Ardent Soldier MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Soldier
Abilities	Kicker, Vigilance
Released	2000-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Invasion
Set code	INV
Power	1
Toughness	2
Number	3
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Paolo Parente

Key Takeaways

Ardent Soldier provides card advantage and late-game power through its kicker ability for enhanced board presence.
The card’s vigilance when kicked accelerates your game control without the need for resource acceleration cards.
Efficient mana use with potential instant-speed advantages makes Ardent Soldier a practical addition to any turn.

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

Kicker (You may pay an additional as you play this spell.) Attacking doesn't cause Ardent Soldier to tap. If you paid the kicker cost, Ardent Soldier comes into play with a +1/+1 counter on it.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ardent Soldier comes with a kicker ability that can offer an edge in the late game. Kicking the soldier into action means you’ll have a larger creature on the battlefield, essentially getting two card’s worth of value from a single card—perfect for beefing up your board presence.

Resource Acceleration: Although this stalwart doesn’t directly contribute to accelerating resources in the form of mana, its low casting cost makes it an efficient addition to the battlefield. Given its Vigilance ability when kicked, it allows you to maintain a solid defense while still advancing your board, effectively accelerating your ability to control the game.

Instant Speed: While Ardent Soldier itself isn’t an instant, its low cost and straightforward ability to pay the kicker as you cast it mean that it can easily be slotted into a turn where you might otherwise pass with mana open. This allows you to maximize the use of your mana each turn, keeping pace with instant-speed plays even during a more sorcery-speed oriented strategy.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Ardent Soldier doesn’t have a discard requirement itself, it can be less advantageous in decks that do require discarding as a mechanic. The necessity to keep cards in hand to benefit from the kicker ability means that any forced discard could leave you unable to leverage that aspect of the card’s potential.

Specific Mana Cost: Ardent Soldier’s mana cost includes white, which means its application is generally limited to decks that run Plains or have mana-fixing capabilities. If your deck doesn’t primarily use white mana or you’re facing a mana-screw situation, having Ardent Soldier in your hand could be less than ideal.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The kicker cost of Ardent Soldier, which enables it to come into play with a +1/+1 counter, necessitates one additional white mana. This makes its overall cost relatively high for what it delivers. In some instances, there may be alternative creatures that offer more presence on the battlefield or additional abilities at a lower or equal cost.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Ardent Soldier offers flexibility for a variety of white-based decks given its kicker ability, allowing it to be played as an early blocker or a stronger mid-game creature.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize well with strategies that reward players for casting creatures with kicker costs, enabling multifaceted combo plays, especially in limited formats.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where early board presence can be crucial, Ardent Soldier can adapt to the current metagame by fulfilling the role of either an early game defense or a more substantial mid-game threat.

How to beat

The Ardent Soldier shines as an example of flexible creature cards in Magic: The Gathering, featuring the kicker ability which allows it to enter the battlefield as a stronger force than its base stats suggest. Against such adaptable foes, having removal spells in your deck becomes crucial. Consider incorporating efficient removal like Path to Exile or Fatal Push, which can dispatch the Soldier before the kicker effect becomes a threat.

Additionally, countering the Soldier during casting with spells like Mana Leak or Counterspell ensures that the proactive investment of the kicker cost is wasted, setting the tempo in your favor. Board wipes such as Wrath of God or Day of Judgment are equally effective, clearing the field of all creatures, kicker-enhanced or not, to reset the board state in your favor.

Understanding and anticipating the versatility of kicker cards like the Ardent Soldier allows you to craft a strategy that keeps your opponent on the defensive, ensuring that their investments into becoming a battlefield threat are neutralized with timely removal and counterplay.

Understanding Ardent Soldier’s Role in MTG

In the rich tapestry of MTG creatures, Ardent Soldier carves a niche within the cohort of low-mana defensive cards. This creature card brings a stalwart defender to the battlefield, akin to other two-mana creatures but with a unique ability known as kicker. Ardent Soldier allows players to invest an additional two mana when casting it, resulting in a formidable 2/3 blocker that can outclass many early aggressive plays.

Cards like Ardent Soldier

Ardent Soldier can be compared to the likes of Benalish Hero, which shares the same mana cost without the option to scale its abilities via kicker. Although lacking the kicker, Benalish Hero offers banding, another powerful defensive mechanism. Then there is the Knight of Cliffhaven, which also presents an incremental growth opportunity through its level up ability, allowing it to eventually become stronger than Ardent Soldier.

Steadfast Guard, another card in the realm of MTG defensive options, presents the same 2/2 stats without the flexibility provided by the kicker feature. However, it compensates with its native vigilance, maintaining its readiness to attack or defend each turn.

In evaluating these cards, Ardent Soldier demonstrates a strong blend of immediate impact and potential for growth, positioning it as a versatile choice for those building decks with a defensive lean in MTG.

Knight of Cliffhaven - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Ardent Soldier by color, type and mana cost

Voice of the Blessed - MTG Card versions

Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ardent Soldier MTG card by a specific set like Invasion, 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 Ardent Soldier and other MTG cards: