Joust MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Fight |
| Released | 2019-10-04 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Throne of Eldraine |
| Set code | ELD |
| Number | 129 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | normal |
| Border | black |
| Illustred by | Bram Sels |
Key Takeaways
- Joust excels in knight decks, removing threats while strengthening your forces on the battlefield.
- While restrictive in mana and hand resources, its combat impact is significant during your turn.
- It faces stiff competition from other fight cards, yet stands out with its knight synergy.
Text of card
Choose target creature you control and target creature you don't control. The creature you control gets +2/+1 until end of turn if it's a Knight. Then those creatures fight each other. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.)
"Life is a tournament that rewards the bold." —Syr Layne, knight of Embereth
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Joust allows you to potentially remove an opponent’s creature while keeping your own, essentially dealing with a threat and preserving your board presence in a single move.
Resource Acceleration: By enabling one of your creatures to fight an opponent’s creature, Joust can act as a form of indirect resource acceleration, ensuring your more valuable creatures remain on the field to continue pushing your advantage.
Instant Speed: While Joust is a sorcery, it is versatile in how it can be a game-changing play during your main phases. Its ability to tip the scales during your turn provides a strategic advantage in combat situations.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The card Joust demands that you relinquish a card from your hand to fulfill its casting conditions. This can deplete your hand, leaving you at a disadvantage if you’re already struggling to maintain card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Joust requires a precise combination of mana types to be played. This specific mana cost could restrict its integration in a multitude of decks, particularly those that operate on a different color scheme or a more flexible mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: In terms of efficiency, Joust carries a relatively steep mana cost when compared to other cards in its category. This can slow down gameplay for players, as there may be alternative options that provide similar effects with lower mana investments.
Reasons to Include Joust in Your Collection
Versatility: Joust is a card that slips seamlessly into Knight or Dragon themed decks, offering the utility of removing an opponent’s creature while bolstering your board presence. Its dual nature serves both offensive and defensive strategies.
Combo Potential: This card thrives in synergistic environments where you can amplify its effect. Combined with cards that benefit from creatures dealing combat damage or Knights that have first strike, Joust can swing duels in your favor.
Meta-Relevance: With a metagame that adjusts and evolves, Joust remains a pertinent choice. It interacts well against creature-heavy decks and can be a game-changer in matchups where targeted creature removal can turn the tide.
How to beat
Joust is a unique element in the array of combat tricks and duel enablers in Magic: The Gathering. Much like other cards that facilitate single combat, such as Epic Confrontation, Joust requires a creature you control to fight another target creature you don’t control. What makes Joust stand out is its synergy with the knight tribal theme, granting a potential power boost if you happen to engage with a knight of your own.
Countering Joust effectively revolves around instant-speed interaction or preventing the duel from being a fair fight. Taking lessons from cards like Blossoming Defense or Ranger’s Guile could provide the edge needed, giving your creatures the boost in toughness or hexproof to survive or even counter-kill. Don’t overlook the importance of instant-speed removal spells either; by removing the opponent’s targeted creature before Joust resolves, the spell fizzles, and the combat trick falls flat.
Ultimately, the ability to anticipate and disrupt your opponent’s plans is crucial. Holding up mana for that timely intervention, whether to buff your creatures or remove threats, ensures that Joust and similar abilities don’t tilt the battlefield in your adversary’s favor.
Cards like Joust
Joust stands out in the realm of fight mechanics within Magic: The Gathering. It draws a close comparison to Prey Upon, a classic card that also facilitates a fight between two creatures. What differentiates Joust is its synergy with knights, giving an advantage if you control a knight by giving it a power boost before the fight. This bonus is absent in Prey Upon’s straightforward fight setup.
In a similar vein, we find Dromoka’s Command, which provides more flexibility with its modal options, one of which includes making creatures fight. While it doesn’t give a power buff, it compensates with versatility. For those looking for a more forceful approach, there’s Domri’s Ambush. It not only forces a fight but also puts a +1/+1 counter on your creature, offering permanent strength beyond the duel. Joust can be especially impactful in a knight-themed deck, where the power increase could be decisive.
Thus, if we survey the battlefield of combat tricks and fighting spells, Joust showcases its worth in Magic: The Gathering. It’s particularly potent for players wielding knight allies, providing a significant edge during engagements.
Cards similar to Joust by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Joust MTG card by a specific set like Throne of Eldraine, 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 Joust 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 Magic products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Joust has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Joust card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-10-04 | If either target is an illegal target as Joust tries to resolve, neither creature will deal or be dealt damage. |
| 2019-10-04 | If the creature you control is an illegal target as Joust tries to resolve, no creature gets +2/+1. If that creature is a legal target but the creature you don't control isn't, it still gets +2/+1 until end of turn if it's a Knight. |
| 2019-10-04 | The target creature you control gets +2/+1 only if it's a Knight as Joust resolves. It'll still fight if it doesn't get +2/+1. |
| 2019-10-04 | You can't cast Joust unless you choose both a creature you control and a creature you don't control as targets. |
