Protective Parents MTG Card


Protective Parents - Wilds of Eldraine
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Peasant
Abilities Role token
Released2023-09-08
Set symbol
Set nameWilds of Eldraine
Set codeWOE
Power 3
Toughness 2
Number24
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byMatt Stewart

Key Takeaways

  1. Enhances card advantage, accelerates resources and bolsters strategy with instant speed plays.
  2. Requires careful consideration due to its discard prerequisite, specific mana cost, and higher expense.
  3. Provides a security layer for creatures, synergizes with combos and counters prevalent metagame threats.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Protective Parents MTG card by a specific set like Wilds of Eldraine, 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 Protective Parents and other MTG cards:

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Text of card

When Protective Parents dies, create a Young Hero Role token attached to up to one target creature you control. (If you control another Role on it, put that one into the graveyard. Enchanted creature has "Whenever this creature attacks, if its toughness is 3 or less, put a +1/+1 counter on it.")


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Protective Parents, your ability to outpace your opponent in card resources is significantly bolstered. If the conditions are met, this card not only adds creatures to your board but also has the potential to replace itself in your hand, ensuring that you won’t fall behind in the crucial attrition battles that define many matches.

Resource Acceleration: When playing Protective Parents, it can serve as a form of resource acceleration. By generating additional creature tokens, you effectively increase the amount of expendable resources at your disposal. These can be pivotal in overwhelming your opponents or in serving other synergistic elements of your strategy.

Instant Speed: The real strength of Protective Parents lies in its instant speed capability. This grants you the flexibility to react during the most opportune moments, potentially saving key creatures from destruction or enabling surprise blocks. The immediate impact at this speed can often shift the momentum of the game in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the trade-offs for using Protective Parents in your deck is its discard prerequisite. This additional cost forces you to forego another card in your hand, which could deplete your options, especially in the later stages of the game when each resource counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Protective Parents demands a particular mix of mana to cast. This includes both colored and generic mana, making it potentially cumbersome for decks that don’t consistently generate the required colors, limiting its flexibility across different deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a steeper mana investment compared to some alternative creatures or protection effects, this card can be a sizable chunk of your turn’s resources. In situations where tempo is key, the cost of casting Protective Parents could slow you down, allowing opponents to seize the momentum.


Reasons to Include Protective Parents in Your Collection

Versatility: Protective Parents offers a unique blend of defense and support, making it an excellent card for decks that want to safeguard their valuable creatures. Its ability to provide comprehensive protection can be key in maintaining your board presence.

Combo Potential: With abilities that can protect multiple creatures, Protective Parents synergizes well with strategies seeking to utilize creature-based combos. Its presence can enable the execution of your strategy without the fear of interruption from targeted removal.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where spot removal and control decks are prevalent, having Protective Parents in your arsenal can thwart your opponents’ plans to disrupt your board development. It acts as a bulwark against many of the common threats faced in the current MTG landscape.


How to beat Protective Parents

Protective Parents presents an intriguing roadblock in MTG due to its ability to safeguard creatures, especially when taken into consideration with cards like Mother of Runes. This card permits targeted protection, making it seem untouchable at times. However, by employing board wipes—such as Wrath of God or Damnation—which do not target individual creatures, you can effectively circumvent Protective Parents’ protection abilities. Cards that impose non-targeted restrictions or penalties, like Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, or Cursed Totem can also be a thorn in the side for decks relying on Protective Parents.

Furthermore, spells that change creature types like Amoeboid Changeling can temporarily strip away the protective benefits of the card, leaving the sheltered creatures vulnerable. Another strategy is to exhaust your opponent’s resources, rendering the protective ability of Protective Parents irrelevant. Ultimately, while Protective Parents can be a formidable barrier, a well-constructed deck with the right tools can dismantle this defense and open a path to victory.


Cards like Protective Parents

Protective Parents is a unique entry within the repertoire of creature enchantments in MTG. When set side by side with Guardian Zendikon, we can see some common ground. Both cards transform creatures into formidable guardians. Protective Parents, however, has the upper hand with an additional layer of defense. It allows for a creature to stand tall and repel targeted spells – a capability Guardian Zendikon lacks.

