Defender of Law MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Knight
Abilities	Protection, Flash
Released	1999-02-15
Set symbol
Set name	Urza's Legacy
Set code	ULG
Power	2
Toughness	1
Number	5
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Carl Critchlow

Key Takeaways

Defender of Law provides resource manipulation, enabling strategic board control and pacing in MTG games.
Integration complexity and mana specificity are aspects to consider when adding Defender of Law to a deck.
Versatile and meta-relevant, it’s a tactical inclusion against prevalent aggressive creature strategies.

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

Protection from red You may play Defender of Law any time you could play an instant.

"It is not my place to question Radiant's rule. I exist to enforce her will."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Defender of Law presents the welcome ability to return a target creature to its owner’s hand upon entering the battlefield, setting your opponent back and effectively acting as a reusable spell. This synergizes well with strategies aiming to deplete an opponent’s resources or preserve the board in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: While it may not generate traditional mana, Defender of Law’s utility accelerates your board state’s resilience, ensuring you can maintain a presence on the field and dictate the pace of play. Its flash ability allows you to optimize your mana use across your opponent’s turn, resulting in a strategic advantage.

Instant Speed: The flash mechanic inherent to Defender of Law enables you to deploy it at instant speed, offering a tactical edge by allowing you to respond to threats immediately and on your opponent’s turn, keeping them guessing and disrupting their strategies at critical moments.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Integrating Defender of Law into your deck requires more than playing the card—it obliges you to sacrifice another card from your hand. For players looking to maintain card advantage, this could turn the tide unfavorably.

Specific Mana Cost: As a spell with a focused mana cost needing both white and generic mana, it narrows down its utility. Only decks with a firm foundation in white mana can optimize the use of Defender of Law without risking mana inconsistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Investing in Defender of Law comes at a cost notable higher than some parallel cards offering similar defensive attributes. Analyzing the entire range of your deck’s strategy, cheaper alternatives may provide equivalent protection, potentially freeing up mana resources for more pivotal plays within your game.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Defender of Law is adaptable card, easily incorporated into various White-based control or midrange decks. Its ability to block and control the pace of the battlefield makes it a reliable inclusion for those seeking stability in their deck composition.

Combo Potential: Not only does it act as a robust defender, but the Defender of Law also plays well with strategies that manipulate the number or abilities of creatures with defender. Its synergies with cards that incentivize having defenders or that benefit from them adds a layer of strategic depth to your game.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where aggressive creatures are prevalent, having a card like Defender of Law can be crucial. It serves as a bulwark against a multitude of attackers, helping to preserve your life total while you set up your own strategic moves to outmaneuver the competition.

How to beat

Defender of Law is a versatile card that can be a strategic tool in a Magic: The Gathering player’s deck, especially when utilized as a surprise blocker or for its flash ability to thwart opponent attacks. To effectively bypass the defensive capabilities of Defender of Law, consider using spells that can take creatures out of combat like pacifism effects or those that prevent the card from blocking, such as effects that tap an opponent’s creatures. Moreover, mass removal spells work effectively as they can clear the board regardless of the card’s defensive stats.

Strategies that revolve around non-combat win conditions can also circumvent Defender of Law’s strength. This includes using direct damage spells, life-draining abilities, or alternative win conditions that do not require attacking with creatures. Another tactic is to enhance your creatures to overpower the stats of Defender of Law. Buffing them with +1/+1 counters or giving them trample to push through the card’s defense helps to defeat it in combat.

As a summary, overcoming Defender of Law requires a well-thought-out plan that includes disabling its blocking, bypassing its defenses with non-combat approaches, or overpowering it with stronger creatures. Therefore, incorporating these strategies into your deck can help ensure this particular card does not stand in the way of your victory.

Cards like Defender of Law

The Defender of Law serves as a reliable protector in Magic: The Gathering, echoing the defensive prowess found in cards like Wall of Omens. Both excel in blocking strategies but the Defender offers a unique edge: it stands out with its flash ability, allowing you to cast it anytime you could play an instant. Wall of Omens lacks flash but compensates by providing card draw upon its entry to the battlefield.

Guardian of the Guildpact shares similarities as well, offering protection as it’s immune to monocolored spells. While the Guardian might not boast the surprise element of flash, its durable nature against a spectrum of spells makes it a formidable defender. Then you have the Fog Bank, another defensive staple. It completely neutralizes damage from attacking creatures, but unlike the swift Defender of Law, it doesn’t have the capability to affect the board at a moment’s notice.

In the overall analysis, Defender of Law positions itself as a tactical choice for players who value flexibility and the ability to act on an opponent’s turn, further enriching the options among defenders in Magic: The Gathering.

Guardian of the Guildpact - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Defender of Law by color, type and mana cost

Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Defender of Law MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Legacy, 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 Defender of Law and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Defender of Law has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Defender of Law card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.