White Ward MTG Card
1993-08-05 - Number 44
1993-10-04 - Number 45
1993-12-01 - Number 45
1993-12-10 - Number 45
1993-12-10 - Number 45
1994-04-01 - Number 45
1994-04-01 - Number 45
1994-06-21 - Number 45
1995-04-01 - Number 57
1995-04-01 - Number 57
2022-11-28 - Number 44
2022-11-28 - Number 341
| Card sets | Released in 12 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
Text of card
Target creature gains protection from white.
Cards like White Ward
In the realm of protective enchantments within Magic: The Gathering, White Ward is a notable example, primarily offering protection from white. This parallels cards like Pentarch Ward and Cho-Manno’s Blessing, both of which grant protection from colors of your choice upon enchanting a creature. Yet, White Ward distinguishes itself by solely focusing on white, allowing for a precise defensive strategy against mono-white opponents.
Another card worth mentioning in comparison is Brave the Elements. This instant provides temporary protection to your creatures from a color of your choice for a turn. However, unlike White Ward, Brave the Elements does not have the permanence of an enchantment, offering a more fleeting form of defense. Additionally, Apostle’s Blessing presents itself as a mix of the previous cards, with the flexibility to protect artifacts or creatures from a chosen color or even from artifacts, but it also requires an additional payment of life or mana.
Taking into account the specificity and endurance of protection given, White Ward is a solid selection for those seeking to safeguard their creatures against white-based strategies over a longer game span. Its singularity among protective spells adds strategic depth to Magic: The Gathering’s gameplay and deck building choices.
Cards similar to White Ward by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Equipping White Ward to a creature not only protects it from a specific color, but also effectively thwarts your opponent’s attempts to target it with removal spells of that color, preserving your board presence.
Resource Acceleration: Investing in White Ward early in the game shields your key creatures from targeted removal, allowing you to maintain your resources on the board and focus on accelerating your game plan without the setback of losing crucial pieces.
Instant Speed: Although White Ward is an enchantment, its ability to be attached at instant speed due to the Flash mechanic of certain MTG cards offers adaptability in response to incoming threats, making it a versatile tool for protecting your creatures at crucial moments.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While White Ward offers protection, it comes with the downside of potential card disadvantage. To attach it to a creature, players must have enough cards in hand, and if used in the early game, it may force a choice between developing the board or protecting a single asset.
Specific Mana Cost: This enchantment requires a specifically white mana to cast. This mono-colored mana cost makes it less versatile in multi-color decks that might not always have the required white mana available when needed.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost of one white mana, White Ward can be seen as an investment for its protective abilities. However, in a game where tempo and efficiency are key, dedicating an entire turn to cast White Ward could put the player at a disadvantage, especially when there are other lower-cost protection options available.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: White Ward offers protection that can be vital for key creatures in a variety of White-based decks. Its ability to grant protection from white can shield your important assets from commonly played white removal spells.
Combo Potential: When paired with creatures that have beneficial abilities or are critical to your strategy, White Ward can ensure these creatures remain on the battlefield. It secures combos by protecting creatures from being targeted by spells or effects of the color it protects from.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that is heavy with white control decks or white creature strategies, White Ward can provide an edge by making your creatures difficult to remove and allowing them to bypass other white creatures during combat.
How to Beat White Ward
White Ward is a unique protective enchantment in MTG, offering an immunity of sorts for creatures against all that is white. Players often leverage this card to shield their valuable creatures from targeted removals or effects brought forth by white spells. It creates a dynamic on the battlefield where opponents have to think outside the box to deal with the enchanted creature.
To effectively counteract the defenses of White Ward, players should look beyond color restrictions. Cards that don’t specify color in their text, such as Universal Solvent or Scour from Existence, can bypass the Ward’s protection. Moreover, turning to board wipes like Damnation or Cyclonic Rift can remove the protected creature as they do not target any one creature specifically. Additionally, engaging in combat tricks or utilizing spells that force the owner to sacrifice creatures also prove themselves to be reliable solutions since White Ward only prevents targeting by white spells, not by effects that do not target or ones that include other avenues of removal.
In essence, while White Ward may initially seem like an insurmountable barrier for white-dominated decks, versatile removal options or colorless alternatives exist and can be instrumental in mitigating and overcoming the protective advantage given by this enchantment.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase White Ward MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 White Ward and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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 MTG Products
Printings
The White Ward Magic the Gathering card was released in 11 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by Dan Frazier.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1993-08-05 | Limited Edition Alpha | LEA | 44 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dan Frazier | |
| 2 | 1993-10-04 | Limited Edition Beta | LEB | 45 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dan Frazier | |
| 3 | 1993-12-01 | Unlimited Edition | 2ED | 45 | 1993 | Normal | White | Dan Frazier | |
| 4 | 1993-12-10 | Collectors' Edition | CED | 45 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dan Frazier | |
| 5 | 1993-12-10 | Intl. Collectors' Edition | CEI | 45 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dan Frazier | |
| 6 | 1994-04-01 | Revised Edition | 3ED | 45 | 1993 | Normal | White | Dan Frazier | |
| 7 | 1994-04-01 | Foreign Black Border | FBB | 45 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dan Frazier | |
| 8 | 1994-06-21 | Summer Magic / Edgar | SUM | 45 | 1993 | Normal | White | Dan Frazier | |
| 9 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border | 4BB | 57 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dan Frazier | |
| 10 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition | 4ED | 57 | 1993 | Normal | White | Dan Frazier | |
| 11 | 2022-11-28 | 30th Anniversary Edition | 30A | 44 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dan Frazier | |
| 12 | 2022-11-28 | 30th Anniversary Edition | 30A | 341 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Dan Frazier |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where White Ward has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |