Keldon Marauders MTG Card

Reliable virtual card advantage via entry and exit damage without extra card cost. Excels in fast-win decks with early pressure and time-efficient resource acceleration. Integrates into instant-speed strategies, exploiting opponents’ resources for your gain.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Warrior
Abilities Vanishing
Power 3
Toughness 3

Text of card

Vanishing 2 (This permanent comes into play with two time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter from it. When the last is removed, sacrifice it.) When Keldon Marauders comes into play or leaves play, it deals 1 damage to target player.

Cards like Keldon Marauders

In the landscape of aggressive red creatures, Keldon Marauders stands out for its impact on entering and leaving the battlefield. This card parallels with other powerful entries like Viashino Pyromancer, which also deals damage upon arrival. However, unlike Keldon Marauders, Viashino Pyromancer’s effect is a one-time trigger, whereas the Marauders can potentially deal damage twice over its lifespan.

Another card worth considering in the discussion is Ember Hauler. The Hauler offers a similar potential for immediate damage, but requires an additional cost to activate its ability, giving Keldon Marauders a slight edge in situations where mana efficiency is key. Where Ember Hauler provides more control over when to deal damage, Keldon Marauders’ mandatory leave-the-battlefield effect can be more predictable for planning play sequences.

Assessing side by side, Keldon Marauders displays a strategic advantage in aggressive MTG decks, especially in formats like Pauper where every point of damage and mana efficiency can tilt the scales in your favor. Its unique entrance and exit damage dynamic make it a formidable choice for those looking to add pressure and dictate the pace of the game.

Viashino Pyromancer - MTG Card versions
Ember Hauler - MTG Card versions
Viashino Pyromancer - MTG Card versions
Ember Hauler - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Keldon Marauders. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Mono-Red BurnMono-Red Burn LegacyCharlotte Legacy League Season 1 Week 9
Mono-Red AggroMono-Red Aggro PauperMono-Red SynthesizerSprint Wheel Event - Geddon Series 2^ tappa MILANO 2024
MonoRed KuldothaMonoRed Kuldotha PauperMono-Red SynthesizerLega Pauper Perugia - Tappa#4 - Road To Paupergeddon Milano 2024
Mono-Red SynthesizerMono-Red Synthesizer PauperMono-Red SynthesizerPauper League 2023-12-11
BurnBurn PauperBurnPauper Challenge 64 2023-12-10 (1)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Keldon Marauders may not directly allow you to draw more cards, it offers a reliable form of virtual card advantage. It pressures the opponent by dealing damage when it enters and leaves the battlefield, potentially removing two creatures or scoring crucial life points against the opponent, thereby providing an advantage without additional card investment.

Resource Acceleration: The Marauders fit perfectly into decks that aim to win quickly. In this sense, they accelerate your resource to achieve victory by applying immediate pressure and dealing damage early in the game, helping to shorten the time it takes to defeat your opponent.

Instant Speed: Although not an instant itself, Keldon Marauders works well with strategies that capitalize on instant speed interactions. It creates an immediate impact on the board that the opponent must respond to, which could drain their resources, allowing you to then take advantage at instant speed with your other cards.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Keldon Marauders may pack a punch upon entering or leaving the battlefield, but its presence doesn’t come without a cost. While this card doesn’t require a discard outright, its vanishing mechanic can sometimes act like a discard for players who are looking to maintain a certain number of creatures in play. Once its time counters are gone, so is the Marauders, potentially leaving you with one less creature than you planned for.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting Keldon Marauders requires a specific combination of mana: one generic and one red. This condition restricts it to red-centric or two-color decks that can reliably produce red mana. It isn’t as flexible for decks that play multiple colors or those that have a less consistent mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While two mana might not seem steep for a 3/3 creature, in the fast-paced, mana-efficient environment of competitive play, every mana point counts. In some decks, there may be a preference for cards that offer more versatility or longevity beyond the Keldon Marauders’ brief but impactful visitation to the battlefield.

Reasons to Include Keldon Marauders in Your Collection

Versatility: Keldon Marauders is a formidable choice for various red aggro and burn decks due to its ability to deal immediate damage upon entry and upon leaving the battlefield. Its impact is felt whether it’s part of a swift blitz strategy or as a damage supplement in control or midrange decks.

Combo Potential: While not traditionally combo-centric, Keldon Marauders plays well with cards that manipulate enter-the-battlefield or leave-the-battlefield triggers. Integrating it with cards like Impact Tremors or Flameshadow Conjuring can amplify its damage-dealing capability.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where life totals are under constant threat, Keldon Marauders can apply pressure and serve as a timely top-deck. Its relevance grows in a meta with an abundance of creature-based strategies, as it can serve as a removal spell while also chipping away at your opponent’s life total.

How to beat

Keldon Marauders is an impactful creature card in MTG, known for its ability to dish out quick damage with its enter and exit the battlefield effects. This card slides perfectly into aggressive red decks, dealing a guaranteed two damage when it arrives and potentially more as it attacks or when it’s put into a graveyard from play.

To effectively counter Keldon Marauders, consider utilizing removal spells that exile rather than destroy, as this prevents the leave-the-battlefield damage from triggering. Instant-speed interaction is key, allowing you to respond to the card before combat damage is assigned. Another strategy revolves around life gain to offset the Marauders’ damage, or using cards with protection from red to block without suffering any loss of life.

Timing plays a crucial role when facing Keldon Marauders. Engage them on your terms, and always be mindful of your life total. With the right mix of speed and strategy, this creature can be overcome, even in the fieriest of MTG battles.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Keldon Marauders MTG card by a specific set like Planar Chaos and Magic Online Theme Decks, 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 Marauders and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Keldon Marauders Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2007-02-02 and 2016-06-10. Illustrated by Alex Horley-Orlandelli.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12007-02-02Planar ChaosPLC 1022003NormalBlackAlex Horley-Orlandelli
22010-11-08Magic Online Theme DecksTD0 B192003NormalBlackAlex Horley-Orlandelli
32016-06-10Eternal MastersEMA 1362015NormalBlackAlex Horley-Orlandelli

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Keldon Marauders has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal