Stamina MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	1999-10-04
Set symbol
Set name	Mercadian Masques
Set code	MMQ
Number	277
Frame	1997
Layout	normal
Border	black
Illustred by	Paolo Parente

Key Takeaways

Stamina recovers creatures to your hand, adding to strategic depth and increasing your options during gameplay.
This instant-speed card alters battle dynamics, allowing reactive play against opponents during their turn.
Discarding a card to play Stamina may leave your hand depleted, which is a key consideration in deck-building.

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.

Text of card

Attacking doesn't cause enchanted creature to tap. Sacrifice Stamina: Regenerate enchanted creature.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Stamina offers a strategic edge by returning a creature card from your graveyard to your hand. This capability provides players with a continuous flow of options, bolstering their hand and compounding their strategic depth during matches.

Resource Acceleration: As a low-cost spell, Stamina permits rapid reintroduction of powerful creatures into the game. The resourceful use of mana can pivot the game’s momentum in your favor without imposing a heavy toll on your mana pool.

Instant Speed: The versatile nature of Stamina allows for its casting at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to react to an opponent’s threats on their turn. This can upset their strategy and provide unexpected turns in the game’s dynamics, often tipping the scales when least anticipated by your opponent.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Stamina demands the discarding of a card from your hand as an extra cost to play. This can diminish your hand, leaving you vulnerable to opponent strategies and without vital resources when you need them most.

Specific Mana Cost: To cast Stamina, you need a specific combination of mana types. This can be a hurdle in decks that rely on a wider variety of mana sources, potentially causing delays or restricting its inclusion to decks aligned with those particular colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost that’s on the higher side, Stamina contends with other cards that might provide similar benefits for less mana. Players often opt for more cost-efficient alternatives, especially in decks designed to operate quickly or under tight mana constraints.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Stamina is a card that can be seamlessly integrated into a variety of deck archetypes. Stamina’s ability to give creatures an extra dose of endurance makes it a staple for decks looking to outlast opponents in the battlefield.

Combo Potential: This card opens up opportunities for synergies with other cards that thrive on creatures staying alive longer, enabling more intricate and potentially game-winning combinations.

Meta-Relevance: The ever-shifting competitive scene often sees decks that try to overpower through sheer force. Stamina offers a counterbalance to these strategies, making it a timely addition to your lineup to improve your matches against aggressive decks.

How to Beat Stamina in MTG

Stamina stands out as a defensive card that offers significant resilience on the battlefield. To effectively counter Stamina’s impact, you should leverage removal spells that bypass its ability to prevent damage. Spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can cleanly deal with creatures propped up by Stamina without triggering the damage prevention clause.

Another strategic angle is to utilize countermagic, such as Negate or Dovin’s Veto, to prevent Stamina from ever resolving on the stack. This preemptive approach can negate the need to address the complications introduced by Stamina’s damage prevention. Additionally, employing cards with exile effects, like Swords to Plowshares, can bypass Stamina’s protective shield around creatures, providing a clear path to keeping your opponent’s board manageable.

In summary, sidestepping the protective veil of Stamina requires a blend of smart removal choices and timing. Deploy your spells judiciously and prioritize countering or sidestepping its effect to maintain pressure on your opponent and ensure your path to victory stays clear.

Cards like Stamina

Stamina, a card that’s carving its niche in Magic: The Gathering, invites comparisons with other cards that offer creatures temporary buffs. For instance, Giant Growth is a classic spell that offers a similar temporary boost with an increase of three points to power and toughness. Stamina differentiates itself with the added benefit of granting protection from a color of your choice until the end of the turn.

Another comparable card is Gods Willing. This spell also provides protection from a color, but it’s succinctly focused on this single aspect without the power and toughness enhancement. Additionally, it allows for scrying, which can be a crucial tactical advantage. Blossoming Defense is yet another card that resonates with Stamina’s theme by giving a creature a smaller boost in power and toughness along with hexproof, protecting it from targeted spells or abilities.

Consequently, Stamina finds its footing among these options with a blend of power enhancement and color protection, making it a versatile choice in situations where combat tricks are paramount. Its distinctive combination helps players navigate through complex battles, solidifying its role in the array of instant speed tricks in Magic: The Gathering.

Giant Growth - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Cards similar to Stamina by color, type and mana cost

The Dragon-Kami Reborn // Dragon-Kami's Egg - MTG Card versions

Dense Foliage - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)

Hall of Gemstone - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)

Familiar Ground - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)

Broken Fall - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)

Howling Moon - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)

The Dragon-Kami Reborn // Dragon-Kami's Egg - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Promos (PNEO)

Squirrel Nest - World Championship Decks 2002 (WC02)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Stamina MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques, 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 Stamina and other MTG cards: