Noble Elephant MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Elephant |
| Abilities | Banding,Trample |
| Released | 1996-10-08 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Mirage |
| Set code | MIR |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 30 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Tony Roberts |
Text of card
Banding, trample
"Proud am I, / strong am I, / courageous in defending my children / and fierce in punishing what stands in my way." —"So the Elephant Speaks," Zhalfirin song
Cards like Noble Elephant
In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, the Noble Elephant presents itself as a solid creature within the white mana color pie. Its kinship is evident when compared to cards like Gray Ogre, which also boast a 2/3 body. However, Noble Elephant stands out with its distinct caveat of requiring one white mana if you wish to utilize it without the penalty of an enter-the-battlefield tap. This adds an extra layer of strategic planning not found in Gray Ogre.
Another relative in the creature lineup is Hill Giant. Though it offers a stronger form with its 3/3 stats, it lacks the versatility of Noble Elephant when it comes to early game deployment. With Hill Giant, there’s no avoiding a slower start since it doesn’t share the same flexible casting condition.
Assessing the dynamics of these cards, Noble Elephant garners attention for being a strategically adaptable option for early defensive or offensive moves. In the spectrum of MTG creatures, it offers a unique blend of power, toughness, and casting flexibility that can shape the tide of battle in the right deck composition.
Cards similar to Noble Elephant by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Noble Elephant can be an asset for your deck by offering steady card advantage. This powerful creature may include an ability that allows you to draw additional cards, thereby keeping your hand stocked and ready to respond to opponents’ moves.
Resource Acceleration: Formidable in size, Noble Elephant often aids in resource acceleration. Its presence on the battlefield may come with abilities that untap your lands or provide alternative ways to generate mana, giving you the edge you need to deploy your strategy faster and more efficiently than your adversary.
Instant Speed: A key aspect of gameplay is timing, and if Noble Elephant has flash or can perform actions at instant speed, it allows for dynamic play. It gives you the flexibility to act outside your main phases, potentially disrupting your opponent’s plans while keeping your defenses up at critical moments during the match.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Noble Elephant’s ability hinges on a discard condition. In situations where your hand is already depleted, this requirement can further strain your resources, potentially costing you the game momentum.
Specific Mana Cost: Set at a dedicated white mana cost, Noble Elephant’s inclusion is restricted mostly to mono-white or color-compatible decks, limiting its versatility across diverse deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment needed for Noble Elephant may be steep when compared with other creatures in the same cost bracket. Players often look for more impactful board presence or game-changing effects at this cost threshold, making Noble Elephant sometimes an underwhelming draw, especially in the late game.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Noble Elephant fits seamlessly into a variety of deck styles, particularly those capitalizing on creatures with trample or white’s strength in creating overwhelmingly strong creature-based strategies.
Combo Potential: With its classic banding ability, Noble Elephant can form strategic defenses or offenses, banding with other creatures to gain advantageous combat scenarios and survivability on the battlefield.
Meta-Relevance: Given its role in creature-focused decks and its ability to synergize with white’s wide array of buffs and protective spells, Noble Elephant holds its ground in certain metas where traditional creature combat is prevalent.
How to Beat
Noble Elephant is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering with its particular set of abilities. With the strength to trample over blockers when it’s equipped with a forest attachment, this creature can pose a notable challenge on the battlefield. The most efficient strategy to tackle this sturdy pachyderm is to anticipate the trample ability and have removal spells ready. Utilize cards like Path to Exile or Murder, which can swiftly handle the threat regardless of its armor.
To successfully outmaneuver Noble Elephant’s potential on the board, it’s also beneficial to control the game’s pace with counterspells when your opponent attempts to cast it or attach forests to it. Counter options like Mana Leak or Essence Scatter could save you from the Elephant’s charge. Moreover, taking advantage of board wipes such as Wrath of God can sweep it away, negating the need to deal with its attachments altogether.
By integrating these strategies, players can subdue the might of Noble Elephant, maintaining dominance on the MTG battlefield. It’s all about having the right response at the right time.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Noble Elephant 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 Noble Elephant and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Noble Elephant has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Noble Elephant card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-10-01 | A maximum of one nonbanding creature can join an attacking band no matter how many creatures with banding are in it. |
| 2008-10-01 | Creatures in the same band must all attack the same player or planeswalker. |
| 2008-10-01 | If a creature with banding attacks, it can team up with any number of other attacking creatures with banding (and up to one nonbanding creature) and attack as a unit called a “band.” The band can be blocked by any creature that could block a single creature in the band. Blocking any creature in a band blocks the entire band. If a creature with banding is blocked, the attacking player chooses how the blockers’ damage is assigned. |
| 2009-10-01 | If a creature in combat has banding, its controller assigns damage for creatures blocking or blocked by it. That player can ignore the damage assignment order when making this assignment. |