Launch the Fleet MTG Card
2014-05-02 - Number 15
2022-10-07 - Number 188★
2022-10-07 - Number 188
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Strive |
Key Takeaways
- Generates multiple creature tokens, providing a crucial advantage in battlefield presence.
- Amplifies army size efficiently without demanding extra mana for creatures.
- Strategically shapes gameplay like an instant, enhancing combat decisions.
Text of card
Strive — Launch the Fleet costs more to cast for each target beyond the first. Until end of turn, any number of target creatures each gain "Whenever this creature attacks, put a 1/1 white Soldier creature token onto the battlefield tapped and attacking."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Launch the Fleet stands out as a strategic card because of its potential to muster a significant number of creature tokens, which could transform into card advantage. With every creature you tap while casting this spell, you’re effectively adding another potential attacker or blocker that can help maintain or tip the balance in your favor during gameplay.
Resource Acceleration: This card synergizes well with any strategies aimed at resource acceleration. It enables you to swell your army without expending extra mana on additional creatures. The strixhaven mechanic bolsters this by potentially doubling the effect, giving you an even quicker buildup of forces on the battlefield, accelerating the pace at which you can mobilize a sizable force.
Instant Speed: While Launch the Fleet doesn’t operate at instant speed, its sorcery classification allows players to set up their board before combat and plan their moves carefully. The strategic deployment of this card, akin to a well-timed instant, can flip the script during the pivotal combat phase, making it an unexpected game-changer in many match-ups.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Launch the Fleet necessitates a strategic hand management, as one must be prepared to discard other valuable cards to fully utilize its potential. This becomes particularly challenging when the player’s hand is scarce in options, inadvertently forcing difficult decisions that could impact their overall gameplay negatively.
Specific Mana Cost: Requiring white mana to cast, Launch the Fleet has an inflexible mana cost that can complicate deck building. Decks not heavily invested in white may find it difficult to consistently meet this condition, consequently limiting the card’s inclusion to specific archetypes that can accommodate the stringent mana requirement.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Launch the Fleet offers the ability to potentially swarm the board with attackers, its initial mana investment doesn’t align with the low-cost swarm strategies it complements. Therefore, it can be overshadowed by other cards that enable wider board presence or aggressive plays with a lower mana investment.
Reasons to Include Launch the Fleet in Your Collection
Versatility: Launch the Fleet offers a unique way to swam the battlefield with attackers, benefiting a wide range of decks focusing on tokens and aggressive strategies.
Combo Potential: With this card, you amplify the output of prowess triggers or bolster strategies reliant on the number of creatures you control.
Meta-Relevance: In metagames where combat is king, Launch the Fleet shines by efficiently multiplying your offensive forces, enhancing both board presence and aggressive tactics.
How to beat
Launch the Fleet stands out in MTG as an intriguing and powerful card that allows players to create a vast army with just a single spell. It’s a Strive card, which means a player can pay additional mana when casting it to target multiple creatures. Each of those creatures gets an effect that creates a 1/1 white Soldier token with a tap and attacking when the creature attacks. Despite its potential, overcoming this card is about disrupting the synergy and timing.
Key strategies include removing the creatures before they attack, which prevents the token creation. Counterspells can be highly effective as well, by keeping Launch the Fleet from resolving in the first place. Enchantment removal can take care of any buffs or enhancements that might make those tokens more threatening. Additionally, one can also control the pacing by enforcing attacking or blocking restrictions through cards like Propaganda or Ghostly Prison, which makes it costly for your opponent to attack with multiple creatures. Tactics that limit the number of creatures an opponent can attack with each turn can also significantly diminish the impact of Launch the Fleet. Timing and precision in response to this card are essential for maintaining control of the game.
BurnMana Recommendations
If you’re seeking to amplify your MTG clashes with a surge of creature tokens, Launch the Fleet deserves a slot in your deck. This card thrives in creature-rich environments, turning each tapped soldier into an advancing army. Whether you’re tailoring a white-focused deck or looking for synergies with token generation and aggressive plays, consider the strategic value this card could bring to the table. Bear in mind the need for well-planned maneuvers and precise timing to extract its full potential. Enrich your collection and tactics; let Launch the Fleet guide you to victory. Discover more strategies and enhance your gameplay with us.
Cards like Launch the Fleet
Launch the Fleet in Magic: The Gathering stands out in the array of spell cards designed to create a multitude of creature tokens. As a Strive sorcery, Launch the Fleet allows you to pay more mana to target additional creatures, enabling a scenario where a single spell can transform your army into an even larger force by putting a token onto the battlefield for each creature targeted.
In similar territory lies Secure the Wastes, yet another impactful card that operates at instant speed and creates a number of tokens equal to the mana invested. It doesn’t require creatures on the board to be effective, making it a versatile option. Martial Coup, meanwhile, functions not only as a token generator but as a board wipe as well, providing a significant swing in your favor when played correctly. Lastly, we have Conqueror’s Pledge, which can populate the board with a fixed number of tokens and can be kicked for an even greater effect.
Evaluating Launch the Fleet against its counterparts, it becomes clear that it excels in decks abundant with creatures, amplifying an established board presence by capitalizing on sheer numbers. Launch the Fleet shines in aggressive strategies, making it a unique tool in such archetypes.
Cards similar to Launch the Fleet by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Launch the Fleet MTG card by a specific set like Journey into Nyx and Warhammer 40,000 Commander, 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 Launch the Fleet 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 Launch the Fleet Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2014-05-02 and 2022-10-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2014-05-02 | Journey into Nyx | JOU | 15 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Karl Kopinski | |
| 2 | 2022-10-07 | Warhammer 40,000 Commander | 40K | 188★ | 2015 | Normal | Black | Games Workshop | |
| 3 | 2022-10-07 | Warhammer 40,000 Commander | 40K | 188 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Games Workshop |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Launch the Fleet has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Launch the Fleet 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 | Although the tokens are attacking, they were never declared as attacking creatures (for purposes of abilities that trigger whenever a creature attacks, for example). |
| 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. |
| 2014-04-26 | You declare which player or planeswalker each token is attacking as you put it onto the battlefield. It doesn't have to be the same player or planeswalker the original creature is attacking. |
