Swashbuckling MTG Card

Swashbuckling enhances gameplay with versatile strategies and extra damage potential. These cards boost deck tempo, but may impose color and mana constraints. Effective against slow decks, bringing swift victories through hasty attacks.

Ixalan (XLN)
2017-09-29 - Number 167

Mystery Booster (MB1)
2019-11-07 - Number 1075

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number XLN-167

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has haste.

The pirates of the Brazen Coalition are the descendants of those displaced by the Legion of Dusk, and they are eager for vengeance.

Cards like Swashbuckling

The allure of Pirates and their adventurous ways has always been a magnetic theme in MTG, and the card Swashbuckling seizes that essence with its ability to turn any creature into a daring buccaneer. Comparable enchantments like Madcap Skills give us a mirror to look into. While both bestow creatures with a power and two additional points of toughness, Madcap Skills also gifts the enchanted creature with menace, forcing opponents to use two or more blockers. Swashbuckling, instead, gives the boon of haste, allowing creatures to swing into action the moment they hit the battlefield.

Chart a Course is another sea-inspired spell, riding similar tides but focusing on card advantage rather than augmenting creatures’ prowess. It allows you to draw cards, though it requires attacking with a creature first to avoid discarding—a different route than boosting a single creature’s stats but offering strategic value to those steering a more cunning course.

Analyzing the pirate-themed offerings in MTG, Swashbuckling stands as a solid choice for players looking to arm their creatures swiftly and strike with haste, carving its own notch in the pantheon of pirate-flavored spells.

Cards similar to Swashbuckling by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Enhances your hand by granting additional draw power with every foe’s case of a “walk the plank” moment, keeping your sails ahead in the treacherous waters of card attrition.

Resource Acceleration: Paves the way to a faster mana base, allowing the deployment of key crew members ahead of schedule, speeding up your tempo and outpacing rival decks on the high seas of play.

Instant Speed: Grants the flexibility to react swiftly to opposing maneuvers, ensuring you keep the upper hand in combat or respond to threats even amidst the most sudden squalls and enemy onslaughts without tipping your strategic hand.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Engaging in the swashbuckling theme often means walking the plank of resource management. Cards in this category might compel you to toss another valuable card overboard from your hand, which could leave you at a deficit during crucial moments of the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Hoisting the sails with swashbuckling cards commonly requires a precise mix of mana, typically including blue or red to match the high seas adventure. This specificity can anchor your deck to certain colors, potentially limiting your ability to adapt to the diverse strategies of your opponents.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost to summon these daring adventurers or enact their bold strategies can often be hefty. While you might be tempted by the promise of treasure and triumph, the mana required to embark on these escapades might not always be the best investment, especially when similar effects could be achieved with a leaner mana expenditure.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Swashbuckling cards provide a dynamic tool in aggressive strategies, useful for enhancing creatures and pushing through extra damage in a variety of decks that aim for swift victories.

Combo Potential: These cards have excellent synergy with creatures boasting ‘raid’ or ‘battalion’ mechanics, increasing their power and enabling faster, more devastating attacks that can overwhelm opponents.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment populated with slower control or ramp decks, a well-timed Swashbuckling card can tip the scales early on, giving players the edge needed to secure a win before their opponent can stabilize.

How to Beat

Swashbuckling is a flavorful aura in Magic: The Gathering that can quickly turn an unassuming creature into a significant threat. It grants both a power boost and haste, enabling immediate impact on the battlefield. This card brings to mind the classic enchantment, Madcap Skills, which also grants a substantial power increase but instead provides the additional utility of making a creature harder to block.

To effectively neutralize the advantage Swashbuckling offers, removal spells are key. An instant-speed spell like Path to Exile or Unsummon can disrupt your opponent’s play, wasting their investment of mana and card advantage. The enchantment’s requirement to attach to a creature also opens up the opportunity for two-for-one plays, removing both Swashbuckling and the creature it’s enhancing with a single removal spell. This is similar to the benefits offered by cards like Abrade, which can destroy an artifact or deal damage to a creature.

Overall, strategies to combat Swashbuckling center on timing and resource management. By waiting for your opponent to cast Swashbuckling before executing a removal spell, you can maintain card parity and prevent them from gaining momentum, much like how one might outmaneuver enchantments of greater mana costs or those that provide a less immediate board presence.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Swashbuckling MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan and Mystery Booster, 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 Swashbuckling and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Swashbuckling Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2017-09-29 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Josu Hernaiz.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2017-09-29	Ixalan	XLN	167	2015	Normal	Black	Josu Hernaiz
2	2019-11-07	Mystery Booster	MB1	1075	2015	Normal	Black	Josu Hernaiz
3	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST	XLN-167	2015	Normal	Black	Josu Hernaiz

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Swashbuckling has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal