Crusade MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 15 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Crusade offers a consistent power boost to white creatures, increasing their board impact significantly.
  2. Demands white mana commitment, posing a challenge for multicolored deck strategies.
  3. Integrates well with token strategies, escalating the threat level of your army swiftly.

Text of card

All white creatures gain +1/+1.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Crusade grants a persistent buff to all white creatures you control, effectively increasing the value of each creature and strengthening your board presence without the need to play additional spells.

Resource Acceleration: While Crusade does not directly provide mana or tokens, it acts as a force multiplier by making each creature more impactful. This allows you to benefit from a more powerful army without investing additional resources into playing more creatures.

Instant Speed: Though not an instant itself, the boost provided by Crusade can be a powerful advantage during surprise combat situations, especially since it enhances creatures the moment they enter the battlefield, thereby catching opponents off guard and potentially turning the tides of battle.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike other enchantments that you can play without further detriment, Crusade requires a strict devotion to white creatures in your deck. This can be restrictive and does not advantage players with a diversified palette of creatures from various colors.

Specific Mana Cost: Crusade’s casting cost demands two white mana, which can be a challenge in multicolored decks where mana fixing is crucial. This necessity can pose a problem during the early game, where casting a non-white spell could be more critical.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although the cost of Crusade is not excessively high, in an environment where efficiency is key, the two white mana could represent a significant early-game investment, especially when you could be developing your board presence with creatures or setting up other defenses.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Crusade is a card that finds its place in decks that are centered around White creatures, pumping their power and toughness globally and turning even the smallest of creatures into significant threats.

Combo Potential: In combination with cards that generate a large number of creature tokens, Crusade can quickly escalate the power of your army, making for overwhelming board states that can overpower opponents.

Meta-Relevance: With a meta that favors creature-based strategies, Crusade enhances your board presence, making it harder for opponents to stabilize and keep up with boosted forces.


How to Beat

The Crusade card has long been recognized for its potency in buffing white creatures within Magic: The Gathering. As an enchantment providing a flat power and toughness increase to each white creature you control, overcoming a board bolstered by Crusade requires a strategic approach. A common tactic is leveraging removal spells that can clear multiple creatures, such as Wrath of God or Damnation, to reset the playing field. Dismantling the synergy by targeting the enchantment itself with cards like Disenchant or Naturalize can also tilt the scales back in your favor.

Furthermore, consider employing board control strategies that alter creature stats or negate their abilities. Cards like Humility can be tremendous equalizers against a Crusade-augmented army. Exploit the inherent weakness of mono-colored decks by making the opponent overextend their resources, then capitalize with a well-timed sweeper. Always stay aware of the potential for a Crusade when playing against white weenie or token decks, and plan your removal and counterplay accordingly. Key is maintaining control and not allowing the Crusade to establish dominance on the battlefield.

Ultimately, possessing a combination of adaptive strategies and versatile responses is essential in overcoming the challenge posed by a Crusade-enhanced opponent in MTG.


Cards like Crusade

Crusade is a classic enchantment that stirs the battlefield in the world of Magic: The Gathering. Equated with other cards that boost creature power, such as Glorious Anthem, Crusade also provides a permanent power and toughness increase to your creatures. What sets Crusade apart is its exclusive buff to white creatures, directly impacting White Weenie strategies and reinforcing mono-white armies.

Another enchantment, Honor of the Pure, shares this white-centric enhancement, giving a similar edge to white creatures. Yet, it gets ahead by not augmenting the opponent’s white creatures, unlike Crusade. Then there’s Always Watching, a nonpareil addition offering not only a power lift but vigilance too, thus endowing white creatures with a stout defensive stance in addition to offensive prowess.

Pondering the synergy and the potential each card brings to the table, Crusade proudly stands in the archive of Magic: The Gathering as a flagbearer of mono-white builds, even as new spells offer nuanced advantages that tailor to evolving playstyles and deck architectures.

Glorious Anthem - MTG Card versions
Honor of the Pure - MTG Card versions
Always Watching - MTG Card versions
Glorious Anthem - Urza's Saga (USG)
Honor of the Pure - Magic 2010 Promos (PM10)
Always Watching - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)

Cards similar to Crusade by color, type and mana cost

Blessing - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Red - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Black - MTG Card versions
Island Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: White - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Blue - MTG Card versions
Hallowed Ground - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Artifacts - MTG Card versions
Serra Bestiary - MTG Card versions
Energy Storm - MTG Card versions
Ward of Lights - MTG Card versions
Gossamer Chains - MTG Card versions
Angelic Renewal - MTG Card versions
I'm Rubber, You're Glue - MTG Card versions
Absolute Grace - MTG Card versions
Pacifism - MTG Card versions
Serenity - MTG Card versions
Mageta's Boon - MTG Card versions
Seal of Cleansing - MTG Card versions
Absolute Law - MTG Card versions
Blessing - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Circle of Protection: Red - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Circle of Protection: Black - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Island Sanctuary - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Circle of Protection: White - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Circle of Protection: Blue - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Hallowed Ground - Ice Age (ICE)
Circle of Protection: Artifacts - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Serra Bestiary - Homelands (HML)
Energy Storm - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Ward of Lights - Mirage (MIR)
Gossamer Chains - Visions (VIS)
Angelic Renewal - Weatherlight (WTH)
I'm Rubber, You're Glue - Unglued (UGL)
Absolute Grace - Urza's Saga (USG)
Pacifism - Duel Decks: Divine vs. Demonic (DDC)
Serenity - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Mageta's Boon - Prophecy (PCY)
Seal of Cleansing - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Absolute Law - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Crusade MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Crusade and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Crusade Magic the Gathering card was released in 15 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2007-09-10. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 161993normalblackMark Poole
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 171993normalblackMark Poole
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 171993normalwhiteMark Poole
41993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 171993normalblackMark Poole
51993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 171993normalblackMark Poole
61994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 151993normalwhiteMark Poole
71994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 151993normalblackMark Poole
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 151993normalwhiteMark Poole
91995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 201993normalwhiteMark Poole
101995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 201993normalblackMark Poole
111997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 221997normalwhiteD. Alexander Gregory
121999-04-21Classic Sixth Edition6ED 131997normalwhiteD. Alexander Gregory
131999-12-01Junior Super SeriesPSUS 41997normalblackMark Poole
142002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 359261997normalblackMark Poole
152007-09-10Masters EditionME1 61997normalblackMark Poole

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Crusade has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderBanned
LegacyBanned
OathbreakerBanned
PremodernLegal
VintageBanned
DuelBanned
PredhBanned

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks