Daunting Defender MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Cleric
Released	2002-10-07
Set symbol
Set name	Onslaught
Set code	ONS
Power	3
Toughness	3
Number	21
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Carl Critchlow

Key Takeaways

Daunting Defender elevates strategy with card advantage and instant deployment capabilities.
Limits flexibility due to specific mana cost and may compel card discard.
A versatile defensive asset in various formats, also apt for metagame shifts.

Text of card

If a source would deal damage to a Cleric you control, prevent 1 of that damage.

"I will wield the stone of my homeland as though it were the fists of the Ancestor."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Daunting Defender has built-in mechanics that heavily favor sustained card draw, giving players the upper hand by enlarging their choices each turn. This attribute is crucial in outmaneuvering opponents through an accumulation of options.

Resource Acceleration: Efficiently designed, this card’s abilities include bolstering your mana resources. Such an aspect can significantly expedite your gameplay, enabling you to deploy formidable creatures or game-changing spells sooner than usual.

Instant Speed: The speed at which you can play Daunting Defender catches adversaries off guard. Being able to cast it instantly means you can adapt to the battlefield dynamically, deploying defenses or engaging strategies at critical moments without foregoing your turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Daunting Defender serves as a robust blockade on the battlefield, it comes with a stringent drawback. Players must discard a card to fulfill its casting prerequisites. This can put you at a significant disadvantage, particularly when your hand can ill afford to lose resources, potentially setting you back in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: The specificity of Daunting Defender’s mana cost may pose deck-building restrictions. Requiring a precise combination of mana types, it constrains the card’s versatility, often relegating it to decks that can easily produce the requisite mana colors, thus limiting the range of strategies it can support.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Another aspect to consider is its relatively demanding mana cost. When the mana curve is a crucial factor, there are instances where deploying a defender of this caliber may not be the most mana-efficient move. Players could find alternative cards that fulfill a similar role without the same level of investment, allowing for a more dynamic and rapid development of their board state.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Daunting Defender is a flexible addition to decks that need a robust defense against aggressive opponents. It can be particularly effective in Commander format where protecting valuable planeswalkers and other key pieces is crucial.

Combo Potential: With the right synergies, Daunting Defender can become an essential piece in a defensive combo, creating opportunities to fortify your board presence while setting up for a winning strategy.

Meta-Relevance: As the MTG landscape evolves, having a card that can act as a bulwark against potent offensive threats is invaluable. Daunting Defender holds its ground in a variety of playstyles, making it a worthy contender in diverse metagame scenarios.

How to beat

The Daunting Defender is a formidable presence on the battlefield, often deterring attacks and protecting key assets for many players. Its capacity to bolster defense can create an impregnable wall around important creatures or essentially lock down the game by making it impractical for opponents to mount a successful offense. Overcoming such an obstinate card demands strategic adjustments.

To effectively circumvent a Daunting Defender, consider employing removal spells that bypass its defensive buffs, such as unconditional destruction spells or exile effects. Cards like Path to Exile or Doom Blade can dispose of the Defender without regard to its size or the bonuses it provides to others. If direct removal isn’t available, transformation effects or enchantments that neutralize abilities can turn the Daunting Defender into a non-threat. Ensnaring cards that tap the Defender and keep it from untapping on the subsequent turns can also hobble the card’s influence, preventing it from defending altogether.

In essence, while the Daunting Defender can create a significant roadblock, it is not insurmountable. With the right cards and strategy, you can nullify its effects and reclaim control of the match. Understanding the strengths and limitations of your deck, as well as anticipating such stalwart defenses, prepares you for victorious outcomes.

Cards like Daunting Defender

The card pool of Magic: The Gathering includes a wide array of protective cards similar to Daunting Defender, each with their nuances that cater to different strategic needs. Daunting Defender is a specialized card known for bolstering your defenses and making creatures tougher to eliminate. In line with its defensive prowess, we can look towards cards like Stalwart Shield-Bearers, which also gives a toughness boost to other defender creatures you control, though it doesn’t offer the same cost reduction for abilities that target your creatures.

Another comparable card is the renowned Wall of Omens, offering both a defensive barrier and card draw upon entering the battlefield. While Daunting Defender provides a consistent defensive augmentation, Wall of Omens shines by replacing itself in your hand, reducing the opportunity cost of playing a defender. Comparatively, cards like Brave the Sands do not provide a toughness boost, but enable your creatures to block multiple attackers, thereby expanding your defensive capabilities in a different direction.

Each of these cards serves a unique role in fortifying a player’s board state. While Daunting Defender may not offer the immediate advantage of card draw like Wall of Omens, its persistent effect can be integral to a strategy that requires durable creatures for a formidable defensive line in the game.

Stalwart Shield-Bearers - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Daunting Defender by color, type and mana cost

Enduring Angel // Angelic Enforcer - MTG Card versions

Celestial Gatekeeper - MTG Card versions

Kiyomaro, First to Stand - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Daunting Defender MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught, 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 Daunting Defender and other MTG cards: