Decorated Champion MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Elf Warrior |
| Released | 2018-06-08 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Battlebond |
| Set code | BBD |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 69 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | normal |
| Border | black |
| Illustred by | Naomi Baker |
Key Takeaways
- Decorated Champion’s ability scales with warrior presence, providing a snowballing advantage in tribal decks.
- Its high mana cost and color-specific needs may hinder smooth deck integration and tempo.
- In a warrior-saturated meta, this card’s potential for growth can dominate the battlefield.
Text of card
Whenever another Warrior enters the battlefield under your team's control, put a +1/+1 counter on Decorated Champion.
The oddsmakers hate him because every fight is a foregone conclusion. The crowd loves him for exactly the same reason.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Decorated Champion shines in decks that focus on creature strategies, particularly those that revolve around warriors. With its ability to benefit from each warrior entering the battlefield under your control, you’ll find the Champion swings in not just as a combatant but also as a consistent card advantage engine, bulking up to outmatch your opponent’s forces.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, Decorated Champion’s growing presence on the battlefield accelerates your resources by applying pressure and demanding answers from your adversary. The sheer value accrued from its bolstering ability can lead to a quicker path to victory, satisfying both offensive and tempo plays within your tactical arsenal.
Instant Speed: While Decorated Champion itself isn’t an instant speed spell, its reactive power gain aligns perfectly with instant speed interactions. Play warriors at the end of your opponent’s turn or during combat to unexpectedly bolster the Champion, turning the tides of battle swiftly and showcasing the strategic depth that comes with such a dynamic card in your deck.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One notable drawback of Decorated Champion is the need to discard a card to activate its abilities. This can be particularly challenging when your hand is already depleted or if you’re trying to maintain card advantage against your opponent.
Specific Mana Cost: Decorated Champion requires a specific blend of mana to cast. This can sometimes create challenges in decks that aren’t heavily focused on the colors required, potentially causing delays or inconsistencies in gameplay.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Decorated Champion offers distinct benefits, its mana cost is relatively high when considering the competitive environment. Many players might opt for lower-cost creatures that provide similarly impactful effects on the game without the same level of investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Decorated Champion can adapt to various play styles, thriving in decks that capitalize on the “creature entering the battlefield” mechanic, making it a flexible addition to many tribal-focused decks.
Combo Potential: This card escalates in power with each ally creature that enters your battlefield, potentially comboing with cards that aim to summon multiple creatures in a single turn, thus snowballing an advantage.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Decorated Champion holds its ground by progressively growing stronger, providing continuous value as part of an aggressive board presence.
How to beat
Decorated Champion is a unique creature card in MTG that thrives in creature-heavy, battle-focused decks, particularly those stacked with warriors. While it may seem like a formidable card, especially in the right tribal deck, there are strategies to counteract its strengths. To effectively beat this card, it’s crucial to limit the card’s growth by controlling the battlefield. Employing removal spells or abilities that directly target creatures can be incredibly effective. This ensures that the champion never gains the momentum it needs to overpower your defenses.
Additionally, board wipes can be used to clear multiple creatures at once, avoiding the accumulation of +1/+1 counters the Champion would otherwise benefit from. Ensnaring combat tricks to negate the card’s advantages or using counter spells to prevent it from even entering the battlefield can change the tide of the match in your favor. Remember, maintaining battlefield control and keeping the Champion’s allies at bay are key to ensuring this card doesn’t outpace your game plan.
Every card has its counter, and in the case of Decorated Champion, a well-timed spell or strategy can effectively check its ascent, reinforcing the depth and intricacy of MTG gameplay.
Cards like Decorated Champion
The Decorated Champion fit seamlessly within a wide host of creature-centric decks where it shines not only as a creature but also as a boon to battlefield strategies. When assessing parallels, it drums up comparison to renowned cards like Champion of the Parish. Much like the Decorated Champion, Champion of the Parish grows in power as other Humans come into play, although the Champion focuses solely on Humans while our Decorated friend supports a broader alliance of warriors.
Bloodthirsty Aerialist presents a related mechanical flavor, where it too accrues power and toughness through the gameplay, this time keying off of life gain. This vampire ally may not be a warrior, but players will find a kindred spirit in its growth potential. However, it doesn’t provide the tribal synergy that Decorated Champion offers. Then there is Ainok Bond-Kin, echoing the warrior theme, it aids others by granting first strike, albeit it does not grow inherently stronger as more kin enter the fray.
Evaluating the balance of card attributes is essential, and in the vast domain of creature cards, the Decorated Champion holds its own. Its unique advantage lies in its ability to empower an aggressive tribal strategy, making it a versatile and valuable addition to any warrior deck.
Cards similar to Decorated Champion by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Decorated Champion MTG card by a specific set like Battlebond, 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 Decorated Champion 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Decorated Champion has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