Comparing it to Shielding Plax, another card that offers a protective shield to creatures, reveals a different facet of usability. Shielding Plax includes card draw upon entering the battlefield, granting immediate advantage, but lacks the ongoing blocking resilience that Protective Parents provides. Meanwhile, Asceticism offers a broader protection covering all creatures you control but comes with a higher mana investment, emphasizing Protective Parents’ cost-efficiency for a single-guardian focus.

Critical assessment of Protective Parents amidst similar MTG cards showcases its niche appeal. Its cost-effective enchantment offering spells resistance stands out, striking a balance between defense and value in strategic play scenarios.

Guardian Zendikon - MTG Card versions
Shielding Plax - MTG Card versions
Asceticism - MTG Card versions
Guardian Zendikon - MTG Card versions
Shielding Plax - MTG Card versions
Asceticism - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Protective Parents by color, type and mana cost

Argivian Blacksmith - MTG Card versions
Jamuraan Lion - MTG Card versions
Snow Hound - MTG Card versions
Elvish Healer - MTG Card versions
Femeref Knight - MTG Card versions
Border Guard - MTG Card versions
Stern Marshal - MTG Card versions
Soltari Crusader - MTG Card versions
Town Sentry - MTG Card versions
Benalish Knight - MTG Card versions
Regal Unicorn - MTG Card versions
Wild Griffin - MTG Card versions
Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions
Dogged Hunter - MTG Card versions
Sanctum Prelate - MTG Card versions
Diving Griffin - MTG Card versions
Faithful Squire // Kaiso, Memory of Loyalty - MTG Card versions
Kitsune Palliator - MTG Card versions
Freewind Equenaut - MTG Card versions
Sanctum Guardian - MTG Card versions
Argivian Blacksmith - MTG Card versions
Jamuraan Lion - MTG Card versions
Snow Hound - MTG Card versions
Elvish Healer - MTG Card versions
Femeref Knight - MTG Card versions
Border Guard - MTG Card versions
Stern Marshal - MTG Card versions
Soltari Crusader - MTG Card versions
Town Sentry - MTG Card versions
Benalish Knight - MTG Card versions
Regal Unicorn - MTG Card versions
Wild Griffin - MTG Card versions
Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions
Dogged Hunter - MTG Card versions
Sanctum Prelate - MTG Card versions
Diving Griffin - MTG Card versions
Faithful Squire // Kaiso, Memory of Loyalty - MTG Card versions
Kitsune Palliator - MTG Card versions
Freewind Equenaut - MTG Card versions
Sanctum Guardian - MTG Card versions

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Protective Parents has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2023-09-01 A permanent can have multiple Roles attached to it if each one is controlled by a different player.
2023-09-01 Cards in the Wilds of Eldraine main set create six different Role tokens: Cursed, Monster, Royal, Sorcerer, Wicked, and Young Hero. A seventh Role token, Virtuous, is created by Ellivere of the Wild Court, the commander of the “Virtue and Valor” Commander Deck.
2023-09-01 Hexproof and shroud won’t prevent a Role from becoming attached to a permanent if the ability creating that Role attached to that permanent doesn’t target it.
2023-09-01 If a permanent has more than one Role attached to it controlled by the same player, each of those Roles except the one with the most recent timestamp is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action.
2023-09-01 If two or more Roles controlled by the same player become attached to a permanent at the same time (perhaps due to an effect such as that of Doubling Season), that player chooses which one to keep and which are put into their owners’ graveyards.
2023-09-01 If you don't choose a target for Protective Parents's ability, the Young Hero Role token won't be created.
2023-09-01 In rare cases, a spell or ability might attempt to create a Role token enchanting a permanent that it can’t legally enchant (because of an ability like protection from enchantments). In such cases, the Role token isn’t created.
2023-09-01 Roles are colorless enchantment tokens. Each one has the Aura and Role subtypes and the enchant creature ability.
2023-09-01 Some spells and abilities that create Role tokens require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won’t resolve. The Role token won’t be created.