Entourage of Trest MTG Card
2016-08-26 - Number 64
2016-11-16 - Number 65783
2020-11-20 - Number 224
2023-08-04 - Number 285
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Elf Soldier |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Gains card advantage by drawing when blocking, enriching your strategic options throughout the game.
- May deter attacks, aiding in resource management and complementing instant speed spells effectively.
- Limited by specific mana needs and a higher casting cost, impacting its flexibility in diverse strategies.
Text of card
When Entourage of Trest enters the battlefield, you become the monarch. Entourage of Trest can block an additional creature each combat as long as you're the monarch.
"The dim resort to violence, for which the nimble prepare." —Leovold, emissary of Trest
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Entourage of Trest provides a strategic edge by allowing you extra card draws whenever it blocks. This ability translates into a steady stream of new options and responses, ensuring you’re never at a loss for ways to counter your opponent’s moves.
Resource Acceleration: Although Entourage of Trest does not directly accelerate your resources, its presence on the battlefield can deter attacks, effectively aiding in your mana stability and allowing you to devote resources to other strategies and spells to strengthen your position.
Instant Speed: While Entourage of Trest itself isn’t cast at instant speed, it interacts favorably with instant speed spells in your deck. This reliable blocker represents a persistent threat, enabling you to confidently play instants and flash spells during your opponent’s turn, knowing your defense is secure.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One downside to note about the Entourage of Trest is that it compels you to discard a card from your hand under certain gameplay conditions. This trade-off can hamper you, especially if your hand is already dwindling and every card is vital for maintaining momentum.
Specific Mana Cost: With a specific mana requirement that includes green, the Entourage of Trest may not seamlessly fit into every deck. It’s particularly limiting for players not running a deck with a green mana base, thereby reducing its versatility across the diverse range of MTG strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Furthermore, sporting a mana cost that some players may consider on the higher end for its effects, there are concerns about its opportunity cost. Alternative cards at a lower mana cost might fulfill a similar role with less resource commitment, making them potentially more attractive choices for deck optimizations.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Entourage of Trest is a card that can adapt to multiple deck builds. Its ability to deter opponents from attacking you unless they pay for each creature they control makes it an excellent defensive option in decks that aim to reach the late game.
Combo Potential: This card shines in combinations where preventing attacks benefits a longer-term strategy or with cards that incentivize or reward you for having untapped creatures. Additionally, it pairs well with effects that tax or punish opponents for paying costs to attack.
Meta-Relevance: In a format where board states can get crowded and the game is often won by incremental advantages, having a card like Entourage of Trest can tip the scales in your favor by making it resource-intensive for opponents to swing in with their creatures. It’s particularly significant in a Commander setting, where political nuance can play a pivotal role.
How to beat
The Entourage of Trest is a solid presence in the MTG realm, known for its ability to create a sturdy line of defense while rewarding you for playing with the monarch mechanic. A common strategy to overcome this card’s influence is by prioritizing evasion techniques that allow you to sidestep defenders, such as flying or trample abilities, which enable you to reclaim the monarch status and cut off the card draw advantage it provides to your opponent.
Additionally, control tools like removal spells can effectively dispatch the Entourage before it cements your opponent’s control. Board wipes also work well to reset the field, specifically if you’ve fallen behind in creature count. Targeted removals or bounce spells are ideal to handle the Entourage right before the combat phase, preventing any potential card draw. Focusing on tempo plays to overwhelm or outpace your opponent’s setup can essentially negate the value that Entourage of Trest brings to the table.
Victory against the Entourage of Trest can often depend on your ability to either prevent its summoning through counterspells or to make its entry a non-issue with direct intervention. Taking the monarch for yourself while controlling the board state can neutralize Entourage of Trest’s strengths, permitting you to smoothly carry on towards your game plan.
Cards like Entourage of Trest
Entourage of Trest stands out in the realm of creature cards in Magic The Gathering for its blend of defensive utility and political insight. Many players liken it to Palace Sentinels, which similarly grants the monarch status in the game, enticing to those who aim to control the draw pace. Yet, the Entourage of Trest offers an additional layer of protection by allowing its controller to block additional creatures, a feature absent in Palace Sentinels.
Another card worth mentioning in this cadre is Custodi Lich. This black creature also bestows the monarch upon entering the battlefield and has the perk of forcing an opponent to sacrifice a creature when you become the monarch. While the Custodi Lich can impact the board state more aggressively, Entourage of Trest focuses on fortification and defense. Then, considering Marchesa’s Decree, it brings an enchantment aspect to becoming the monarch, coupled with deterring opponents through life loss. It’s less about solidifying a defensive front, unlike our green defenders from the world of Trest.
Overall, while other cards offer monarch-invoking abilities or tactical advantages, the Entourage of Trest provides a unique combination of defense and strategy, making it a notable and often preferred choice for players who value board stability in MTG.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Entourage of Trest MTG card by a specific set like Conspiracy: Take the Crown and Treasure Chest, 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 Entourage of Trest 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
Printings
The Entourage of Trest Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2016-08-26 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by Anthony Palumbo.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-08-26 | Conspiracy: Take the Crown | CN2 | 64 | 2015 | normal | black | Anthony Palumbo | |
| 2 | 2016-11-16 | Treasure Chest | PZ2 | 65783 | 2015 | normal | black | Anthony Palumbo | |
| 3 | 2020-11-20 | Commander Legends | CMR | 224 | 2015 | normal | black | Anthony Palumbo | |
| 4 | 2023-08-04 | Commander Masters | CMM | 285 | 2015 | normal | black | Anthony Palumbo |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Entourage of Trest has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Entourage of Trest card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2016-08-23 | Entourage of Trest checks if you're the monarch only as blockers are declared. If it blocks two attacking creatures, another player becoming the monarch won't change or undo that block. |
| 2020-11-10 | If a creature blocks two creatures, its combat damage is assigned to those creatures and vice versa using the same rules as if one creature were blocked by two creatures. |
| 2020-11-10 | If combat damage dealt to the monarch causes that player to lose the game, the triggered ability that causes the controller of the attacking creature to become the monarch doesn't resolve. In most cases, the controller of the attacking creature will still become the monarch as it is likely their turn. |
| 2020-11-10 | If the monarch leaves the game during another player's turn, that player becomes the monarch. If the monarch leaves the game during their turn, the next player in turn order becomes the monarch. |
| 2020-11-10 | If the triggered ability that causes the monarch to draw a card goes on the stack and a different player becomes the monarch before that ability resolves, the first player will still draw the card. |
| 2020-11-10 | The game starts with no monarch. Once an effect makes one player the monarch, the game will have exactly one monarch from that point forward. As a player becomes the monarch, the current monarch (if any) ceases being the monarch. |
| 2020-11-10 | There are two inherent triggered abilities associated with being the monarch. These triggered abilities have no source and are controlled by the player who was the monarch at the time the abilities triggered. The full texts of these abilities are "At the beginning of the monarch's end step, that player draws a card" and "Whenever a creature deals combat damage to the monarch, its controller becomes the monarch." |
