Companion MTG Card

Type	Card
Released	2020-04-24
Set symbol
Set name	Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
Set code	IKO
Number	13
Frame	2015
Layout	Token
Border	Black
Illustred by	Dan Scott

Key Takeaways

Companions grant an extra card advantage and encourage decks with instant speed interactions.
Strict building rules and color identities can limit deck flexibility and strategy.
Despite higher mana costs, Companions offer versatility and meta-relevance to enhance gameplay.

Text of card

As each game begins, you can place one card with companion here if your starting deck meets its condition. You may cast it once from here.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: A Companion card gives you an extra option from outside the game, effectively granting an additional card at your disposal. This provides a strategic edge, as long as you meet the deckbuilding requirements associated with that Companion.

Resource Acceleration: Some Companions can offer immediate value as you cast them, contributing to your board presence without detracting from your hand resources. This can swiftly tip the scales in your favor by bolstering your in-game assets.

Instant Speed: Although Companions themselves are not instants, their influence incentivizes building a deck that can operate at instant speed. This way, you can efficiently mesh your Companion’s abilities with tactics designed to disrupt opponents during their turns, maintaining both flexibility and pressure.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: A Companion requires you to abide by specific deckbuilding rules, effectively forcing you to discard the ability to include certain cards in your deck, thus limiting flexibility and potentially lowering your chance to have the best card for every situation.

Specific Mana Cost: Each Companion has a particular mana cost and color identity that must be paid to include it in your game from outside of your deck, meaning you’re often required to craft your entire deck around that Companion’s mana colors, impacting the overall deck synergies and strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Companions often come with higher mana costs compared to other creatures with similar effects due to the extra value of being accessible from outside the game. This cost can slow down your gameplay, making you more vulnerable in the early stages of the game while you set up the necessary mana.

Reasons to Include Companion Cards in Your Collection

Versatility: Companion cards offer unique flexibility as they add an additional card to your starting hand when their criteria are met. This can allow for strategic planning and adaptation to various game scenarios.

Combo Potential: These cards are designed to synergize with certain deck archetypes, significantly enhancing combo-oriented play styles. Their specific deck requirements can lead to powerful interactions and a consistent access to a key piece of your strategy.

Meta-Relevance: As the metagame shifts, having a companion can give your deck an edge by ensuring you always have access to an additional option. Companions can adjust and combat evolving strategies, often becoming an essential component in competitive play.

How to beat

Companions in MTG present a unique deckbuilding challenge and strategic gameplay element. To effectively counteract a companion card, it’s paramount to understand its specific requirements and abilities. Since a companion card must adhere to certain conditions to even be included in a player’s deck, this often limits the flexibility and could narrow down the range of strategies they can employ. To gain the upper hand against a companion, it’s wise to engage in disruption tactics.

Use removal spells to address the creature as soon as it enters the battlefield, neutralizing its influence immediately. Spell disruption, such as counter-magic, is also key to preventing a companion from getting onto the board in the first place. Additionally, players should adjust their playstyle and keep in mind the extended range of interactions that the companion mechanic allows. Analyzing opponent plays for their companion prerequisites can give you insights into their potential strategy and help you anticipate their moves.

Overall, while companion cards can offer powerful advantages, players who are equipped with the right strategies, particularly those focused on prevention and disruption, can navigate these waters successfully and maintain control over the game.

Cards like Companion

The idea of a Companion in MTG reshaped deck building strategies by introducing a unique constraint and a guaranteed card access. Lutri, the Spellchaser, is one such Companion that easily reminds players of cards like Dualcaster Mage. Both cards have the potential to copy spells, but Lutri’s Companion ability allows for it to be consistently accessible from outside the game, given that its deckbuilding requirements are met. Unlike Dualcaster Mage, which sits in the deck and needs to be drawn the traditional way.

Delving further, we encounter Garth One-Eye, another spell-imitator. Garth can recreate specific powerful cards directly onto the battlefield, offering repeatable utility. However, again the Companion mechanic affords a player the advantage of always knowing they have access to their chosen Companion, such as Lutri, as opposed to hoping to draw or tutor for a card like Garth.

When considering the value and uniqueness of Companions in MTG, the inherent reliability and the strategic depth they provide to the game certainly distinguish them from other similar cards. Their predetermined restrictions are a fair price for the consistency and in-game tactical edge they offer, ensuring their place in players’ arsenals.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Companion MTG card by a specific set like Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, 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 Companion and other MTG cards: