Swell of Courage MTG Card

Swell of Courage bolsters creatures instantly, creating unexpected tactical advantages during combat. The reinforce ability offers a permanent boost to creatures, enhancing deck synergy and power. Being mindful of its mana cost and color requirement ensures optimal deck integration and use.
Swell of Courage - Morningtide
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant
Abilities Reinforce
Released2008-02-01
Set symbol
Set nameMorningtide
Set codeMOR
Number26
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byJim Nelson

Text of card

Creatures you control get +2/+2 until end of turn. Reinforce X— (, Discard this card: Put X +1/+1 counters on target creature.)

"Tideshaping is more than creating a few new puddles."

Cards like Swell of Courage

Swell of Courage stands as a solid option for players seeking to fortify their creatures during combat in Magic: The Gathering. It bears similarity to cards like Inspired Charge, which also offers a bonus to multiple creatures. However, Swell of Courage provides an edge with its reinforce mechanic, allowing for permanent stat increases at a higher mana cost.

Another familiar card in this category is Break of Day, which, like Swell of Courage, gives a boost to creatures but with the added benefit of being less mana-intensive and providing first strike until end of turn under its fateful hour condition. While Swell of Courage requires five mana, Break of Day settles at a more modest two mana, situating it in a more convenient spot for quick plays.

Considering the bigger picture, Swell of Courage competes in the realm of combat tricks and creature buffs. While it demands more mana, its reinforceability can be a game-changer, providing a lasting impact beyond a single combat phase. This card excels in scenarios where a long-term advantage is crucial, distinguishing itself as a powerful ally in creature-heavy decks.

Inspired Charge - MTG Card versions
Break of Day - MTG Card versions
Inspired Charge - MTG Card versions
Break of Day - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Swell of Courage offers a unique card advantage by letting players bolster their forces, potentially turning a single creature into a more formidable threat. This can tip the scales during combat, leveraging fewer resources for greater impact on the board.

Resource Acceleration: While Swell of Courage itself does not directly accelerate resources, it can significantly amplify the power of your existing creatures to achieve quicker victory, indirectly hastening your win condition.

Instant Speed: As an instant, Swell of Courage can be cast in reaction to your opponent’s moves, giving you flexibility to choose the optimal moment to surprise an opponent and protect your creatures from being outmatched during combat.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Swell of Courage requires you to commit a card from your hand to the battlefield. This can leave you at a positional disadvantage should your opponent counteract or remove the creature you’ve bolstered, effectively costing you two resources instead of one.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands two white mana symbols in its casting cost, potentially restricting its inclusion to mono-white or two-color decks that can reliably produce the necessary white mana without compromising their manabase.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The initial casting cost of five mana for a one-time effect can be on the higher end, particularly in formats where efficiency is key. While the reinforce ability offers flexibility, the additional mana investment to use it can be steep when considering alternative spells or creatures that might provide a more lasting board presence or impact on the game state.

Reasons to Include Swell of Courage in Your Collection

Versatility: Swell of Courage offers a unique blend of abilities that can augment a wide array of white-based decks. Its ability to provide an instant buff to your creatures makes it a formidable addition to any deck focused on overwhelming the opponent with a strengthened army.

Combo Potential: This card has excellent synergy with strategies that reward you for placing +1/+1 counters on creatures. By increasing the power and toughness of your creatures, you can activate various abilities or enhance strategies that revolve around having sizable creatures on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: Given that creature-based strategies often dictate the pace of many games, having Swell of Courage at your disposal ensures that you remain competitive. Its instant speed nature allows for surprise tactics against opponents, potentially turning the tide of battle in your favor at pivotal moments in the match.

How to beat

Mastering your MTG strategy often involves knowing how to dismantle your opponent’s plans. Swell of Courage is a card that can catch many players off guard, particularly in limited formats or casual play. This instant can suddenly boost a player’s creatures, making them significantly more formidable for a surprise attack or an impenetrable defense.

To effectively counteract Swell of Courage, it’s vital to anticipate when your opponent might have such tricks up their sleeve. Having instant-speed removal or bounce spells can mitigate the impact of the pump effect. Similarly, incorporating board wipes that can reset the playing field regardless of how boosted opponent creatures have become is another tactical approach. Spells that negate actions, like countermagic, can directly cancel out Swell of Courage, essentially wasting your opponent’s turn and resources.

By keeping mana open for these responses and learning to read the game’s tempo, you can maintain control over the battlefield, ensuring that Swell of Courage doesn’t turn the tide against you. Careful play and strategic deck construction that accounts for surprise combat tricks are essential to remain one step ahead, creating your path to victory in Magic: The Gathering.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Swell of Courage MTG card by a specific set like Morningtide, 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 Swell of Courage and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Swell of Courage has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal