Keldon Champion MTG Card

Keldon Champion offers immediate battlefield impact with a damaging entrance and potential for quick, aggressive plays. Echo cost adds a layer of tactical depth, creating potential for resource reallocation or secondary damage effects. Its haste attribute allows instant aggression, pressuring opponents without giving them time to set up defenses.

Urza's Destiny (UDS)
1999-06-07 - Number 90

Planechase (HOP)
2009-09-04 - Number 58

Eternal Masters (EMA)
2016-06-10 - Number 135

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Barbarian
Abilities	Echo,Haste
Power	3
Toughness	2

Text of card

Echo; haste (This creature may attack and oc T the turn it comes under your control.) When Keldon Champion comes into play, it deals 3 damage to target player.

Cards like Keldon Champion

Keldon Champion is a powerful creature in MTG, often celebrated for its immediate impact on the battlefield. A comparable card is Ball Lightning, which shares the same haste advantage, allowing for swift attacks. Both cards are designed to deliver a potent burst of damage early on. Yet, Keldon Champion’s echo cost facilitates a second wave of damage potential, contrasting with Ball Lightning’s single-use approach due to its ‘sacrifice at end of turn’ requirement.

Looking into other elements, Lava Hound is a card with a similar mana cost and also packs a formidable punch with haste. However, Keldon Champion’s ability to inflict direct damage to an opponent when it enters the battlefield gives it a unique edge in terms of reach and immediate pressure. Another analogous card is Spark Trooper, which brings lifelink to the table, offering a defensive swing in health—a feature Keldon Champion lacks.

In the landscape of red aggressive creatures, Keldon Champion offers a blend of aggressive pressure and repeatable damage, distinguishing itself within MTG as a card with a balance of raw power and strategic value over singular explosive entries.

Cards similar to Keldon Champion by color, type and mana cost

Krark-Clan Engineers - MTG Card versions

Shimatsu the Bloodcloaked - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Keldon Champion delivers immediate impact upon entering the battlefield by causing direct damage to the opponent, potentially clearing a path through the opponent’s life points and shifting the momentum of the game in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: The echo cost associated with Keldon Champion can be strategically used to our advantage. By playing the card, dealing its damage, and then forgoing the echo payment, it essentially becomes a one-time burst of damage that accelerates your resource allocation towards more permanent board control elements.

Instant Speed: Despite not being an instant itself, Keldon Champion’s ‘haste’ ability allows it to act with instant speed in terms of aggression. This lets you apply pressure instantly without giving your opponent’s time to prepare defenses or counteractions on their turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Keldon Champion offers a powerful hit to your opponent upon entering the battlefield, it does not have a discard requirement. Players need to be aware that this card does not pose the risk of diminishing their hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Deck building with Keldon Champion necessitates a commitment to red mana. With its {1}{R}{R} casting cost, incorporating this card into a multi-colored deck can be challenging, potentially requiring a mana base adjustment to reliably meet its cost.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating cards based on mana efficiency, Keldon Champion’s cost of four mana ({3}{R}) might be considered steep for a creature that doesn’t provide an immediate, game-changing effect or formidable resilience against removal. In modern decks, there are alternatives that may offer similar or better impact on the game for a lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include Keldon Champion in Your Collection

Versatility: Keldon Champion’s ease of fitting into red aggressive strategies, its capacity to act as a hasty threat, or as a closer in burn decks make it a versatile staple. Whether you’re constructing a Legacy Burn deck or a casual “Blitz” archetype, its applicability is broad.

Combo Potential: While not a traditional combo piece, Keldon Champion’s ability to deal 3 damage upon entering the battlefield can work seamlessly with setups that capitalize on direct damage, assisting in reducing your opponent’s life total swiftly or even unexpectedly finishing games.

Meta-Relevance: With a shifting meta that sometimes favors aggressive strategies, Keldon Champion has the potential to be a consequential play. Its immediate board presence and ability to apply pressure can be especially significant against slower decks, making it an asset in a pace-controlling meta.

How to beat

Keldon Champion is a powerhouse in the world of Magic: The Gathering, bringing an impact as it enters the battlefield with its haste and “echo” abilities. To gain an upper hand against this card, one strategy stands out: disruption. Cards like Essence Scatter can counter the Champion as it’s being cast, preventing it from ever hitting the table. If it does manage to enter play, instant-speed removal spells such as Murder can eliminate it before the echo cost comes due.

Timing is crucial when handling cards like Keldon Champion. Strategies involving well-timed removal or bouncing it back to the owner’s hand with Unsummon can effectively mitigate the impact it has on your life total. Defensive measures such as Propaganda or Ghostly Prison also work well by limiting the attacks coming your way. Always remember that the echo cost presents an opportunity – if your opponent chooses not to pay, use that turn to your advantage.

Undoubtedly, a well-prepared player with the right countermeasures can navigate around the considerable pressures Keldon Champion exerts in MTG. Flexibility and foresight in deck building and gameplay can take the heat out of this fiery adversary, leaving your opponents out in the cold.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Keldon Champion MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Destiny and Planechase, 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 Keldon Champion and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Keldon Champion Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1999-06-07 and 2016-06-10. Illustrated by Mark Tedin.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1999-06-07	Urza's Destiny	UDS	90	1997	Normal	Black	Mark Tedin
2	2009-09-04	Planechase	HOP	58	2003	Normal	Black	Mark Tedin
3	2016-06-10	Eternal Masters	EMA	135	2015	Normal	Black	Mark Tedin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Keldon Champion has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal