Ollenbock Escort MTG Card
Key Takeaways
- Ollenbock Escort offers card advantage by aiding board presence without extra resource cost.
- Its instant speed reaction can swing the battlefield dynamics in your favor.
- However, the discard requirement and specific mana cost may limit its utility.
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 Sacrifice Ollenbock Escort: Target creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it gains lifelink and indestructible until end of turn.
"Stay in the light. I don't know what lurks in those shadows, and I'd like to keep it that way."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Ollenbock Escort stands out when considering card advantage as it provides opportunities to enhance your battlefield presence without sacrificing additional resources.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting your mana pool, the Escort’s ability to protect key creatures can indirectly result in a form of resource acceleration by maintaining your board’s state against potential threats.
Instant Speed: The adaptability of Ollenbock Escort can be attributed to its instant speed, enabling you to react swiftly to changing circumstances on the battlefield, making it a versatile choice in response to opponents’ actions.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: For players using Ollenbock Escort, the necessity to discard a card can pose an obstacle, particularly when hand resources are already stretched thin. This potentially puts the player at a disadvantage, as valuable cards may have to be sacrificed to fulfill this condition.
Specific Mana Cost: Ollenbock Escort commands a distinct mana cost that includes white, which may not seamlessly fit into the mana base of multicolored or off-theme decks, thereby restricting its versatility across various deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When you assess the utility of Ollenbock Escort against its mana investment, it may emerge that the cost is on the higher side. This becomes evident especially when considering other cards within the same cost bracket that could potentially offer a stronger board presence or more immediate impact on the game.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Ollenbock Escort’s ability to grant protection to a key creature in your lineup is valuable in a variety of decks. With its low casting cost, it slides easily into Green-White aggro or midrange strategies looking to safeguard their threats.
Combo Potential: This card partners well with abilities that require the targeting of creatures, offering a safeguard against removal spells. Its synergy with Heroic or similar mechanics makes it a smart choice for those running spell-heavy green-white decks.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where spot removal is prevalent, Ollenbock Escort’s potential to save a pivotal creature can be game-changing, thus making it a potent addition to your arsenal in a reactive and versatile meta.
How to beat
Ollenbock Escort is a card that can provide its controller with substantial advantages in creature matchups within the Magic: The Gathering landscape, primarily due to its ability to protect other creatures. It functions similarly to spells like Gods Willing or Alseid of Life’s Bounty in that it can grant indestructible status to a creature in play, potentially frustrating an opponent’s plans to remove a key piece on your board.
To counter this escort’s protective measures, the focus should be on negating its ability through seamless timing and strategic gameplay. Instant speed removal or the use of spells and abilities that cause players to sacrifice creatures can circumvent Ollenbock Escort’s ability to buffer against destruction effects since they do not target the creature directly. Employing removal spells such as Fatal Push or board wipes like Damnation when Ollenbock Escort’s ability is not available—either because of tapped-out mana or when it’s not on the battlefield—is essential in dismantling its defense.
Recognizing the right moment and effectively managing card interactions is crucial when facing the task of beating Ollenbock Escort, ensuring a strategic edge in the game of wits that is Magic: The Gathering.
Cards like Ollenbock Escort
Ollenbock Escort is a humble yet versatile creature that serves multiple roles in Magic: The Gathering decks. Much like other cards such as Alseid of Life’s Bounty, it provides both a creature body and a way to protect valuable creatures from various spells or abilities. Alseid of Life’s Bounty, however, offers protection for any permanent at the cost of sacrificing it and also grants a lifelink ability.
Selfless Savior is another card with similar functionality, ready to sacrifice itself to shield another creature from harm. Though it lacks Ollenbock Escort’s ability to protect from abilities, its unconditional protection from a destructive spell can be pivotal in many matches. Additionally, Dauntless Bodyguard emerges as a noteworthy mention, entering the battlefield as a creature that can later be sacrificed to protect a chosen creature from a would-be lethal incident.
When analyzing Ollenbock Escort, its place in a MTG player’s deck is notable for its flexibility to safeguard companions from not only spells but targeted abilities as well, lending a strategic edge in numerous gameplay scenarios. While similar cards offer pieces of the functionality, the Escort’s all-encompassing shield makes it a valued guard in the right deck composition.
Cards similar to Ollenbock Escort by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ollenbock Escort MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Crimson Vow and Innistrad: Double Feature, 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 Ollenbock Escort 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
Printings
The Ollenbock Escort Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-11-19 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Eric Wilkerson.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-11-19 | Innistrad: Crimson Vow | VOW | 27 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Eric Wilkerson | |
| 2 | 2022-01-28 | Innistrad: Double Feature | DBL | 294 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Eric Wilkerson |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ollenbock Escort has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ollenbock Escort card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-11-19 | The creature having a +1/+1 counter on it is part of the targeting requirement of Ollenbock Escort's ability. After the ability has resolved, the creature won't lose lifelink or indestructible if the counter goes away. |
