Allied Assault MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant
Released	2020-09-25
Set symbol
Set name	Zendikar Rising
Set code	ZNR
Number	1
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Josh Hass

Key Takeaways

Boosts two creatures, elevating battlefield tactics without depleting your hand’s resources.
Instant speed play offers flexibility in combat, allowing strategic surprises.
Requires careful resource management due to specific mana and discard costs.

Text of card

Up to two target creatures each get +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the number of creatures in your party. (Your party consists of up to one each of Cleric, Rogue, Warrior, and Wizard.)

A common foe is the death of old hatreds.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Allied Assault enhances your ability to outmaneuver the opponent by temporarily boosting two creatures, effectively intensifying your presence on the battlefield without losing card equity in your hand.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana or tokens, the cost-effectiveness of Allied Assault facilitates a dynamic where you can allocate resources more freely, potentially accelerating subsequent plays thanks to its low investment cost.

Instant Speed: The fact that Allied Assault can be played at instant speed offers a tactical edge, allowing you to surprise opponents during combat or at the end of their turn, making it versatile and unpredictable in its application.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Allied Assault necessitates the discarding of a nonland card from your hand to activate its effect. This can pose a strategical dilemma, especially if you’re working with a tight hand and need to make the difficult choice between valuable spells.

Specific Mana Cost: This spell requires a precise combination of both white and blue mana. For multicolored decks that don’t focus on these colors, incorporating Allied Assault could lead to consistency issues and potentially hinder the deck’s flow.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes three mana—one of which is of a specific type—Allied Assault may be considered expensive for its effect. In a game where speed and efficiency are critical, players may prefer spells with a lower mana cost and a similar or better impact on the battlefield.

Reasons to Include Allied Assault in Your Collection

Versatility: Allied Assault offers a flexible approach to buffing your creatures, making it useful in a range of decks. It shines in formats where multicolor and ally strategies are prevalent.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with decks that capitalize on creature numbers and types. When played alongside other allies, the amplification it provides can turn the tide of a game.

Meta-Relevance: Given the fluctuating MTG scene, a card like Allied Assault can become a pivotal sideboard card in environments where aggressive ally decks are common.

How to beat

Allied Assault is an intriguing instant card in MTG that can turn the tide of battle with its potential to significantly boost two creatures during your turn. Its resemblance to other combat tricks, such as Rally the Troops, is apparent in its ability to surprise opponents and swing close combat scenarios in your favor. Nevertheless, the power of Allied Assault lies in its interaction with gathered allies, making it a potent force multiplier in ally-centered decks.

Similarly, Take Heart is another combat-oriented instant that provides a bonus effect upon casting. It costs less mana but only targets a single creature. While Take Heart also grants life equal to the number of creatures you control, it lacks Allied Assault’s capacity to influence two creatures simultaneously. On the other hand, Inspired Charge offers a blanket boost to all your creatures but at a higher mana cost and at sorcery speed, not allowing the same level of battlefield adaptability as Allied Assault, which operates at instant speed and thus can be utilized more strategically during combat.

All in all, a smart approach in countering Allied Assault hinges on anticipating its deployment during combat and maintaining removal or countermeasures that disrupt the synergy among allies. This card prospers in the right deck context but, with clever play, can be mitigated or even turned ineffective.

Cards like Allied Assault

Allied Assault from Magic: The Gathering finds its place in the array of combat trick spells designed to boost your creatures during battle. It stands alongside cards like Inspired Charge, which also gifts your creatures a notable increase in power and toughness. Allied Assault, however, differentiates itself by potentially providing a larger boost if you control a full party, showcasing its alignment with the party mechanic introduced in the Zendikar Rising set.

Coordinated Assault offers an alternative approach by targeting fewer creatures—only two—but it also buffs them and at a lower cost. While it doesn’t depend on the party mechanic, it doesn’t provide the numerical uplift that Allied Assault can achieve under optimal conditions. Conversely, Charge is a simpler option, offering a straight boost to all of your creatures, yet without the potential party payoff Allied Assault presents.

Assessing the utility of these spells depends on your deck’s strategy. Considering the mechanics, cost, and impact, Allied Assault carves out its niche for a deck keen on synergizing with the party mechanic – pushing it ahead in cases where a diverse creature base can play to its strengths.

Cards similar to Allied Assault by color, type and mana cost

Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Allied Assault MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar Rising, 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 Allied Assault and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Allied Assault has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Commander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2020-09-25	An ability referring to the number of creatures in your party gets a number from zero to four. Such abilities never ask which creatures are in your party, and you never have to designate specific creatures as being in your party. You can’t choose to exclude creatures from this count to lower the number.
2020-09-25	If a creature has more than one party creature type, and there are multiple ways to count that creature that could result in a different number of creatures in your party, the highest such number is used. For example, if you control a Cleric and a Cleric Wizard, the number of creatures in your party is two. You can’t choose to have it be just one by counting the Cleric Wizard first as a Cleric.
2020-09-25	The value of X is determined only as Allied Assault resolves. Once that happens, the value of X won’t change later in the turn even if the number of creatures in your party changes.
2020-09-25	To determine “the number of creatures in your party,” check whether you control a Cleric, whether you control a Rogue, whether you control a Warrior, and whether you control a Wizard. The number is the total number of those checks to which you answered yes. Each creature you control can be counted for only one of those checks.