Benalish Partisan MTG Card

Benalish Partisan - Jumpstart: Historic Horizons

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Human Soldier
Abilities	Cycling,Lifelink
Released	2021-08-26
Set symbol
Set name	Jumpstart: Historic Horizons
Set code	J21
Power	1
Toughness	2
Number	3
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Francisco Miyara

Key Takeaways

Offers card advantage and synergies, crucial for maintaining a strong hand and accelerating resource deployment.
Instant speed actions with Benalish Partisan can provide unexpected advantages and shift game dynamics.
While versatile, it requires specific mana and a higher investment, which may influence deck-building decisions.

Text of card

Lifelink Whenever you cycle another card, you may pay . If you do, return Benalish Partisan from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped and it perpetually gets +1/+0. Cycling

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Benalish Partisan provides a significant edge in keeping your hand filled with options. By generating card advantage through its abilities, it ensures you’re never falling behind in resources during a match.

Resource Acceleration: This card offers potential synergies with other cards that benefit from having soldiers or knights in play, potentially allowing you to accelerate your resources on the battlefield. By quickly building an army, you can outpace your opponent’s defenses and strategies.

Instant Speed: The utility of being able to act at instant speed cannot be understated. Whether it’s summoning creatures on an opponent’s end step to evade sorcery-speed removal or to surprise block an attacking creature, the flexibility given by instant speed plays can turn the tides of a game in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Integrating Benalish Partisan into your game plan can come at the cost of valuable cards in hand. Being required to discard as part of a card’s mechanics might set you back, especially in tight situations where every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: To summon the Benalish Partisan, your deck must provide specific mana alignment, potentially restricting it to mono-color or two-color decks that can consistently generate white mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although the benefits of playing Benalish Partisan can be significant, its mana cost demands a careful consideration of deck strategy. With numerous alternatives available, some players may opt for lower-cost cards that offer similar advantages without such an investment.

Reasons to Include Benalish Partisan in Your Collection

Versatility: The Benalish Partisan stands out with its flexible role in various deck archetypes. Its ability to slot into both aggressive and midrange deck builds makes it a valuable asset for many MTG players looking to adapt to changing gameplay strategies.

Combo Potential: As a creature that benefits from +1/+1 counters, Benalish Partisan can be part of several combos, synergizing well with proliferate mechanics or anything that rewards you for placing counters on your creatures. This opens the door to numerous interactions and creative deck-building possibilities.

Meta-Relevance: In a format where creature-based strategies are common, Benalish Partisan could prove itself as a key player due to its ability to consistently grow stronger and apply pressure. Its relevance in the current meta can make it a powerhouse in games that tend to go longer, giving you the edge in drawn-out battles.

How to beat

The Benalish Partisan serves as a functional piece in many MTG decks, gaining traction with players who value its ability to bolster their ranks. What sets this card apart is its synergy with strategies playing around +1/+1 counters, a common theme in decks that unfold their power gradually. It is vital to note, however, that there are effective strategies to neutralize the Benalish Partisan’s advantages on the battlefield.

One approach to counteracting the card’s impact is employing removal spells that can hurdle over the barrier of indestructibility or hexproof, which are familiar defenses for creatures enhanced with +1/+1 counters. Consider utilizing cards that force opponents to sacrifice creatures, as these do not target and circumvent typical protective spells or abilities. Another effective tactic is to employ board wipes that reset the playing field, thereby mitigating the slow buildup of counter-based creatures like the Benalish Partisan.

In essence, while the Benalish Partisan may offer substantial benefits within counter-centric decks, carefully chosen disruption spells and sweeping removals can be the fulcrum to tip the scales back to an even keel, ensuring that this particular card does not overshadow your path to victory.

Cards like Benalish Partisan

Benalish Partisan carves its niche as a versatile creature in Magic: The Gathering. Known for its bolstering ability in combat, it stands in line with cards like Veteran Swordsmith, who similarly empowers other creatures. Benalish Partisan enhances its comrades with vigilance, an attribute the Swordsmith does not share, providing a defensive advantage while staying aggressive.

Lena, Selfless Champion is another figure of camaraderie within the ranks but takes a more protective stance by offering a sacrifice for the greater good of her army. Unlike Benalish Partisan, Lena’s strength lies in her ability to bring a crowd of tokens at once, although this comes at a higher mana cost and without the consistant combat enhancement.

On balance, when evaluating synergies and potential impact on the battlefield, Benalish Partisan offers a consistent tactical advantage. It may not bring a swarm like Lena or a static power boost like Veteran Swordsmith, but it consistently allows your forces to stay ready and untapped, offering both offensive and defensive strategies.

Lena, Selfless Champion - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Benalish Partisan MTG card by a specific set like Jumpstart: Historic Horizons, 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 Benalish Partisan and other MTG cards: