Thraben Standard Bearer MTG Card
2016-07-22 - Number 48
2019-11-07 - Number 261
2021-08-26 - Number 150
2020-09-26 - Number EMN-48
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Soldier |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Key Takeaways
- Turns late-game draws into potential creature tokens, maintaining hand utility.
- Allows mana and card resource optimization, accelerating board presence.
- Flexible token generation at instant speed keeps opponents on toes.
Text of card
, , Discard a card: Put a 1/1 white Human Soldier creature token onto the battlefield.
The uncorrupted rallied under Thalia's leadership and Sigarda's banner.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Thraben Standard Bearer may seem unassuming at first, but it effectively turns each land you draw later in the game into a potential new creature card. This is particularly handy when you find yourself in topdeck mode, ensuring that you’re always getting utility from your draws.
Resource Acceleration: The card allows you to utilize your mana in the later stages of the game efficiently. By spending one mana and discarding a card, you create a 1/1 white Soldier creature token, essentially accelerating your board presence and making the most out of every resource at your disposal, even otherwise dead cards in your hand.
Instant Speed: The ability to generate a creature token at instant speed gives you flexibility during your opponent’s end step or after their removal has been used. This allows you to keep mana open for counterspells or other responses, then create a token if no immediate threat arises, keeping up the tempo and maintaining pressure.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Thraben Standard Bearer’s ability necessitates discarding a card, which can strain your hand, especially if you’re already behind in card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands both white mana for its casting and its activated ability, which can restrict deck-building options and make it difficult to cast on curve in multicolored decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a 1/1 creature, the overall investment to get a return can be steep, as activating its ability requires a total of three mana including the creature itself, leading some players to favor options with more immediate board impact.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Thraben Standard Bearer’s ability to create 1/1 white Human creature tokens offers a flexible solution for boosting army strength in creature-based decks, functioning well in both aggressive and defensive strategies.
Combo Potential: This card works seamlessly within synergistic strategies, serving as a key piece to diverse combo plays notably in decks designed around token generation and sacrifice engines, thus enhancing your deck’s dynamism.
Meta-Relevance: Given the current standard meta that favours creature interaction, Thraben Standard Bearer can be a crucial pick. Its capacity to consistently populate the board makes it a resilient threat against removal-heavy decks, ensuring its relevance in varied matchups.
How to beat
Thraben Standard Bearer can be a critical asset in Magic: The Gathering for decks that focus on token generation and utility creatures. Its ability to turn any card in your hand into a 1/1 white Human creature token provides a reliable source of board presence and can be especially powerful in limited formats where creatures are at a premium.
Defeating a deck wielding Thraben Standard Bearer revolves around managing the battlefield and disrupting the token accumulation. Spot removals, such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile, are efficient ways to handle the Standard Bearer before it generates too much value. Board wipes like Wrath of God serve as a reset button, eliminating tokens en masse irrespective of how many the opponent has accumulated. Moreover, engaging in hand disruption tactics, like using Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek, can pre-emptively remove the Standard Bearer from the equation or any crucial card the opponent intended to convert into a token.
Maintaining pressure and not allowing your opponent to build a wide army of tokens is the strategy to prevail over a Thraben Standard Bearer-centric strategy. The key is to keep their board clear and stifle their ability to make profitable trades or amass a token army that could overwhelm you.
Cards like Thraben Standard Bearer
Thraben Standard Bearer is an interesting addition to the creature dynamics within Magic: The Gathering. In comparison to other creatures such as Selfless Savior, which offers a protective ability for your creatures, the Standard Bearer allows for incremental advantage through card conversion. Unlike Selfless Savior that focuses on defense, Thraben Standard Bearer leans on offense, providing a way to utilize excess lands or unneeded cards in hand.
When examining Loyal Pegasus, we observe a similar mana cost, but Thraben Standard Bearer demands an active role in the game, creating Soldier tokens as opposed to Pegasus’s conditional flight capability. While Loyal Pegasus requires another attacker for it to join combat, the Standard Bearer can systematically extend your battlefield presence regardless of your board state.
Lastly, considering Elite Vanguard, both share a one-mana value but vary significantly in their utility. Elite Vanguard presents a straightforward aggressive option with no added abilities, while Thraben Standard Bearer offers a flexible mechanism to advance your game strategy, especially in decks that can exploit the tokens it produces.
Hence, when evaluating Thraben Standard Bearer against its contemporaries, its unique ability to convert cards into action sets it apart, marking its place in Magic: The Gathering as both a utilitarian and strategic game piece.
Cards similar to Thraben Standard Bearer by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Thraben Standard Bearer MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Mystery Booster, 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 Thraben Standard Bearer and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Thraben Standard Bearer Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2021-08-26. Illustrated by Volkan Baǵa.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-07-22 | Eldritch Moon | EMN | 48 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Volkan Baǵa | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 261 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Volkan Baǵa | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | EMN-48 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Volkan Baǵa | ||
| 4 | 2021-08-26 | Jumpstart: Historic Horizons | J21 | 150 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Volkan Baǵa |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Thraben Standard Bearer has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
