Aspect of Mongoose MTG Card


Aspect of Mongoose - Time Spiral
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant
Released2006-10-06
Set symbol
Set nameTime Spiral
Set codeTSP
Number191
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byDave Dorman

Key Takeaways

  1. Ensures a creature’s longevity on the battlefield through sustainable protection with its return-to-hand mechanic.
  2. Blocks opponents’ targeted spells, maintaining board presence and safeguarding important combo pieces.
  3. Requires tactical forethought to handle its discard drawback and specific mana cost constraints.

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature can't be the target of spells or abilities. When Aspect of Mongoose is put into a graveyard from play, return Aspect of Mongoose to its owner's hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Aspect of Mongoose shines in its ability to continually protect a valued creature on the battlefield. Once the enchanted creature is targeted or dealt with, the enchantment returns to your hand, ready to be recast. This cyclical nature ensures a degree of card advantage as it reduces the necessity to draw into additional protective spells.

Resource Acceleration: While Aspect of Mongoose itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it does indirectly aid in resource maintenance. By safeguarding your key creatures, you ensure that your mana dorks or other creatures with important tap abilities can consistently contribute to your mana pool or other aspects of your board state without interruption.

Instant Speed: Although Aspect of Mongoose is not an instant, the protection it grants your creatures feeds into a strategy that may rely on instant speed interactions. With your key creatures less vulnerable to spot removal, you can confidently pass turns and hold up mana for real-time responses, knowing your defenses are up and ready.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Aspect of Mongoose necessitates a card to be discarded when the enchanted creature meets its demise. This stipulation can provoke a disadvantage, especially during moments when your hand is already depleting, and every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting of Aspect of Mongoose demands one green mana. This requirement may potentially restrict the card’s integration into decks that are not heavily geared towards green or multicolored decks that are mana-flexible.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing two mana may not seem steep, but within the context of green enchantments and the scale of effects at this cost range, there are alternatives that could provide a more robust immediate impact or long-term value on the battlefield.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Aspect of Mongoose offers a broad range of protection for your creatures. Its ability to bestow shroud prevents opponents from targeting your key creatures, thus fitting into various decks that prioritize creature protection and long-term field presence.

Combo Potential: This enchantment can be crucial in combos where keeping a creature on the battlefield is imperative for the synergy to work. It can be paired with creatures that have beneficial effects upon entering or leaving the battlefield, ensuring they persist against targeted removal.

Meta-Relevance: Given a meta filled with spot removals and targeted spells, Aspect of Mongoose shines by safeguarding your main assets and maintaining board presence. Additionally, its return to hand effect after the creature is gone ensures a persistent protective option throughout the game.


How to beat

Aspect of Mongoose is a unique enchantment card that slips into a protective role on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. It prioritizes resilience by bequeathing Shroud onto the enchanted creature. This ability shelters your asset from targeted spells or abilities of your opponents. The subtle power of Aspect of Mongoose lies in its reusability. Upon the enchantment’s trip to the graveyard, it’s fated to return to its owner’s hand, ready for another round of protection.

To outmaneuver this persistent card, consider effects that don’t target, like board wipes or mass removals, such as Wrath of God or Damnation. These spells will neatly bypass the Aspect’s shroud protection. Alternatively, one may opt for countering the enchantment itself with a well-timed counter spell like Cancel or Dovin’s Veto before it latches onto a creature. Exploiting the timing of its return to hand also offers an opening. Apply discard effects such as Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek post enchantment to ensure the Mongoose Aspect doesn’t slink back onto the field.

Employing these strategies will help to tip the scales in your favor against this protective enchantment, maintaining the flow of the game without letting Aspect of Mongoose deter your path to victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG is a craft that intertwines strategy and knowledge of your arsenal, and Aspect of Mongoose is a card that resonates with this philosophy. With its ability to save creatures from the crosshairs of your opponents’ targeting spells and return to your hand for another bout, this card paves the way for a resilient defense strategy. Balancing card advantages with its protective charm, Aspect of Mongoose is a worthy consideration for decks focusing on endurance. Dive deeper into understanding its synergies, potential combos, and the most strategic scenarios for its deployment. Elevate your game plan and discover how Aspect of Mongoose can become a cornerstone in your MTG endeavors. Uncover more strategic insights and join a community of avid players seeking continuous improvement.


Cards like Aspect of Mongoose

Aspect of Mongoose is a distinct protection tool in Magic: The Gathering for shielding creatures from being targeted. It’s akin to cards like Shielding Plax which also prevents creatures from being the target of spells or abilities but at the same time, it draws you a card upon entering the battlefield. What sets Aspect of Mongoose apart is its resilience, as it returns to your hand when it goes to the graveyard from the battlefield.

Totem Armor is another related mechanic, most notably featured on cards like Spider Umbra. Like Aspect of Mongoose, Totem Armor offers a layer of protection by hypothetically “taking the hit” for the creature it enchants. While Spider Umbra and similar cards offer a one-time shield, Aspect of Mongoose could provide recurring defense over the course of a game. However, it does lack the potential power/toughness boost that Totem Armor enchants often grant.

When evaluating these options for creature protection in Magic: The Gathering, Aspect of Mongoose shines with its ability to return for repeat usage, despite not offering the immediate card draw of Shielding Plax or the potential stat boosts of Totem Armor cards. Its persistence on the battlefield can offer enduring value, especially in decks that emphasize enchantment synergies.

Shielding Plax - MTG Card versions
Spider Umbra - MTG Card versions
Shielding Plax - Dissension (DIS)
Spider Umbra - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)

Cards similar to Aspect of Mongoose by color, type and mana cost

Aspect of Wolf - MTG Card versions
Regeneration - MTG Card versions
Lifeforce - MTG Card versions
Gaea's Touch - MTG Card versions
Night Soil - MTG Card versions
Sylvan Library - MTG Card versions
Primal Rage - MTG Card versions
Survival of the Fittest - MTG Card versions
Crosswinds - MTG Card versions
Fortitude - MTG Card versions
Tranquil Grove - MTG Card versions
Treetop Bracers - MTG Card versions
Root Cage - MTG Card versions
Elfhame Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Compost - MTG Card versions
Thoughtleech - MTG Card versions
Weaver of Harmony - MTG Card versions
Shigeki, Jukai Visionary - MTG Card versions
Fertile Ground - MTG Card versions
Quiet Disrepair - MTG Card versions
Aspect of Wolf - Treasure Chest (PZ2)
Regeneration - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Lifeforce - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Gaea's Touch - The Dark (DRK)
Night Soil - Commander 2013 (C13)
Sylvan Library - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Primal Rage - Stronghold (STH)
Survival of the Fittest - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Crosswinds - Urza's Saga (USG)
Fortitude - Urza's Saga (USG)
Tranquil Grove - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Treetop Bracers - Tenth Edition (10E)
Root Cage - Prophecy (PCY)
Elfhame Sanctuary - Invasion (INV)
Compost - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Thoughtleech - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Weaver of Harmony - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Promos (PNEO)
Shigeki, Jukai Visionary - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Fertile Ground - Wilds of Eldraine Commander (WOC)
Quiet Disrepair - Future Sight (FUT)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Aspect of Mongoose MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral, 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 Aspect of Mongoose and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Aspect of Mongoose has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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