Red Cliffs Armada MTG Card
1999-05-01 - Number 51
2008-09-22 - Number 62
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Soldier |
| Power | 5 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
Red Cliffs Armada can't attack unless the defending player has an island in play.
By the battle of Red Cliffs in the year 208, the Wu kingdom controlled more than 7,000 warships on the Yangtze.
Cards like Red Cliffs Armada
Red Cliffs Armada holds a distinctive position among creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. It’s akin to other nautical-themed cards, such as the distinguished Serpent of the Yawning Depths. Red Cliffs Armada offers a defensive advantage, fortifying your battlefield position with sizable toughness. Meanwhile, Serpent of the Yawning Depths, focuses on an aggressive strategy, rendering your sea monsters unblockable, thereby contrasting the defensive posture of Red Cliffs Armada.
In the same realm, we encounter Coastline Marauders, which shares the maritime theme but banks on a different combat mechanic. While Red Cliffs Armada becomes more formidable with each turn it’s fortified, Coastline Marauders rely on a treasure tally to boost its power for each attack. The dynamics of play differ here; Red Cliffs Armada plays a more prolonged, strategic game, whereas Coastline Marauders aims for immediate impact.
Taking everything into account, Red Cliffs Armada fits well within the spectrum of thematic creature cards, offering a unique blend of durability and long-game advantages that can be essential in matches where a stalwart defense trumps a swift offense.
Cards similar to Red Cliffs Armada by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: With Red Cliffs Armada, you gain more than just a single card’s worth of advantage. It allows you to manipulate your deck and draw cards strategically, sculpting your hand to ensure you have the answers or threats you need when you need them.
Resource Acceleration: The power of Red Cliffs Armada goes beyond the battlefield. It grants you additional resources in the form of tokens or extra mana, giving you that extra push to play high-impact spells sooner and turning the tide of the game in your favor.
Instant Speed: The flexible timing of Red Cliffs Armada means you can adapt to the flow of the game without skipping a beat. Cast it when the moment is right, keeping your opponents guessing and ready to counter their moves when they least expect it.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Red Cliffs Armada requires you to discard a card, which could be a setback when your hand is already depleted or when discarding would force you to lose an essential card.
Specific Mana Cost: Red Cliffs Armada’s mana cost includes red mana, which necessitates a deck built around red mana sources and may not fit into multi-color deck strategies that are short on red.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The card carries a higher mana cost relative to its effect when compared to other cards within the same mana range, potentially slowing down your game tempo or making it less impactful when you finally get to cast it.
Reasons to Include Red Cliffs Armada in Your Collection
Versatility: Red Cliffs Armada offers a strategic edge to decks that thrive on aggressive plays and those that harness the power of +1/+1 counters. It can seamlessly fit into various themes, bolstering your naval forces while potentially powering up each time it deals combat damage to a player.
Combo Potential: Its synergy with proliferation mechanics or any strategy that increases the number of counters makes it a potent card for combo-centric players. Building a deck around this card could unlock some powerful interactions on the battlefield.
Meta-Relevance: Given the card’s capacity to grow stronger over time, it fits well in a meta where games may extend beyond the early turns. Its capability to become a persistent threat makes it a valuable asset in a collection, especially when facing off against decks that lack an immediate answer to growing creatures.
How to beat
When facing Red Cliffs Armada in your MTG encounter, your strategy will need to account for this card’s potential for rapid fleet deployment. Red Cliffs Armada has a knack for swarming the battlefield with Ship creature tokens, boosting the tempo advantage in your opponent’s favor. The card’s strength is its ability to escalate a navy of tokens, which could overwhelm unprepared adversaries.
To effectively counter this maneuver, include cards in your deck that excel at mass removal or board wipes. Cards like Wrath of God or Blasphemous Act come into play here, as they can clear the multitude of tokens generated by Red Cliffs Armada before they become too large of a threat. Also consider incorporating spot removal for handling potent commanders or utilizing counter spells to prevent the Armada from hitting the field in the first place.
Being proactive is your best course of action, ensure you have the right answers in your deck to navigate around this potent engine of token generation. Stymieing Red Cliffs Armada early on could be the deciding factor in steering the match to your victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Red Cliffs Armada MTG card by a specific set like Portal Three Kingdoms and Masters Edition II, 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 Red Cliffs Armada 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
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Printings
The Red Cliffs Armada Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1999-05-01 and 2008-09-22. Illustrated by Zhang Jiazhen.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999-05-01 | Portal Three Kingdoms | PTK | 51 | 1997 | Normal | White | Zhang Jiazhen | |
| 2 | 2008-09-22 | Masters Edition II | ME2 | 62 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Zhang Jiazhen |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Red Cliffs Armada has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |