Stalwart Pathlighter MTG Card
2021-09-24 - Number 47
2021-09-24 - Number 9
2002-06-24 - Number 93896
Text of card
Vigilance Coven — At the beginning of combat on your turn, if you control three or more creatures with different powers, creatures you control gain indestructible until end of turn.
Cards like Stalwart Pathlighter
Stalwart Pathlighter emerges as a strategic choice for players looking to enhance creature performance in Magic: The Gathering. In the realm of creatures that buff others, we often compare it to cards like Veteran Swordsmith, which also lends strength to its fellow creatures. Where Stalwart Pathlighter steps up is in its ability to grant vigilance, a key advantage for maintaining a robust defense while going on the offensive.
Another similar entity to consider is Benalish Marshal, a card that provides a broader increase to power and toughness across your white creatures. Although the Marshal requires a more restrictive mana cost, it offers an unwavering upgrade to your board. Stalwart Pathlighter, on the other hand, allows for greater tactical versatility by targeting and elevating selected creatures. Lastly, Concerted Effort presents a parallel path, conferring shared abilities amongst creatures, including vigilance, during each upkeep. This enchantment showcases collective buffs over Stalwart Pathlighter’s individual enhancements.
Deciding on the best card to amplify your forces on the battlefield depends on your deck’s synergy and strategy, but Stalwart Pathlighter can certainly light the way to victory with its unique bolstering abilities and flexibility in combat scenarios.
Cards similar to Stalwart Pathlighter by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Stalwart Pathlighter shines when it comes to maintaining momentum in a match. Its ability to grant creatures with +1/+1 counters the ability to fly can help push through a stalemate and lead to advantageous trades or direct damage, paving the way towards victory.
Resource Acceleration: While Stalwart Pathlighter isn’t a direct source of resource acceleration, it’s a 3/1 creature for a reasonable mana cost. This efficient investment can lead to an amplified board state, indirectly contributing to your resource advantage as it requires your opponent to answer the threat, potentially at a greater resource cost.
Instant Speed: Although Stalwart Pathlighter operates at sorcery speed, its static ability affects the board immediately once your creatures are buffed, providing an indirect instant-like impact during combat. Moreover, with the right setup and timing, utilizing this card can unexpectedly alter the course of battle in your favor, simulating the strategic deployment typically reserved for instant speed interactions.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Stalwart Pathlighter’s effectiveness hinges on the presence of +1/+1 counters, meaning you’ll need a strategy to consistently have counters available, which may force you to discard other valuable cards or overcommitting on board, sacrificing versatility and hand advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: The white mana requirement for Stalwart Pathlighter can constrain its integration mostly to white-based or two-color decks that support a +1/+1 counter strategy, potentially restricting it from more diverse deck builds.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: At three mana, Stalwart Pathlighter’s cost is significant, especially when compared to other three-mana creature cards in MTG that may provide immediate impact without the need for additional setup.
Reasons to Include Stalwart Pathlighter in Your Collection
Versatility: Stalwart Pathlighter boasts the unique ability to grant other creatures you control the coveted flying ability until end of turn. This provides a significant tactical advantage, fitting well into a range of deck types, especially those seeking to evade ground blockers for a decisive aerial attack.
Combo Potential: With its capability to elevate your entire team, Stalwart Pathlighter synergizes with strategies that exploit creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects or abilities that trigger when dealing combat damage to a player.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment where ground-based creature strategies are prevalent, possessing a card like Stalwart Pathlighter in your arsenal can help pivot the board state in your favor, making it a formidable and relevant choice for your gameplay.
How to beat
Stalwart Pathlighter might seem like a cornerstone piece in human decks in MTG, given its ability to turn human creatures you control with counters into unblockable threats. This can quickly escalate a match to your opponent’s disadvantage. To effectively counter this strategy, it’s essential to disrupt the battlefield presence of Stalwart Pathlighter itself or manage the counters on the rest of the creatures.
One tactic would be to use removal spells that can bypass its effects, like board wipes which don’t target or spells that deal with creatures regardless of counters or abilities. Efficient removal like Path to Exile or board-clearing spells like Wrath of God can shift the tide in your favor. Additionally, playing with creature-based control elements, such as those found in bounce spells or cards that alter combat by tapping creatures, can mitigate the impact of unblockable attackers powered by Stalwart Pathlighter.
Ultimately, understanding the interactions and timing your responses to Stalwart Pathlighter’s activations will be key. By keeping your answers versatile and your playstyle adaptive, you’ll be able to navigate against the challenges posed by this card and maintain the upper hand.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Stalwart Pathlighter MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Midnight Hunt Commander, 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 Stalwart Pathlighter and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
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- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Stalwart Pathlighter Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-09-24 and 2021-09-24. Illustrated by Sidharth Chaturvedi.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 93896 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sidharth Chaturvedi | ||
| 2 | 2021-09-24 | Midnight Hunt Commander | MIC | 47 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sidharth Chaturvedi | |
| 3 | 2021-09-24 | Midnight Hunt Commander | MIC | 9 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sidharth Chaturvedi |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Stalwart Pathlighter has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Stalwart Pathlighter card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-09-24 | A creature has different power from another if their powers are different numbers. For example, a 1/1 creature and a 2/1 creature have different powers. |
| 2021-09-24 | For three creatures to have different powers from one another, each of their powers needs to be different. A 1/1 creature, a 2/1 creature, and another 2/1 creature aren't three creatures with different powers, even though both 2/1 creatures have different power than the 1/1 creature. |
| 2021-09-24 | Many coven abilities, such as that of Dawnhart Wardens above, are triggered abilities with intervening if clauses. You must control three or more creatures with different powers at the time the ability triggers and at the time the ability tries to resolve. They do not, however, need to be the same set of creatures in both cases. |
Guide to Vigilance card ability
In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.