Stand Firm MTG Card

Fifth Dawn (5DN)
2004-06-04 - Number 17

Stand Firm - Duel Decks: Heroes vs. Monsters (DDL)

Duel Decks: Heroes vs. Monsters (DDL)
2013-09-06 - Number 21

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Abilities	Scry

Key Takeaways

Allows scry to control draws, bolstering strategic planning and card advantage.
Instant speed enables adaptive responses and enhances combat survivability.
Requires white mana, making it best for certain deck types.

Text of card

Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Scry 2 (Look at the top two cards of your library. Put any number of them on the bottom of your library and the rest on top in any order.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Stand Firm offers the advantage of scry, enabling you to look at the top two cards of your library and control your next draws. Effectively, this can be seen as drawing into the best card for your current situation without increasing your opponent’s knowledge of your hand.

Resource Acceleration: While Stand Firm does not generate mana or tokens, its low casting cost contributes to efficiency. It maximizes your mana usage for the turn by allowing allocation of resources towards more impactful spells or board presence while still holding up a defensive option.

Instant Speed: The real utility of Stand Firm lies in its instant speed. It allows you to react dynamically to the battlefield, boosting a creature’s toughness to survive an unexpected combat or using it right before your turn to ensure a quality draw. The flexibility to respond to threats or prepare for your next move without telegraphing your actions to your opponent is a substantial strategic pro.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Stand Firm requires discarding a card to activate its bolster effect, a decision that could backfire if your hand is already depleted or if the card you’re discarding has high strategic value for later stages of the game.

Specific Mana Cost: With its white mana requirement, Stand Firm fits primarily into mono-white or multicolor decks that can produce white mana. This makes the card less versatile and may not be ideal for decks that cannot consistently meet the color requirement.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Stand Firm does offer a potentially powerful bolster effect, its casting cost may consume a significant portion of your mana resources for the turn. Some alternative cards with lower mana costs could provide more immediate impact or flexibility throughout the game, making Stand Firm a potentially less efficient choice in certain situations.

Reasons to Include Stand Firm in Your Collection

Versatility: Stand Firm is a card that offers flexibility in defensive and offensive strategies. Its ability to manipulate the top card of your library is beneficial for setting up your draws or the next play, making it a suitable addition to a variety of decks.

Combo Potential: The scry ability of Stand Firm can be pivotal in decks that capitalize on knowing the next card. Combining it with setup spells or creatures that benefit from deck manipulation can pave the way for powerful plays.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state that emphasizes combat tricks and board presence, Stand Firm’s ability to boost a creature’s toughness along with the scry mechanic keeps decks adaptive and responsive to the evolving battlefield conditions.

How to beat

Stand Firm is a unique card within the realm of Magic the Gathering that boasts the ability to strengthen a creature when it is most crucial. Known for its versatility in boosting toughness and granting a scry bonus, Stand Firm has found its way into many players’ decks. What sets Stand Firm apart is not merely the instant fortification it provides but also the strategic depth it adds by allowing you to rearrange the top cards of your library, giving you a greater chance to draw into the answers or threats you need most.

To outplay Stand Firm, timing is key. As it is an instant, you’ll want to bait it out during your opponent’s turn or when they are least expecting it. Try exerting pressure in such a way that the Stand Firm’s buff is not enough to save their creature, or use removal spells that do not depend on the creature’s toughness. Another strategy is to hold back on your removal until after Stand Firm is cast, avoiding the boost in toughness and making their card less effective. Paying attention to the mana your opponent has available and being patient can be the way to gain the upper hand against this card. Remember, keep your cool and wager your resources wisely to nullify Stand Firm’s impact on the game.

Ultimately, while Stand Firm adds resilience and planning capabilities to your opponent’s game, understanding and anticipating its use can turn the tides in your favor, maintaining your position on the competitive edge of MTG.

Cards like Stand Firm

Stand Firm stands its ground in Magic: The Gathering as a unique instant for bolstering your creatures. It offers an affordable way to not only increase a creature’s power and toughness but also to scry, allowing you to shape future draws. While there are other cards like Giant Growth that provide a more considerable boost to a creature’s stats, they lack the scry ability which Stand Firm grants, making it a strategic option for deck filtering.

Comparatively, cards like Preordain allow for scrying but are devoid of the combat advantages Stand Firm provides. Meanwhile, cards like Ranger’s Guile protect your creature from targeted spells but don’t offer the stat boost or deck manipulation. Yet another card worth mentioning is Gods Willing, giving protection from a color of your choice along with scry, balancing defense with card selection. However, it doesn’t directly affect battlefield numbers in terms of power and toughness.

In evaluating these alternatives, Stand Firm may not be the most powerful combat trick, but its dual utility in stat augmentation and improving draw quality makes it a card that offers a blend of aggression and foresight in gameplay.

Cards similar to Stand Firm by color, type and mana cost

Swords to Plowshares - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Stand Firm MTG card by a specific set like Fifth Dawn and Duel Decks: Heroes vs. Monsters, 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 Stand Firm and other MTG cards: