Joraga Auxiliary MTG Card

Joraga Auxiliary - Oath of the Gatewatch

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Elf Soldier Ally
Abilities	Support
Released	2016-01-22
Set symbol
Set name	Oath of the Gatewatch
Set code	OGW
Power	2
Toughness	3
Number	154
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	David Gaillet

Key Takeaways

Enhances board presence, indirectly providing card advantage by toughening up existing creatures.
Its resource-accelerating trait allows mana flexibility while broadening your creature’s power.
Activating at sorcery speed, it encourages strategic mana management for instant-speed plays.

Text of card

: Support 2. (Put a +1/+1 counter on each of up to two other target creatures.)

"Before the battle, I heard them take an oath near the ruins of Sea Gate. I hope they inspire others to keep watch."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Joraga Auxiliary doesn’t directly let you draw cards, its support ability can put extra +1/+1 counters on your creatures. This enhances your board presence and can potentially turn your creatures into significantly larger threats, loosely translating into card advantage as it forces your opponent to deal with more substantial creatures than they might have expected.

Resource Acceleration: Joraga Auxiliary’s ability to bolster your creatures represents a form of resource acceleration. By improving your existing creatures, you’re effectively getting more power on the board without the need to spend additional mana on casting more creatures. This lets you use your mana for other purposes while still developing a formidable army.

Instant Speed: Although the Auxiliary itself must be activated only at sorcery speed, it supports strategies that work well at instant speed. Its presence incentivizes you to keep mana open which can bluff instant-speed interaction to your opponent. This can lead to more favorable exchanges and strategic depth during gameplay.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Joraga Auxiliary offers the ability to bolster your creatures, it does not come without its limitations. To fully utilize its support ability, you must have other creatures on the battlefield to receive the +1/+1 counters, potentially putting you at a disadvantage if you’re facing removal-heavy decks that keep your board clear.

Specific Mana Cost: Joraga Auxiliary requires both green and white mana to cast. This specific cost can restrict its inclusion to only green-white or multicolor decks, possibly excluding it from other popular and powerful deck archetypes that don’t run these colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of two generic, one green, and one white mana to cast, Joraga Auxiliary’s initial investment is notable, especially when compared to other utility creatures in the same mana range. Furthermore, activating its support ability also requires a considerable mana investment, which may not always align with an efficient mana curve during gameplay.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Joraga Auxiliary fits seamlessly into decks that capitalize on +1/+1 counters, supporting strategies from simple creature buffs to complex synergies.

Combo Potential: As a mana sink, it pairs well with ramp spells, allowing late-game turns to be power-packed with growth for a formidable board presence.

Meta-Relevance: Given its adaptability, Joraga Auxiliary stands its ground in a variety of match-ups, aligning well with decks that challenge the ever-shifting MTG meta.

How to beat Joraga Auxiliary

Joraga Auxiliary, a card hailing from the revered world of Oath of the Gatewatch, presents a unique challenge when strategizing your board in Magic: The Gathering. This multifaceted creature enhances your game by offering an ability to bolster other creatures on the battlefield. To effectively counter this capability, a key tactic involves removing it as swiftly as possible to prevent the accumulation of +1/+1 counters on your opponent’s creatures.

Spot removal spells like Murder or Path to Exile are efficient answers, cleanly dealing with the Auxiliary before it becomes a recurrent threat. Suppressing the card’s influence also requires a keen awareness of mana availability. As the Auxiliary’s ability hinges on mana, keeping your opponent mana-starved through resource disruption can significantly impair their ability to utilize its effects. Moreover, deploying cards that negate activated abilities or impose taxing costs can be equally disruptive. Cards such as Pithing Needle or Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, create formidable roadblocks against the Auxiliary’s utility.

Overall, a blend of prompt removal and strategic hindrances can ensure your adversary’s Joraga Auxiliary doesn’t turn into an insurmountable force, keeping your path to victory clear and navigable.

Cards like Joraga Auxiliary

Joraga Auxiliary stands out in the realm of Magic: The Gathering as an intriguing multi-faceted support creature. It bears similarity to other creatures that empower the surrounding troops, such as Veteran Swordsmith. While the Swordsmith boosts other Soldiers’ attack power, Joraga Auxiliary enhances both the attack and defense of your allies with its Support ability.

Comparing it to Longtusk Cub, which also becomes stronger as you play, Joraga Auxiliary requires an investment of mana to strengthen other creatures rather than building its own power. Additionally, we have Juniper Order Ranger, another card that strengthens your team. Even though it doesn’t allow the controlled distribution of counters like Joraga Auxiliary, it offers the advantage of not requiring extra mana for each boost.

In summary, Joraga Auxiliary’s versatility in bolstering an entire squad can be pivotal in certain MTG deck strategies, especially in long-drawn battles. Its Support ability, combined with potential to be a repeatable resource, situates it as a powerful asset in a multitude of Magic: The Gathering scenarios.

Juniper Order Ranger - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Joraga Auxiliary MTG card by a specific set like Oath of the Gatewatch, 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 Joraga Auxiliary and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Joraga Auxiliary has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2016-01-22	If a spell with support has other abilities that target creatures, those abilities and the support ability can target the same creature.
2016-01-22	Support can target a creature you don’t control.
2016-01-22	You can’t put more than one +1/+1 counter on any one target using the support action.