Armorer Guildmage MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Wizard
Released	1996-10-08
Set symbol
Set name	Mirage
Set code	MIR
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	156
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Martin McKenna

Key Takeaways

Armorer Guildmage ensures a steady flow of resources with its token and equipment creation abilities.
Instant speed actions of the guildmage offer strategic flexibility and opportunistic play during matches.
Though powerful, its abilities’ discard and specific mana cost requirements could be limiting factors.

Text of card

o B, oc T: Target creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn. o G, oc T: Target creature gets +0/+1 until end of turn.

Zhalfir's destiny rings in tempered steel. —Armorer Guild maxim

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Armorer Guildmage offers a unique dynamic in sustaining card advantage, as it can create equipment tokens that can later be transformed into actual equipment cards. This continuous cycle ensures that you have access to valuable resources throughout the game.

Resource Acceleration: This guildmage has the potential to be a game-changer in your arsenal by allowing you to strategically craft equipment at a potentially lower cost than casting them from your hand, effectively giving you a form of indirect resource acceleration.

Instant Speed: The ability to use the Armorer Guildmage’s effects at instant speed gives you the flexibility to adapt to the unfolding game, react to opponent’s moves, and optimize your strategy during the course of play. This adaptability can be instrumental in gaining the upper hand.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The guildmage demands that you part with another card in hand to trigger its abilities, which might deplete crucial hand advantage vital in long, drawn-out battles.

Specific Mana Cost: As a card aligned with a specific guild, it requires a precise combination of mana. This can leave players scrambling for the right resources, especially in multicolored decks that have to balance a diverse mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting threshold that may compete with other impactful cards in your curve, it’s worth considering if the mana invested into the Armorer Guildmage could be better allocated to spells or creatures with a more immediate board impact or lower cost-to-benefit ratio.

Reasons to Include Armorer Guildmage in Your Collection

Versatility: Armorer Guildmage is a flexible addition to any MTG player’s arsenal, seamlessly integrating into deck builds that emphasize on boosting creature abilities or those requiring a versatile mana sink.

Combo Potential: This card opens up various combo routes, particularly in decks that capitalize on tapping and untapping creatures or using +1/+1 counters to enhance power level and gameplay dynamics.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where creature-based strategies prevail, the utility of Armorer Guildmage can be pivotal, providing a recurrent way to protect and strengthen your board presence against a multitude of threats.

How to beat Armorer Guildmage

Armorer Guildmage, with its versatile ability to strengthen creatures or shield them from damage, is a unique asset in MTG. To effectively counter this card, ensuring you have removal spells that bypass its protective ability is key. This may include direct damage spells that can overcome the temporary boost in toughness or instant-speed removals that can be played in response to the activation of its abilities.

Spot removals like Fatal Push or Path to Exile are efficient solutions, as they can remove the Guildmage before its abilities have a chance to influence the course of the game. It is also advisable to manage the board state by limiting the number of creatures your opponent controls, thereby reducing the potential targets for Armorer Guildmage’s buffs. In a broader strategy, cards that nullify activated abilities or impose additional costs on them will significantly diminish the Guildmage’s impact on the battlefield.

Ultimately, your approach to dismantling the advantages Armorer Guildmage provides hinges on anticipation and timely intervention. Ensuring that you have the right answers at the right moment can nullify the tactical edge this card offers in creature-focused decks.

Cards like Armorer Guildmage

Armorer Guildmage is an interesting utility creature in the vast landscape of Magic: The Gathering. It’s similar in nature to cards like Weapons Trainer, offering an aggressive edge to equipped or enchanted creatures. However, Armorer Guildmage is versatile, providing the ability to increase a creature’s toughness, a nod to its defensive potential, unlike Weapons Trainer that only bolsters attack for equipped creatures.

Another card that resonates with this guildmage is Auriok Steelshaper, primarily affecting equipped creature dynamics. While Auriok Steelshaper reduces equipment costs, making it crucial for equipment-heavy decks, Armorer Guildmage doesn’t share this trait but compensates with its dual abilities, reinforcing both offense and defense.

In evaluating these cards, Armorer Guildmage emerges as a noteworthy option within creature enhancement spells in MTG. Its dual abilities give players tactical flexibility, whether they’re pushing for damage or fortifying their defenses. While it may not have the cost-reducing benefits of an Auriok Steelshaper, the guildmage provides something invaluable – adaptability in the heat of battle.

Cards similar to Armorer Guildmage by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Armorer Guildmage MTG card by a specific set like Mirage, 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 Armorer Guildmage and other MTG cards: