Spara's Bodyguard MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Creature — Rhino Warrior |
| Released | 2022-06-02 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Alchemy: New Capenna |
| Set code | YSNC |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 28 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Ilse Gort |
Key Takeaways
- Grants recurring card advantage particularly with commander-focused strategies and flicker effects.
- Contributes to acceleration by potentially retrieving lands or key permanents from your graveyard.
- Amplifies deck flexibility and readiness by synergizing with instant speed interactions.
Text of card
When Spara's Bodyguard enters the battlefield, you may choose a creature card in your hand. If you do, it perpetually gains "This creature enters the battlefield with an additional shield counter on it." Otherwise, put a shield counter on Spara's Bodyguard. (If it would be dealt damage or destroyed, remove a shield counter from it instead.) At the beginning of each combat, Spara's Bodyguard gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each shield counter among other creatures you control.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Spara’s Bodyguard is more than just a creature on the battlefield. If you control a commander, when Spara’s Bodyguard enters the battlefield, it lets you return a permanent card from your graveyard to your hand. This isn’t merely a one-time benefit; it can be a recurring advantage with flicker or reanimation strategies that can continually bring Spara’s Bodyguard in and out of the battlefield.
Resource Acceleration: By allowing the retrieval of lands from the graveyard, Spara’s Bodyguard can indirectly contribute to resource acceleration. This can be particularly critical in commander games where reaching key mana thresholds quickly is essential. Recovering a crucial land can accelerate your gameplay, ensuring you don’t fall behind in the race to deploy high-impact spells.
Instant Speed: While Spara’s Bodyguard itself isn’t an instant, it can synergize with cards that operate at instant speed. Its ability to recur instant speed interaction or utility cards from the graveyard ensures that you are never out of options. This sustains your momentum and enables you to respond to an opponent’s threats or opportunities at a moment’s notice, making it a valuable piece in any strategic setup that values flexibility and readiness.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Spara’s Bodyguard necessitates that you discard a card to utilize its full potential. This can sometimes result in losing a critical piece from your hand, particularly when you’re struggling for resources and decisions are tough.
Specific Mana Cost: Its casting cost demands both white and red mana. This requirement can restrict deck-building flexibility, making the card challenging to include outside of Boros or multicolored decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that is on the steeper end for its effects, some players may find that Spara’s Bodyguard’s mana investment doesn’t match the pace and strategy of their game plan when compared to other cards in a similar role.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Spara’s Bodyguard shines in its ability to protect key creatures in a variety of deck builds. Its shield ability ensures important creatures can survive through sweeps and targeted removal.
Combo Potential: This card can pair seamlessly with high-value creatures, enabling intricate combo plays by safeguarding combo pieces from your opponents’ attempts to disrupt your strategy.
Meta-Relevance: Given its robust defensive capabilities, Spara’s Bodyguard is a solid choice in an environment rife with direct removal cards. It keeps the decks’ momentum by preserving crucial threats on the board.
How to beat Spara’s Bodyguard
Spara’s Bodyguard is a card that provides a significant defensive advantage in Magic: The Gathering. It’s akin to the Knightly Valor enchantment, which also boosts a creature’s power and toughness while providing vigilant protection. Yet, Spara’s Bodyguard comes with its own unique twist—as it not only enhances a creature’s stats but also employs its protective ability to shield named creatures from potential threats. As effective as this may seem, it is not invulnerable.
Facing this card, the key lies in strategic removal. Cards like Murder swiftly deal with the Bodyguard regardless of its pumped status. Similarly, board wipes such as Day of Judgment bypass the Bodyguard’s protective influence by not targeting the creatures it’s safeguarding. The precise timing of these spells can disrupt the synergy your opponent relies on. Additionally, countermagic like Negate can preemptively Neutralize the threat before it even enters the battlefield. Consequently, with the right spell choices and timing, even a stalwart protector like Spara’s Bodyguard can be overcome.
To summarize, while Spara’s Bodyguard can provide substantial defensive benefits to your opponent’s creatures, it’s crucial to recognize its vulnerabilities. Tactical removal and timely countermagic can ensure you maintain control of the battlefield and come out on top against this guardian.
Cards like Spara's Bodyguard
Spara’s Bodyguard introduces tactical depth to creature protection in Magic: The Gathering. It stands shoulder to shoulder with cards like Dauntless Bodyguard, which also offers a safeguard for your key creatures. Spara’s Bodyguard, however, shines with the additional ability to bolster creatures, providing not just protection but also enhancement to their combat capabilities.
Assessing cards like Alseid of Life’s Bounty provides a broader perspective. The Alseid grants protection as well, but instead relying on lifelink and a low-cost activation, which can be critical during early game stabilization. Comparably, Spara’s Bodyguard demands a more tactical setup to exploit its full potential, ideally suited to more strategic playstyles that focus on key creatures.
In drawing parallels, it’s clear that Spara’s Bodyguard carries its weight in matches by being a dual-purpose card, guarding your prized creatures while giving them an edge in battle. This dual characteristic sets it apart from other protective options and secures its niche in creature-centric decks within the MTG universe.
Cards similar to Spara's Bodyguard by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Spara's Bodyguard MTG card by a specific set like Alchemy: New Capenna, 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 Spara's Bodyguard and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Spara's Bodyguard has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |