Unexpected Allies MTG Card

Unexpected Allies - Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery
Released	2022-07-07
Set symbol
Set name	Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate
Set code	HBG
Number	62
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Milivoj Ćeran

Key Takeaways

Enhances board presence while retaining cards, pivotal for maintaining a dynamic and varied gameplay strategy.
Acts as a resource engine, offering extra land drops to deploy threats or answers swiftly and ahead of opponents.
Instant Speed casting provides flexibility, allowing players to adapt quickly to battlefield changes and surprise opponents.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Unexpected Allies MTG card by a specific set like Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate, 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 Unexpected Allies and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Text of card

Target nontoken creature you control gets +2/+0 and gains double team until end of turn. It also gains first strike until end of turn if it has the same name as another creature you control or a creature card in your graveyard.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Unexpected Allies presents a remarkable opportunity to enhance your board state while retaining card flow. By bringing creatures into play, you effortlessly multiply your on-field resources without losing hand advantage. This strategic edge can often be the difference between victory and defeat as it keeps your options varied and your plays dynamic.

Resource Acceleration: Providing an extra land drop with each activation, this card acts as an engine for resource acceleration. This invaluable benefit allows you to outpace your opponents by deploying more threats or answers ahead of the usual curve. In a game where resources are king, Unexpected Allies grants you the keys to the kingdom.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Unexpected Allies at instant speed gives you the flexibility to adapt to an ever-changing battlefield. Whether it’s flashing in blockers, surprising your opponent during their turn, or simply maximizing your mana usage, the element of surprise cannot be overstated. Respond to your opponent’s moves in a flash, turning the tides in your favor when they least expect it.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the hurdles when playing Unexpected Allies is the necessity to discard a card to trigger its benefits. This can be particularly difficult when your hand is already depleted or if you hold valuable cards essential for your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: To cast Unexpected Allies, you will need a precise combination of mana colors. This could potentially restrict the card to decks that can produce both colors consistently, limiting its flexibility across various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a relatively high mana cost, Unexpected Allies might not be your first choice compared to other options. This is especially true when you consider its overall impact on the game in relation to other cards with similar or lower cost requirements.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Unexpected Allies is a unique card that can adapt to various deck builds, offering strategic depth and flexibility. Its ability to potentially recruit creatures across colors means it slots well into multicolor decks or those that value creature variety.

Combo Potential: This card shines when paired with mechanics that reward you for casting creatures or having a wide array of creature types. It can be a key piece in unlocking powerful synergies within your deck.

Meta-Relevance: With an ever-shifting competitive landscape, including cards that can adjust to various meta conditions like Unexpected Allies is a wise decision. Its ability to align with dominant deck archetypes makes it a smart include in your arsenal for competitive play.

How to beat

Unexpected Allies adds a nuanced dynamic to the pool of creature spells in MTG. As a card that can potentially bring a formidable creature to the battlefield each turn, understanding how to counteract it becomes a strategic focus. Cards with the ability to remove or exile enchantments are your best tool against it. Naturalize or Disenchant, which are available in most sets, offer a simple and effective response.

Graveyard manipulation also provides a keen edge. By utilizing cards like Tormod’s Crypt or Leyline of the Void, you ensure that adversaries can’t use their graveyard as a resource, effectively negating a core component of Unexpected Allies. Moreover, control decks can benefit from counterspells to prevent Unexpected Allies from ever hitting the field. Counterspell itself, or more specialized variants like Dovin’s Veto, align perfectly with this tactic.

Maintaining board presence with sweepers such as Damnation or Wrath of God also helps to keep the creatures brought by Unexpected Allies in check. Remember, ensuring your deck has answers to a range of threats and maintaining situational awareness are keys to triumphing over this enchantment.

Cards like Unexpected Allies

Unexpected Allies enriches the roster of ally-cast spells in Magic: The Gathering, drawing similarities with cards that galvanize the presence of allies on the battlefield. Akin to cards like Ondu Cleric or Hada Freeblade, Unexpected Allies hinges on ally synergy, but it presents a unique blend between ally acceleration and mana curve efficiency. Ondu Cleric, for instance, offers life gain based on the number of allies, yet doesn’t provide the speed in ally deployment that Unexpected Allies offers.

Segueing to Captain’s Claws, we find a card that also promotes ally tokens. Captain’s Claws, however, allows for ally token creation through equipped creature attacks rather than direct play from your hand, giving a different strategic angle compared to the direct summoning potential that Unexpected Allies presents. Then there’s Harabaz Druid, which supplies a steady stream of mana for each ally under your command – a powerful asset, although not as directly focused on expanding your ally forces as Unexpected Allies is.

Ultimately, while each ally-focused card carves out its niche within the tribal dynamics of Magic: The Gathering, Unexpected Allies shines in its ability to quickly populate the field with allies, assisting in overwhelming opponents with a sudden surge of tribal unity.