Tobias Andrion MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When casting Tobias Andrion, you’re adding a substantial creature to your board without losing card equity. This character can effectively block multiple threats or persist through weaker spells, aiding in maintaining a healthy number of cards in your hand throughout the duel.

Resource Acceleration: Although Tobias Andrion doesn’t directly generate additional resources upon casting, its presence often demands an immediate answer from opponents, potentially drawing out key spells early. This can accelerate your strategic advantages, as opponents might have to tap out or use resources they would prefer to save, giving you a clearer field for your subsequent plays.

Instant Speed: While Tobias Andrion himself doesn’t have instant speed, his robust frame for his mana cost means you can comfortably deploy him during your main phases while keeping mana reserved for other instant speed interactions. This lets you pass turns with confidence, knowing you have both a defender and surprise tactics at the ready.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Tobias Andrion requires a well-planned strategy as it doesn’t provide any direct advantage upon being cast. Unlike many other cards that offer an immediate effect, this can put players at a disadvantage if they’re looking for quick board presence or an instant value from their card plays.

Specific Mana Cost: Tobias Andrion demands a precise combination of mana to cast—three generic and two white mana. This can be restrictive for players running multicolored decks, limiting the card’s versatility and potentially causing it to be a dead card in hand during crucial moments.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of five mana, Tobias Andrion’s cost to power and toughness ratio is not the most mana-efficient. There are many creatures that cost less and offer more in terms of abilities and power level, potentially making Tobias Andrion a suboptimal choice in a competitive environment.

Reasons to Include Tobias Andrion in Your Collection

Versatility: Tobias Andrion isn’t restricted to a single deck archetype. As a human advisor, it serves well in decks that favor human synergies and can be an asset in commander games where its creature type has broad interactions.

Combo Potential: Although not a combo centerpiece, Tobias Andrion’s static power and toughness make it a reliable creature that can effectively round out a strategy focusing on consistent board presence or leveraging creatures with dependable stats.

Meta-Relevance: For decks that are designed around legacy formats, Tobias Andrion might add value due to its adherence to older MTG game styles, which some player communities still avidly support and play.

How to Beat Tobias Andrion

Tobias Andrion is a classic card that takes players back to the early days of Magic: The Gathering. As a distinguished Human Advisor with a chunky stature, it becomes essential to have a strategy to tackle him during gameplay. With 4/4 stats, Tobias Andrion can be quite a roadblock, but he comes with no immediate board impact or protection abilities, making him vulnerable to removal spells.

One efficient way to handle Tobias Andrion is through direct removal. Spells like Doom Blade or Go for the Throat can dispose of him before he gets a chance to engage. For Red players, Lightning Bolt won’t do the job alone due to Tobias’ 4 toughness, but combining burn spells or using something more powerful like Hero’s Downfall or Murder can clear the way.

Counterspells are also effective against Tobias Andrion, especially if you can prevent him from entering the battlefield in the first place. Cards like Counterspell or Mana Leak have been players’ favorites for years and can easily counteract his summoning. Since Tobias Andrion doesn’t inherently have hexproof, shroud, or any cost-reducing abilities, your opponent will need to invest a full six mana, making it a risky play against open blue mana.

Ultimately, Tobias Andrion may carry nostalgic value and a solid body, but in the modern environment of Magic: The Gathering, there are numerous ways to effectively counter or remove him from the battlefield, preserving your path to victory.