Makindi Patrol MTG Card


Makindi Patrol - Battle for Zendikar
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Knight Ally
Abilities Rally
Released2015-10-02
Set symbol
Set nameBattle for Zendikar
Set codeBFZ
Power 2
Toughness 3
Number39
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byDavid Palumbo

Key Takeaways

  1. Returns board advantage by synergizing well with Ally-focused strategies and enabling vigilance.
  2. A flexible card that can bolster both offensive and defensive plays in a variety of deck types.
  3. While impactful, it requires careful deck construction to optimize its ally synergy benefits.
Vigilance card art

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.

Text of card

Rally — Whenever Makindi Patrol or another Ally enters the battlefield under your control, creatures you control gain vigilance until end of turn.

Working with his noble mount, he notices every form on the horizon, every scent in the air, every tremor in the earth.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While the Makindi Patrol itself may not draw cards, it does offer an edge by providing consistent ally cohesion on the battlefield. For those piloting Ally decks, the Patrol can be an incremental part of maintaining board presence, thus indirectly contributing to card advantage by reducing the necessity to cast multiple creatures for a similar effect.

Resource Acceleration: Makindi Patrol may not accelerate resources in the traditional sense of producing mana, but it gives your creatures vigilance when it or another Ally enters the battlefield under your control. This can accelerate your game plan by allowing you to commit to an aggressive stance while keeping defenses up, effectively making your resources—your creatures—more versatile and efficient.

Instant Speed: Although the Patrol is a creature that does not operate at instant speed, it synergizes well with instant speed spells and abilities that put Allies into play during an opponent’s turn. This can catch an unprepared opponent off guard by suddenly granting your team vigilance at a critical moment, providing a surprise defensive capability that could tilt the scales in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Makindi Patrol requires you to maintain a hand with cards to gain its ally synergy benefit, which might not always be feasible, particularly if you’re playing a fast-paced deck that cycles through its hand quickly.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires both white mana and generic mana to cast, which can be restrictive if your mana base isn’t well-tuned for multicolor decks, potentially limiting its inclusion in more color-flexible strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, this card could be considered costly for its base stats and the rally ability it provides. In environments where the board is competitive early in the game, you might find more affordable alternatives to secure an early advantage or more impactful allies that justify their mana cost with stronger abilities.


Reasons to Include Makindi Patrol in Your Collection

Versatility: The Makindi Patrol card can be a valuable addition to a variety of deck builds, particularly those that focus on high mobility. Its ability to grant vigilance to all your creatures can open up strategic plays, allowing you to attack without leaving yourself defenseless.

Combo Potential: Its vigilance-granting ability can be combined with cards and strategies that capitalize on creatures remaining untapped, making it a subtle yet impactful presence on the battlefield. Allies decks, in particular, can find Makindi Patrol a linchpin for executing powerful synergies.

Meta-Relevance: In game environments where offensive pressure and maintaining a defensive stance are vital, Makindi Patrol ensures your forces remain versatile. It’s a smart choice for those looking to edge out their opponents in metas where creature-based strategies prevail.


How to beat

Makindi Patrol may not be the most fearsome card on the battlefield, but it can give your opponent’s creatures a critical advantage in Magic: The Gathering. As a creature that grants vigilance to other creatures when it enters the battlefield or when you play a land, Makindi Patrol can present a tactical challenge, especially in landfall-centric decks where the ability can be triggered multiple times.

To effectively counteract Makindi Patrol, one strategy is to remove it before the landfall ability can be used to its fullest. Instant speed removal spells that can be cast on your opponent’s turn, such as Fatal Push or Lightning Bolt, are perfect for this task. Board wipes, like Wrath of God or Damnation, are also an effective way to reset the board and eliminate the advantage that Makindi Patrol provides.

Another angle of attack is to employ counterspells when Makindi Patrol is cast. Countering creatures before they hit the board prevents them from affecting the game state. Targeted discard spells that strip key cards from your opponent’s hand are also advisable, as they might disrupt the synergy that decks with Makindi Patrol rely on.


Cards like Makindi Patrol

Makindi Patrol brings a unique mechanic to the battleground of Magic: The Gathering. It aligns closely with cards like Cliffside Lookout, sharing the same mana cost and offering an ability that can uplift your creatures on the field. However, Makindi Patrol provides your creatures with vigilance when it or another Ally enters the battlefield, unlike the Lookout’s mana-intensive ability to boost creature power.

Stepping into the shoes of other Ally cards, we can draw parallels with Ondu Cleric. This card also thrives in an Ally-centric build, but its role is more about life gain rather than bolstering a tactical combat advantage. Even though Ondu Cleric does not change the dynamics of attacking and blocking as Makindi Patrol does, it offers sustained benefit through cumulative life-gain, supporting a different angle of deck resilience.

Wrapping up the comparison, Makindi Patrol carves its niche within the MTG universe by enabling an aggressive, yet cautious strategy, encouraging attacks without leaving your guard down. It’s this balancing act between offense and defense that makes the Patrol a card worth considering in Ally decks focused on maintaining battlefield presence.

Cliffside Lookout - MTG Card versions
Ondu Cleric - MTG Card versions
Cliffside Lookout - Battle for Zendikar (BFZ)
Ondu Cleric - Zendikar (ZEN)

Cards similar to Makindi Patrol by color, type and mana cost

Argivian Blacksmith - MTG Card versions
Jamuraan Lion - MTG Card versions
Snow Hound - MTG Card versions
Elvish Healer - MTG Card versions
Femeref Knight - MTG Card versions
Border Guard - MTG Card versions
Stern Marshal - MTG Card versions
Benalish Knight - MTG Card versions
Regal Unicorn - MTG Card versions
Wild Griffin - MTG Card versions
Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions
Dogged Hunter - MTG Card versions
Diving Griffin - MTG Card versions
Faithful Squire // Kaiso, Memory of Loyalty - MTG Card versions
Kitsune Palliator - MTG Card versions
Freewind Equenaut - MTG Card versions
Sanctum Guardian - MTG Card versions
Field Marshal - MTG Card versions
Kithkin Healer - MTG Card versions
Kor Hookmaster - MTG Card versions
Argivian Blacksmith - Antiquities (ATQ)
Jamuraan Lion - Media Inserts (PMEI)
Snow Hound - Ice Age (ICE)
Elvish Healer - Ice Age (ICE)
Femeref Knight - Mirage (MIR)
Border Guard - Portal (POR)
Stern Marshal - Portal (POR)
Benalish Knight - Anthologies (ATH)
Regal Unicorn - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Wild Griffin - Starter 2000 (S00)
Pianna, Nomad Captain - Odyssey (ODY)
Dogged Hunter - Odyssey (ODY)
Diving Griffin - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Faithful Squire // Kaiso, Memory of Loyalty - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Kitsune Palliator - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Freewind Equenaut - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Sanctum Guardian - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Field Marshal - Coldsnap (CSP)
Kithkin Healer - Lorwyn (LRW)
Kor Hookmaster - Zendikar (ZEN)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Makindi Patrol MTG card by a specific set like Battle for Zendikar, 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 Makindi Patrol and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Makindi Patrol has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2015-08-25 If a creature with a rally ability enters the battlefield under your control at the same time as other Allies, that ability will trigger once for each of those creatures and once for the creature with the ability itself.
2015-08-25 Vigilance matters only as attackers are declared. Giving a creature vigilance after that point won’t untap it, even if it’s attacking.
2015-08-25 When an Ally enters the battlefield under your control, each rally ability of the permanents you control will trigger. You can put them on the stack in any order. The last ability you put on the stack will be the first one to resolve.

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