Crovax MTG Card

Rarity	Rare
Type	Vanguard
Released	1997-05-01
Set symbol
Set name	Vanguard Series
Set code	PVAN
Number	202
Frame	1993
Layout	Vanguard
Border	Black
Illustred by	Ron Spencer

Key Takeaways

Crovax offers card advantage and tempo, crucial for outpacing opponents and maintaining board control.
Balancing Crovax’s mana needs with deck design is key to harnessing its full potential effectively.
Crovax fits into various strategies, making it a versatile contender in creature-focused metas.

Text of card

Whenever any of your creatures damages any creature or player, gain 1 life.

How does one escape a curse? For Crovax, a wealthy noble, the answer may lie in joining the crew of the *Weatherlight* as they seek to rescue their abducted captain Sisay. Secretly, he hopes in his journeys to find Selenia, the angelic being who abandoned him and his family years ago.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Crovax stands out as a key figure for those aiming to sustain a robust hand. His abilities often result in advantageous board presence, offering the dual benefit of card superiority and strategic depth during gameplay.

Resource Acceleration: While not a direct source of mana, Crovax’s low-cost efficiency aids in faster deck cycling. This, in turn, can lead to quicker access to essential resources, thereby speeding up your game plan and allowing a tempo advantage.

Instant Speed: While Crovax himself does not have instant speed, his influence can be felt with each creature spell cast. Synergies with instant speed spells in your deck can be elevated by his presence, giving you the upper hand when timing is key.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Engaging with a powerful card like Crovax often means you’re faced with the tough decision of discarding other valuable cards from your hand. This requirement can be particularly challenging when your options are limited, placing you at a strategic disadvantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Crovax demands a precise combination of mana resources to be cast. Its specific mana cost can become a stumbling block in decks that aren’t heavily steeped in those colors, diminishing its flexibility and potential playability across a diverse range of deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost to bring Crovax onto the battlefield is not negligible. When considering the economy of your mana resources, it’s worth evaluating whether Crovax offers the best return on that investment compared to other cards with lower casting costs that provide similar or even greater impact on the game’s progression.

Reasons to Include Crovax in Your Collection

Versatility: The Crovax card is known for its flexibility across various deck builds. Its ability to influence the board by empowering creatures while weakening opponents’ makes it a valuable addition to both aggressive and defensive strategies.

Combo Potential: Crovax synergizes well with strategies that thrive on life total manipulation and creature control. Its presence can be a linchpin in combos that tip the scales in your favor, particularly in decks that revolve around creature buffs and debuffs.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that sways toward creature-heavy builds or where controlling the board state is crucial, Crovax’s impact on creatures deftly adjusts the game’s momentum. This makes it a practical choice for environments where maintaining or overturning creature dominance is key.

How to beat

Crovax is a character that has had multiple cards representing him in Magic: The Gathering, each with its unique abilities and strategic challenges. Typically, these cards have abilities that can swing the game in favor of their controller through life total manipulation and permanent control. When facing a deck featuring a Crovax card, it’s crucial to have a clear strategy to undermine its potential. Board control spells, targeted removal, or exile effects can efficiently address the threats posed by Crovax. Ensuring you have access to these tools in your deck can significantly enhance your advantage against decks that rely on Crovax’s abilities.

Another effective tactic is to manage your opponent’s creatures and strategies that may amplify Crovax’s influence. Cards that can restrict your opponent’s ability to setup or that can counter key spells are invaluable. Additionally, having creatures with hexproof or shroud can help preserve your board state against Crovax’s oppressive powers. Playing around Crovax involves anticipating your opponent’s moves and maintaining pressure, so they cannot seize control with their pivotal card.

Knowing which version of Crovax you’re up against is also paramount, as each has its strengths and weaknesses. The right sideboard cards and a strategic game plan tailored to the specific iteration of Crovax you’re facing will go a long way in claiming victory over this formidable adversary in Magic: The Gathering.

Cards like Crovax

Crovax, once a striking character within the lore of Magic: The Gathering, graces the battlefield as a creature card that shines through its power enhancement feature. Crovax shares several similarities with other creature cards like Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite. Both have an immediate and pronounced impact on the game through their ability to influence other creatures on the board. Elesh Norn offers a more substantial buff to your creatures, alongside a debuff to enemy creatures, but comes at a significantly higher mana cost.

In the company of other vampire cards with which Crovax shares its creature type, we find captivating comparisons. Take Bloodline Keeper for instance. It flaunts the ability to create a legion of vampire tokens, potentially overwhelming opponents if left unchallenged. While not a direct power booster in the style of Crovax, it does offer a scalability that can be equally game-defining. Conversely, Vampire Nocturnus reigns with its own distinction by potentially granting a top-deck dependent power and flying capability to your vampire tribe, somewhat akin to Crovax’s own buff but with added utility.

Exploring these parallels lets players weigh their options considering mana efficiency, tactical board control, and creature synergies, to uncover where Crovax stands among its peer cards in Magic: The Gathering’s vast collection.

Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Crovax by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Crovax MTG card by a specific set like Vanguard Series, 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 Crovax and other MTG cards: