Ajani's Presence MTG Card


Ajani's Presence - Journey into Nyx
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeInstant
Abilities Strive
Released2014-05-02
Set symbol
Set nameJourney into Nyx
Set codeJOU
Number2
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byRaymond Swanland

Key Takeaways

  1. Ajani’s Presence offers instant speed flexibility to protect key creatures when it’s most crucial.
  2. Its Strive ability can turn the tide in combat by empowering multiple creatures at once.
  3. The spell’s requirement for white mana might limit its use in multicolored decks.

Text of card

Strive — Ajani's Presence costs more to cast for each target beyond the first. Any number of target creatures each get +1/+1 and gain indestructible until end of turn. (Damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy them.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ajani’s Presence can be a surprise element in combat or against removal, safeguarding your key creatures. By using its Strive ability, you can effectively support multiple creatures at once, increasing the value you get from just one card.

Resource Acceleration: Although this spell doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, it does help maintain your battlefield presence by potentially saving your creatures from being destroyed. This can indirectly lead to resource acceleration by preserving your crucial mana accelerators or creatures with valuable tap abilities.

Instant Speed: The capability to cast Ajani’s Presence at instant speed offers flexibility during gameplay. You can adapt to the unfolding game and protect your creatures exactly when it matters most, which could be during your opponent’s turn or in response to a surprising threat.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Ajani’s Presence demands white mana, which makes it a potentially awkward fit in multicolored decks that already face a tight mana base. This can lead to situations where the card is in your hand, but without the necessary mana to cast it, it becomes effectively useless, hindering your overall strategy.

Discard Requirement: While this card doesn’t demand a discard outright, its strive mechanic can become a liability. As you pay more to target additional creatures, you’re investing multiple cards’ worth of mana into a single effect. This can deplete your resources quickly, especially if the countered spell or battlefield situation was not as critical as you anticipated.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Considering its base effect of providing a slight toughness boost and indestructible until end of turn, the cost of Ajani’s Presence can be seen as steep when compared to other protection options. Some spells provide similar or better effects at a lower mana investment, which is a factor that may limit the inclusion of Ajani’s Presence in competitive play.


Reasons to Include Ajani’s Presence in Your Collection

Versatility: Ajani’s Presence is a card that can be seamlessly incorporated into various deck constructs. Its ability to grant an instant boost in power as well as indestructibility makes it a highly adaptable spell for both aggressive and defensive strategies.

Combo Potential: This card can act as a key piece in combo setups, particularly in decks that capitalize on heroic abilities or those that aim to protect essential creatures from removal. Its strive mechanic allows you to amplify multiple creatures at once, creating opportunities for game-changing plays.

Meta-Relevance: As the MTG landscape continuously evolves, having a tool like Ajani’s Presence can be critical in metas where combat tricks and creature-based strategies predominate. Its instant speed and cost efficiency ensure that it retains relevance in various competitive settings.


How to beat

Ajani’s Presence is one of those intriguing combat tricks that can surprise opponents in Magic: The Gathering. This instant spell not only grants a creature a +1/+1 boost but also Indestructible until the end of turn—a key feature that can be a game-changer in combat or in response to removal. To successfully tackle a card like Ajani’s Presence, it’s essential to anticipate the trick and play around it. This can mean choosing not to over-commit your creatures into a losing battle and being mindful of open mana your opponent might have. Moreover, countering Ajani’s Presence with a spell like Negate or employing board wipes that don’t destroy—such as “Exile all creatures”—can effectively circumvent the protection it offers.

Another strategy is to shift the battle from creature combat to other win conditions, thus rendering Ajani’s Presence less impactful. Cards that manage opponents’ mana or their ability to cast multiple spells effectively can limit the chances they’ll have the resources to use Ajani’s Presence to its full advantage. Overall, defeating Ajani’s Presence comes down to smart play, strategic timing, and a well-constructed deck that doesn’t rely solely on creature combat to win.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the dynamics of MTG is an exciting journey, with each card offering new avenues for victory. Ajani’s Presence illustrates this beautifully, blending defense and surprise to turn the tides in your favor. Appreciate its strategic depth, understand its place in different metas, and ponder its combo potential in your decks. Are you ready to refine your strategy and gain the edge in your next duel? Dive deeper into the world of MTG with us. Discover how Ajani’s Presence and cards like it can add a compelling layer to your gameplay and help cement your legacy as a formidable player.


Cards like Ajani's Presence

Ajani’s Presence is an instant spell that stands out in the world of combat tricks within Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with cards such as Gods Willing, which also offers protection to a single creature along with scry 1. Ajani’s Presence differentiates itself by introducing the ability to target multiple creatures by utilizing the Strive mechanic, giving it the potential to change the tide during wider combat scenarios.

Another card worth mentioning is Feat of Resistance which, much like Ajani’s Presence, provides a +1/+1 counter and protection from the color of your choice. Although Feat of Resistance does not possess the Strive mechanic, it offers a permanent boost in addition to protection, which can be pivotal for long-term strategies. Lastly, a card like Brave the Elements is a strong contender too. It offers protection, but unlike Ajani’s Presence, it is applicable to all creatures you control of a certain color, making it highly effective for mono-colored decks.

In essence, Ajani’s Presence can be a game-changer in combat-focused decks, offering both flexibility and the distinct advantage of targeting multiple creatures. Its place in Magic: The Gathering is well-established among spells that simultaneously protect and empower player’s armies on the battlefield.

Gods Willing - MTG Card versions
Feat of Resistance - MTG Card versions
Brave the Elements - MTG Card versions
Gods Willing - MTG Card versions
Feat of Resistance - MTG Card versions
Brave the Elements - MTG Card versions

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Blaze of Glory - MTG Card versions
Healing Salve - MTG Card versions
Swords to Plowshares - MTG Card versions
Purelace - MTG Card versions
Righteousness - MTG Card versions
Indestructible Aura - MTG Card versions
Glyph of Life - MTG Card versions
Warning - MTG Card versions
Heal - MTG Card versions
Anoint - MTG Card versions
Rally the Troops - MTG Card versions
Enlightened Tutor - MTG Card versions
Pollen Remedy - MTG Card versions
Sacred Rites - MTG Card versions
Pay No Heed - MTG Card versions
Path to Exile - MTG Card versions
Piety Charm - MTG Card versions
Hallow - MTG Card versions
Pure Intentions - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ajani's Presence MTG card by a specific set like Journey into Nyx, 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 Ajani's Presence and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ajani's Presence has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ajani's Presence card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2014-04-26 If a spell or ability allows you to cast a strive spell without paying its mana cost, you must pay the additional costs for any targets beyond the first.
2014-04-26 If all of the spell's targets are illegal when the spell tries to resolve, it won't resolve and none of its effects will happen. If one or more of its targets are legal when it tries to resolve, the spell will resolve and affect only those legal targets. It will have no effect on any illegal targets.
2014-04-26 If such a spell is copied, and the effect that copies the spell allows a player to choose new targets for the copy, the number of targets can't be changed. The player may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for one of the targets, the player can't choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal).
2014-04-26 The mana cost and mana value of strive spells don't change no matter how many targets they have. Strive abilities affect only what you pay.
2014-04-26 You choose how many targets each spell with a strive ability has and what those targets are as you cast it. It's legal to cast such a spell with no targets, although this is rarely a good idea. You can't choose the same target more than once for a single strive spell.

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