icewind Stalwart and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Text of card
Protection Fighting Style — When Icewind Stalwart enters the battlefield, exile up to one target non-Warrior creature you control, then return it to the battlefield under its owner's control.
"Get behind my shield!"
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Icewind Stalwart excels in enabling players to keep their hands filled by drawing extra cards. This card’s ability to provide incremental card advantage can be pivotal in outmaneuvering opponents over the course of a match.
Resource Acceleration: The card works to speed up your game plan by ramping up your mana resources. This can lead to casting more impactful spells sooner than your opponents, which is a crucial aspect of controlling the game’s pace.
Instant Speed: The flexibility of Icewind Stalwart playing at instant speed offers the strategic advantage of reactive play. This allows savvy players to adapt to unfolding game states, using their resources efficiently while keeping their opponents guessing.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Icewind Stalwart’s ability can necessitate discarding a card, potentially draining your hand when you need options.
Specific Mana Cost: Icewind Stalwart requires a precise combination of mana, which may not align with diverse or multi-color deck strategies, hindering deck flexibility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its abilities, there are alternatives that may perform similar functions at a lower mana cost, enabling quicker plays and resource management.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Icewind Stalwart offers an adaptable presence on the battlefield, easily fitting into decks that capitalize on both defensive and aggressive strategies. Its potential to hold the line or turn the tide in skirmishes makes it a worthy inclusion.
Combo Potential: This card can work seamlessly alongside strategies that benefit from vigilant creatures or those that look to exploit tap and untap mechanics, unlocking new avenues for synergy within your deck’s composition.
Meta-Relevance: Given that the current competitive landscape may lean towards fast-paced matchups, Icewind Stalwart stands up as a reliable defender, safeguarding your life total while ensuring board presence against a wide array of threats.
How to beat
Understanding the nuances of combat-oriented cards is crucial in Magic: The Gathering, and Icewind Stalwart is no exception. This frosty fighter can become an annoyance if it’s left unchecked on the battlefield. The key to disarming this chill threat lies in preemptive actions and strategic plays. Utilize removal spells that can dispatch it before its abilities trigger, thereby nullifying its power-boosting potential. Furthermore, evasion tactics like flying or unblockable creatures can soar over its defenses, making the Stalwart’s combat capabilities obsolete.
Entrancing cards, such as pacifism effects, can be an asset to inhibit Icewind Stalwart from capitalizing on its strengths. In a broader sense, continuous board control through sweepers or spot removal ensures the Stalwart’s stay on the battlefield is bitterly short. By remaining one step ahead, you can ensure that this icy adversary doesn’t get the opportunity to snowball into an insurmountable threat to your victory.
When deckbuilding or in the heat of the match, it’s imperative to consider such options to maintain the upper hand. Anticipate your opponent’s moves, and don’t let Icewind Stalwart’s presence leave you in the cold.
Cards like Icewind Stalwart
Icewind Stalwart enters the battlefield as a reliable creature in the frosty realms of Magic: The Gathering. Its kinship with other vigilant knights like Dauntless Onslaught is clear – they both share the vigilant attribute, allowing them to attack without tapping. However, Icewind Stalwart boasts an additional layer of versatility with its ability to gain first strike until end of turn when another creature with power 4 or higher enters under your control.
Considering White’s iconic combat-focused creatures, comparisons can be drawn to the likes of anointed Knight of Meadowgrain. While Meadowgrain offers lifelink and a modest power/toughness ratio comparable to Icewind Stalwart, it lacks the situational advantage that Icewind brings with its synergistic trigger. Then there’s Ballynock Cohort, which increases in strength as you control more white creatures, providing a consistent board presence instead of Icewind’s conditional power boost.
Ultimately, Icewind Stalwart holds its ground as a tactical play in MTG decks that favour combat readiness and strategic creature synergies, enriching the arsenal of white creature options with a blend of vigilance and on-the-fly first strike activation.
Cards similar to Icewind Stalwart by color, type and mana cost
Printings
The Icewind Stalwart Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2022-06-10 and 2022-07-07. Illustrated by Marcela Medeiros.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2022-06-10 | Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate | CLB | 27 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Marcela Medeiros | |
| 2 | 2022-07-07 | Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate | HBG | 93 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Marcela Medeiros |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Icewind Stalwart has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Icewind Stalwart card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2022-06-10 | If a token is exiled this way, it will cease to exist and won't return to the battlefield. |
| 2022-06-10 | When the card returns to the battlefield, it will be a new object with no connection to the card that was exiled. Auras attached to the exiled creature will be put into their owners' graveyards. Any Equipment will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled creature will cease to exist. |