Inspiring Commander MTG Card
2018-07-14 - Number 4
2020-08-13 - Number 11
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Human Soldier |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Generates card advantage with each creature played, maintaining a full hand and strategic flexibility.
- Six mana cost is steep but can be highly rewarding in creature-heavy decks that utilize its abilities.
- Valuable for its automatic life gain and card draw, enhancing both defensive and progressive playstyles.
Text of card
Whenever another creature with power 2 or less enters the battlefield under your control, you gain 1 life and draw a card.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Inspiring Commander is designed to offer consistent card advantage. By generating extra draw every time another creature with power 2 or less enters the battlefield under your control, it ensures that your hand remains full, providing more options and strategies to explore throughout the game.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly creating mana, Inspiring Commander accelerates your resources by potentially drawing you into more lands and mana sources. This continuous flow of cards can be pivotal in outpacing your opponent by having the means to deploy threats or answers swiftly.
Instant Speed: While Inspiring Commander itself is not an instant-speed spell, pairing it with creatures that can be played at instant speed maximizes its potential. Having the commander on the field turns each of these creatures into not only a surprise blocker or end-of-turn play but also a card draw engine, folding resource acceleration into your reactive strategies.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Inspiring Commander requires a significant board presence to maximize its ability. Without a steady stream of creatures entering the battlefield, its value diminishes, which puts pressure on maintaining a populated game state.
Specific Mana Cost: Inspiring Commander comes at a strict cost of six mana, demanding a commitment to white mana sources in your mana base. This constrains deck-building options and can complicate your mana curve in multicolored decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The need for six mana to cast this card could be too slow for many game strategies, especially considering it is a creature with no immediate impact on the board. There are more mana-efficient cards that can provide life gain or card draw without such a substantial initial investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Inspiring Commander’s ability to provide a steady source of life gain and card draw makes it a valuable addition to any deck that plays a multitude of creatures, particularly those centered around token generation or low-cost creatures.
Combo Potential: By syncing with cards that allow you to deploy multiple creatures in a single turn, Inspiring Commander magnifies your ability to draw additional cards, bolstering your hand and giving you more options every round.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors longer games or creature-heavy strategies, Inspiring Commander shines by offering consistent life gain to outlast aggro decks and card advantage to keep pace with control opponents.
How to beat Inspiring Commander
Inspiring Commander is a unique card that can alter the pace of play with its inherent ability to reward a player for casting smaller creatures. This card has the potential to generate overwhelming value over time, making it crucial to understand how to stifle its advantage. Firstly, consider spot removals such as Murder or Hero’s Downfall to remove it directly from the battlefield, preventing the snowball of card draw and life gain.
Additionally, playing with counterspells like Cancel or Negate can nip the problem in the bud by never letting Inspiring Commander hit the field. A focus on aggressive strategies can also help. Outpacing the deck that utilizes Inspiring Commander with swift creatures or direct damage spells, particularly burn spells like Lightning Strike or Shock, can close the game before the Commander brings significant value. Don’t overlook enchantments like Pacifism or bigger threats that outclass the Commander in combat, effectively shutting down its influence.
Adapting your deck to handle this card requires a mix of readiness and tactical forethought, ensuring that Inspiring Commander doesn’t overwhelm you with incremental gains over the course of the match.
Cards like Inspiring Commander
Inspiring Commander is a unique card that offers a blend of creature support and life gain for MTG players, which can swing the game in the right direction. Its ability to provide one life and draw a card whenever another creature with power 2 or less enters the battlefield under your control makes it reminiscent of cards like Mentor of the Meek. While Mentor of the Meek also allows for card drawing, it requires an additional mana investment for each trigger, contrasting with Inspiring Commander’s automatic ability.
Another card with a synergy for creatures is Soul Warden. This card is more focused on the life-gaining aspect, offering one life whenever another creature enters the battlefield. However, it lacks the card drawing power Inspiring Commander offers. Then there’s Alhammarret’s Archive, which amplifies both life gained and cards drawn, although it doesn’t trigger events itself. Instead, it doubles the effects of other life-gaining and card-drawing events, potentially working well with Inspiring Commander.
Each of these cards brings something special to a player’s deck, yet Inspiring Commander stands out for its combined life and card advantage upon creature plays without additional mana costs. It certainly finds its place in decks centered around small creatures and incremental advantages.
Cards similar to Inspiring Commander by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Inspiring Commander MTG card by a specific set like Arena New Player Experience Cards and Arena Beginner Set, 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 Inspiring Commander and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Magic products
Printings
The Inspiring Commander Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-07-14 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Antonio José Manzanedo.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-07-14 | Arena New Player Experience Cards | OANA | 4 | 2015 | normal | black | Antonio José Manzanedo | |
| 2 | 2020-08-13 | Arena Beginner Set | ANB | 11 | 2015 | normal | black | Antonio José Manzanedo |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Inspiring Commander has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
