Illusionary Armor MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	2013-07-19
Set symbol
Set name	Magic 2014
Set code	M14
Number	59
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Mathias Kollros

Key Takeaways

Boosts creatures with considerable power and toughness for a minimal mana investment, allowing broader strategic plays.
Vulnerability exists if the creature is targeted; the Armor is discarded, presenting a potential tempo loss.
Illusionary Armor shines in decks with protective measures against targeting or when unexpected buffs are crucial.

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +4/+4. When enchanted creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice Illusionary Armor.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Illusionary Armor can be pivotal in strategies that hinge on keeping a significant presence on the board. When affixed to a creature, it turns any unassuming unit into a considerable threat, potentially tipping the scales in your favor without the need to commit more cards.

Resource Acceleration: While Illusionary Armor doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it provides a sizable power and toughness boost for a relatively low mana cost. This economic use of mana helps players maintain other lines of play, effectively accelerating their ability to progress the board without expending multiple resources.

Instant Speed: Although Illusionary Armor is not an instant, the aura can still uphold an element of surprise. Cast during the main phase, it can immediately bolster a creature before moving to combat, catching an adversary unprepared and potentially altering the calculus of an otherwise straightforward attack or defense.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Illusionary Armor offers a substantial boost to your creature, it comes with the potential for a heavy setback. If the enchanted creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, you’re forced to discard the Armor, which can be a loss of a critical buff at a moment’s notice.

Specific Mana Cost: Illusionary Armor requires a combination of one blue and four generic mana to cast, necessitating a specific mana setup. This requirement can be a hinderance in multi-colored decks that may struggle with the necessary mana fixing to cast it consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of five mana to cloak your creature in this enchantment, it sits at a higher end on the mana curve. Considering other options available, you might find more cost-efficient enchantments or creatures that offer similar or better advantages without the vulnerability attached to this particular card.

Reasons to Include Illusionary Armor in Your Collection

Versatility: Illusionary Armor offers flexibility by turning any creature into a significant threat. It’s a useful addition to decks that can protect creatures or need a budget-friendly way to boost power and toughness.

Combo Potential: Paired with hexproof or shroud creatures, Illusionary Armor can create a resilient force on the battlefield. It synergizes well with strategies that aim to equip creatures without being easily disrupted by opponents.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based combat is prevalent, Illusionary Armor can tip the scales in your favor. It also performs well in “Voltron” style decks that focus on empowering a single creature to win the game.

How to beat

Illusionary Armor is a unique enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that offers a substantial boost in defense and offense to the creature it’s attached to. However, this comes with a crucial vulnerability – the armor falls off, destroying the enchantment, when the enchanted creature becomes the target of a spell or ability. Knowing this, the key to overcoming this obstacle lies in targeting the enchanted creature with inexpensive and readily available spells or abilities. Options such as Shock or Giant Growth can efficiently dismantle the Illusionary Armor’s advantage without expending significant resources.

Selective removal spells that can bypass the Armor’s buff to a creature’s toughness are also highly effective. A focus on spells that don’t specifically “target” a creature, like board wipes or effects that deal damage to “each creature,” can also circumvent the Armor’s protective aspect. Additionally, playing counterspells to prevent the Armor from landing on a creature in the first place preserves your resources and maintains board control.

Ultimately, Illusionary Armor can be formidable but it’s a double-edged sword. A strategic approach to the creature it enchants, utilising spells that trigger its weakness, can effectively render this enchantment a non-issue in the game’s broader strategy.

Cards like Illusionary Armor

In the enchanting world of defensive spells in Magic: The Gathering, Illusionary Armor has its own niche. This enchantment shares similarities with other protective cards such as Spectra Ward, which also shields your creature from harm. However, while Spectra Ward grants protection from all colors, making your creature virtually untargetable, Illusionary Armor merely provides a strong buff until the creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, at which point the armor vanishes.

Like Illusionary Armor, another akin card, Curious Obsession, boosts a creature’s capabilities but with an emphasis on attack and card draw, with the drawback of requiring the enchanted creature to attack each turn or be sacrificed. Though not identical in function, both cards are cheap enchantments that can quickly turn the tide of a match. Yet another related card is Aqueous Form. This enchantment grants unblockable status to a creature, similar to Illusionary Armor’s cover, but lacks the substantial power and toughness boost.

Comparatively, Illusionary Armor offers an intriguing balance of risk and reward, encouraging a cautious playstyle while endowing considerable strength on the battlefield. It stands out in its capacity to drastically empower a creature, albeit with the vulnerability of potential removal if targeted directly.

Cards similar to Illusionary Armor by color, type and mana cost

Heightened Awareness - MTG Card versions

Reflections of Littjara - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Illusionary Armor MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2014, 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 Illusionary Armor and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Illusionary Armor 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 Illusionary Armor card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.