Parapet Watchers MTG Card


Parapet Watchers - Shadowmoor
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Kithkin Soldier
Released2008-05-02
Set symbol
Set nameShadowmoor
Set codeSHM
Power 2
Toughness 2
Number45
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byScott Altmann

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides card advantage by revealing top library cards, ensuring land drops and more action.
  2. Instant speed ability allows strategic reactions to opponents’ moves with deck peeking or blocking.
  3. Flexibility in multiple deck archetypes, useful in both offense as a flyer and defense with reach.

Text of card

{WU}: Parapet Watchers gets +0/+1 until end of turn.

A kithkin doun is not so much a town as a fortress, built to withstand the constantly besieging darkness. Only those most watchful and trustworthy are tasked with guarding its walls.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Parapet Watchers can bolster your hand by revealing the top card of your library. If it’s a land card, you not only ensure your land drops but also potentially draw into more action.

Resource Acceleration: Enhancing your mana base by getting lands into play directly impacts your ability to accelerate resources, allowing for more significant plays or multiple spells in a turn.

Instant Speed: The capacity to act at instant speed gives you the flexibility to react to your opponent’s moves. With Parapet Watchers, strategizing when to peek at your deck or block a heavy hitter becomes a game-changer.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Parapet Watchers can demand a steep price for activation. When you’re clutching to a few crucial cards, the sacrifice of discarding one can tilt the scales unfavorably, hindering your strategic depth in the long run.

Specific Mana Cost: Deploying Parapet Watchers requires a precise blend of mana. This necessitates not only the right amount but also the exact colors, potentially limiting its synergy in decks that are not closely aligned with its mana requirement.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When you consider the investment involved, Parapet Watchers comes at a notably high mana cost in relation to its capabilities. In the arena of Magic, where every mana point counts, this can put you at a disadvantage when faster, more cost-efficient alternatives are available.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Parapet Watchers can be a flexible addition to several deck archetypes, aiding both defensive strategies with its reach ability and offensive tactics as a flyer that can bypass ground defenses.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with effects that care about flying creatures, or those that manipulate the number of cards in hand, giving it potential in combo decks that seek to exploit such dynamics.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where flying creatures dominate or where holding up defenses is crucial, Parapet Watchers shines by offering a sturdy blocker and a threat that must be addressed by opponents.


How to beat

Overcoming Parapet Watchers in your MTG matches requires a clear strategy, given its ability to fortify your opponent’s defenses. This vigilant creature not only serves as a sturdy blocker but can also become a potent threat if fortified with other enhancements or synergies. To disrupt your adversary’s game plan, consider using removal spells that can target creatures regardless of their toughness. Spells like Murder or Doom Blade can efficiently handle the Parapet Watchers without the need for combat.

Direct damage spells also provide a solution, allowing you to bypass the Watchers’ defensive stance altogether. Red deck players could employ Lightning Bolt or similar instant damage spells to remove it from the board before it becomes a larger concern. Additionally, board wipes such as Day of Judgment or Wrath of God can reset the battlefield, nullifying the strategic advantage provided by Parapet Watchers.

The key to triumphing over Parapet Watchers lies in maintaining flexibility and readiness to remove key pieces from the board. Recognizing when to use your removal spells can prove just as critical as what spells are in your deck, ensuring Parapet Watchers won’t hinder your path to victory.


Cards like Parapet Watchers

Parapet Watchers is a significant entry in the collection of creature cards that offer utility in Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to grant all your attacking creatures a boost in power is an attribute shared by other cards like Goblin Motivator. Notwithstanding, Parapet Watchers brings its unique flair with a formidable flying feature, setting it apart from the ground-bound Goblin.

Another card with resemblance in effect is the renowned Always Watching, which not only boosts creatures’ power but also gives vigilance. The key difference lies in Always Watching being a noncreature enchantment, providing a more permanent presence on the battlefield. Conversely, Parapet Watchers can act as both a proactive creature and a power enhancer, though it’s restricted to only affecting flying creatures.

Lastly, the comparison wouldn’t be complete without a nod to Empyrean Eagle. What makes the Eagle strikingly similar is its boost to other flying creatures. However, it differs from Parapet Watchers as it also increases toughness, expanding the defensive capabilities of your airborne army.

Each of these cards has its niche, but Parapet Watchers offers a focused tactical advantage for flying creature-based strategies in Magic: The Gathering, carving a distinct role in decks aiming to dominate the aerial battlefield.

Goblin Motivator - MTG Card versions
Always Watching - MTG Card versions
Empyrean Eagle - MTG Card versions
Goblin Motivator - Core Set 2019 (M19)
Always Watching - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)
Empyrean Eagle - Core Set 2020 (M20)

Cards similar to Parapet Watchers by color, type and mana cost

Adarkar Unicorn - MTG Card versions
Leering Gargoyle - MTG Card versions
Guiding Spirit - MTG Card versions
Samite Archer - MTG Card versions
Riptide Crab - MTG Card versions
Hanna, Ship's Navigator - MTG Card versions
Tolarian Emissary - MTG Card versions
Silver Drake - MTG Card versions
Soulherder - MTG Card versions
Soulsworn Jury - MTG Card versions
Minister of Impediments - MTG Card versions
Court Hussar - MTG Card versions
Azorius Herald - MTG Card versions
Jötun Owl Keeper - MTG Card versions
Thistledown Duo - MTG Card versions
Plumeveil - MTG Card versions
Silkbind Faerie - MTG Card versions
Gwafa Hazid, Profiteer - MTG Card versions
Talon Trooper - MTG Card versions
Wall of Denial - MTG Card versions
Adarkar Unicorn - Ice Age (ICE)
Leering Gargoyle - Mirage (MIR)
Guiding Spirit - Visions (VIS)
Samite Archer - Invasion (INV)
Riptide Crab - Invasion (INV)
Hanna, Ship's Navigator - Commander Masters (CMM)
Tolarian Emissary - Invasion (INV)
Silver Drake - Planeshift (PLS)
Soulherder - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Soulsworn Jury - Dissension (DIS)
Minister of Impediments - Dissension (DIS)
Court Hussar - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Azorius Herald - Dissension (DIS)
Jötun Owl Keeper - Coldsnap (CSP)
Thistledown Duo - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Plumeveil - Modern Masters (MMA)
Silkbind Faerie - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Gwafa Hazid, Profiteer - Commander 2016 (C16)
Talon Trooper - Alara Reborn (ARB)
Wall of Denial - The List (PLST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Parapet Watchers MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor, 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 Parapet Watchers and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Parapet Watchers has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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