Mardu Ascendancy MTG Card


Generates tokens immediately, enhancing attack potential and defensive capabilities without extra cost. Requires specific mana types, which could limit playability if not in a Mardu-focused deck. Has high versatility and significantly boosts creature-based strategies within Mardu colors.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Text of card

Whenever a nontoken creature you control attacks, put a 1/1 red Goblin creature token onto the battlefield tapped and attacking. Sacrifice Mardu Ascendancy: Creatures you control get +0/+3 until end of turn.


Cards like Mardu Ascendancy

Mardu Ascendancy stands out in the realm of enchantments in Magic: The Gathering for its multifaceted utility. It finds parallels in cards like Outpost Siege, which also offers choice in how it influences the game—providing an advantage whether through card draw or direct damage. Mardu Ascendancy distinguishes itself with the immediate impact of creating warrior tokens, enhancing both offensive and defensive strategies upon casting a nontoken creature.

Another card that echoes this theme is Goblin Rabblemaster, which excels in swarming the board with tokens. However, it’s a creature itself, which offers the potential for direct combat but also leaves it vulnerable to a different spectrum of removal spells. Mardu Ascendancy cleverly bypasses this by being an enchantment, making it harder for opponents to counteract its benefits directly.

In analyzing the broader landscape of MTG cards, Mardu Ascendancy offers a unique blend of aggressive board presence and defensive flexibility. Against peers in its category, its dual functionality makes it an attractive option for players seeking to bolster their Mardu-themed decks and maintain momentum in a match.

Outpost Siege - MTG Card versions
Goblin Rabblemaster - MTG Card versions
Outpost Siege - MTG Card versions
Goblin Rabblemaster - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Mardu Ascendancy provides a consistent source of creature tokens that can be utilized as blockers or aggressive tools, effectively multiplying the cards at your disposal without expending additional resources from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: Each token generated by Mardu Ascendancy has the potential to synergize with sacrificial mechanics, ramping up your mana and giving you access to more potent spells ahead of time or enabling multi-spell turns to outpace your opponent.

Instant Speed: While Mardu Ascendancy itself isn’t an instant, it allows the triggered creation of tokens instantaneously upon your nontoken creatures attacking, thus unexpectedly bolstering your offensive effort and complicating your opponent’s defensive calculations even during their turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The need to discard cards can be a drawback for Mardu Ascendancy, particularly if your hand is already depleted. This can hinder your ability to maintain card advantage against your opponent and create undesirable situations where you are forced to part with key cards in your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Mardu Ascendancy’s mana cost is color intensive, requiring white, black, and red mana. This can be quite restrictive, making it less flexible and more challenging to cast on curve, especially in a deck that isn’t tightly focused on the Mardu color combination.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The card also comes with a relatively high mana cost for its effect. At three mana, you may find that it competes with other significant plays in the same mana range, potentially disrupting your curve and pacing. There are scenarios where its cost could delay your development or force you to make suboptimal plays during crucial turns.


Reasons to Include Mardu Ascendancy in Your Collection

Versatility: Mardu Ascendancy offers flexibility in deck building. Whether you’re commanding aggressive creatures or controlling the board, this card grants power to any creature-based strategy within the Mardu colors.

Combo Potential: With its ability to create tokens when your creatures attack, this enchantment synergizes with various strategies that capitalize on creatures entering the battlefield, such as those involving sacrifice for value or triggering “Rally” and “Raid” abilities.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based decks are prominent, Mardu Ascendancy can turn the tide of battle by generating a wider board presence. This enhancement is crucial in matches where numbers equal power, making it a card worth considering for your lineup.


How to beat Mardu Ascendancy

Mardu Ascendancy is a powerful tribal enchantment that can significantly bolster your board presence in MTG. When dealing with this card, it’s crucial to mitigate the advantages it provides to the opponent. One effective strategy is using enchantment removal spells such as Disenchant or Back to Nature to swiftly remove Mardu Ascendancy from the battlefield, denying your opponent the benefit of creating additional tokens.

Additionally, board wipe cards like Wrath of God or Damnation can clear the tokens generated by Mardu Ascendancy’s triggered ability, neutralizing the immediate threat. Applying pressure and forcing your opponent to sacrifice Mardu Ascendancy to save their creatures can also be a viable method for handling the enchantment. Control decks that limit the opponents’ actions and hand resources through discard spells and counters can prevent Mardu Ascendancy from impacting the game significantly. Prioritizing these strategies can ensure that you effectively counter the challenges posed by Mardu Ascendancy in your MTG matchups.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the energetic synergy of Mardu Ascendancy is a path to dominance in the world of MTG. Its ability to simultaneously build your army and disrupt your opponent’s rhythm makes it a formidable addition to any deck within the Mardu spectrum. If you’re fascinated by strategies that involve rapid token generation and enjoy controlling the battlefield tempo, delving deeper into the potential of this enchantment will be rewarding. Enhancing your collection with Mardu Ascendancy might just be the game changer you’re looking for. Continue your MTG journey with us, and discover how to harness the full power of this intricate card for your next victorious match.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mardu Ascendancy MTG card by a specific set like Khans of Tarkir and Khans of Tarkir Promos, 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 Mardu Ascendancy and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Mardu Ascendancy Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2014-09-26 and 2014-09-26. Illustrated by Jason Chan.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12014-09-26Khans of TarkirKTK 1852015NormalBlackJason Chan
22014-09-26Khans of Tarkir PromosPKTK 185s2015NormalBlackJason Chan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Mardu Ascendancy has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Mardu Ascendancy card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2014-09-20 Although the tokens are attacking, they were never declared as attacking creatures (for purposes of abilities that trigger whenever a creature attacks, for example).
2014-09-20 As the Goblin token enters the battlefield, you choose which opponent or opposing planeswalker it’s attacking. It doesn’t have to attack the same opponent or opposing planeswalker that the original creature is attacking.