Volunteer Militia MTG Card

With one-drop entry and strong defensive attributes, it’s a useful early game piece in white decks. Its ability to plug into soldier tribes and synergize with cards makes it a deck flexibility enhancer. It stands up to aggressive strategies, providing a crucial low-cost board presence in fast-paced games.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Soldier
Power 1
Toughness 2

Cards like Volunteer Militia

Volunteer Militia is a humble contender in the realm of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. Its parallels with Savannah Lions quickly come to mind, both being low-cost creatures that can be used to build a board presence in the early game. However, Volunteer Militia’s strength of being able to block additional creatures provides it a subtle tactical advantage, echoing the utility found in more defensive cards like Guardian of Pilgrims.

Another card to consider in relation to Volunteer Militia is Elite Vanguard. Sharing the same mana cost and power, these two cards are akin on the surface but diverge in purpose. Elite Vanguard offers an aggressive strategy for White Weenie decks, devoid of the blocking capabilities that make Volunteer Militia a more versatile pick for a defensive lineup. The newly printed Selfless Savior also shares some of the protective nature, although it pivots more towards safeguarding key creatures rather than blocking multiple attackers.

Given these comparisons, Volunteer Militia might not be the centerpiece of a deck but can be a crucial role-player. It harmonizes defense and cost-efficiency, making it a reasonable consideration for players crafting a strategy that values steadfast board control over swift aggression.

Savannah Lions - MTG Card versions
Guardian of Pilgrims - MTG Card versions
Elite Vanguard - MTG Card versions
Selfless Savior - MTG Card versions
Savannah Lions - MTG Card versions
Guardian of Pilgrims - MTG Card versions
Elite Vanguard - MTG Card versions
Selfless Savior - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Volunteer Militia doesn’t directly provide card advantage, its presence on the battlefield can deter opponents from attacking, helping to maintain your current hand and board state.

Resource Acceleration: This card itself may not accelerate resources, but its low casting cost allows you to deploy other spells alongside it, effectively optimizing your mana usage each turn.

Instant Speed: Volunteer Militia operates at sorcery speed, but its inclusion in decks that can flash creatures in could potentially turn it into a surprise blocker, mimicking the advantages of playing at instant speed.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Volunteer Militia requires you to have a specific set of resources in your hand that you may prefer to keep for later turns, disrupting your game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: This card has a demanding mana cost that calls for white mana, which might not align with the mana base of multicolored decks, thus limiting its overall versatility within the broader scope of game strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the cost against similar cards, Volunteer Militia’s mana requirement might be seen as steep, potentially making it a less attractive choice during deck construction as players seek out lower-cost creatures with comparable or superior abilities.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Volunteer Militia slots seamlessly into a variety of white decks. With its simple mana cost and solid stats for a one-drop, it can serve as an early defensive option or as fodder for sacrifice synergies in decks.

Combo Potential: Due to its low cost and creature type, Volunteer Militia has potential in tribal decks, particularly those centered around Soldiers. It can be easily combined with cards that boost the power of Soldier-type creatures or benefit from having a high count of creatures on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where creature-based strategies prevail, having a one-mana creature like Volunteer Militia can be crucial. This card can contest early aggression from opponents or provide a quick board presence needed to stabilize against faster decks.

How to beat

Volunteer Militia may seem unassuming at first glance, but don’t be fooled. This one-mana creature can be a reliable defensive early game roadblock, posing challenges to aggressive strategies in Magic: The Gathering. Understanding the gameplay around this card is key to formulating a counter-strategy. Because it’s a creature card, standard removal spells such as Murder, Path to Exile, or Doom Blade effectively dispatch it without fuss. Additionally, since it lacks any form of evasion like flying or trample, it can be easily overpowered by larger creatures.

Board wipes like Wrath of God or Blasphemous Act also erase Volunteer Militia from the field, providing a clean solution against an accumulation of similar low-cost creatures. It’s important to manage your resources and choose the right moment to play your sweepers. Decks with a focus on tempo gain can outmaneuver decks utilizing Volunteer Militia by using bounce spells like Unsummon or tempo cards like Remand to keep the opponent off balance while developing a more potent board presence.

Ultimately, while Volunteer Militia has the potential to be a component of an early control strategy, there are numerous ways to efficiently handle it. Taking advantage of its basic nature will allow adept players to overcome this card without significant disruption to their own game plan.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Volunteer Militia MTG card by a specific set like Portal Second Age and Portal Three Kingdoms, 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 Volunteer Militia and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Volunteer Militia Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1998-06-24 and 1999-05-01. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-06-24Portal Second AgeP02 281997NormalBlackKeith Parkinson
21999-05-01Portal Three KingdomsPTK 301997NormalWhiteLin Yan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Volunteer Militia has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal