Keldon Warcaller MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Warrior
Released	2018-04-27
Set symbol
Set name	Dominaria
Set code	DOM
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	136
Frame	2015
Layout	normal
Border	black
Illustred by	Aaron Miller

Key Takeaways

Keldon Warcaller aids in leveraging planeswalkers and sagas for a strategic advantage.
The card’s specific mana requirement can be restrictive in diversified decks.
Despite the higher cost, its inclusion can pivotally alter game outcomes.

Text of card

Whenever Keldon Warcaller attacks, put a lore counter on target Saga you control.

"The Mountain gave the Flame to Kradak to light the furnaces of his people's hearts. The wanderers became Keldons, and he the first warlord." —"The Flame of Keld"

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Keldon Warcaller may not directly grant you additional cards, but its ability to augment your army can be quite valuable. By attacking with Keldon Warcaller, you’re boosting the loyalty counters on your planeswalkers, effectively leveraging your current resources and thus gaining an advantage in the broader context of the game.

Resource Acceleration: While Keldon Warcaller itself doesn’t produce mana or tokens, it accelerates your strategic resources in a different manner. The Warcaller’s ability to ramp up your planeswalker’s loyalty counters can expedite your access to their powerful ultimate abilities, acting as a catalyst for your endgame strategies.

Instant Speed: Although Keldon Warcaller is a creature and not an instant, the speed at which it can affect the game is noteworthy. By simply swinging in with this creature, you immediately see the results, potentially at a moment’s notice during your combat phase. This rapid impact on planeswalkers’ loyalty can be a game-changer, functioning similarly to how an instant speed interaction might in terms of swift game state changes.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Keldon Warcaller itself doesn’t obligate you to discard cards, it may fall in strategy with other cards that operate on discard mechanisms. If Keldon Warcaller is a part of such a deck, it might unexpectedly enhance your discard rate leaving you with fewer options in hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Keldon Warcaller requires both red and generic mana to play. This specific mana cost could be restrictive as it demands a commitment to red mana resources, which could be less compatible in multicolored or more diverse decks that don’t focus heavily on red mana or have ready access to red mana sources. Certain mana bases might struggle to consistently produce the red mana needed at the right time.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that is not the lowest for its effects, you might find Keldon Warcaller less efficient when trying to establish early game presence. In a fast-paced game, investing two mana into a 2/2 creature whose benefits are conditional on casting other spells, might not be the most economical use of resources, especially when there are other creatures in the same mana range that could immediately affect the board state or have intrinsic value without additional spell casting.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Keldon Warcaller seamlessly integrates into aggressive or warrior-centric decks. Its ability to ensure that your sagas tick up faster means every deck utilizing sagas could benefit from its inclusion.

Combo Potential: As Keldon Warcaller attacks, it adds a lore counter to your sagas, hastening their abilities and enhancing the potential for powerful plays. In the right deck, this can lead to game-changing turns.

Meta-Relevance: With the constant flux of the MTG meta, a card like Keldon Warcaller that accelerates your strategy could prove crucial in overtaking your opponent’s moves, particularly in a meta that favors quick builds and aggressive playstyles.

How to Beat Keldon Warcaller

Keldon Warcaller might not be the flashiest card on the battlefield, but its ability to ramp up warfare can catch players off guard in Magic: The Gathering. As an integral piece in many aggro decks, the Warcaller’s prowess lies in its ability to quicken your assault by advancing the saga abilities of enchantments each time it attacks.

The key to tackling this nuisance is to control the pace of the game. Use removal spells efficiently to get Keldon Warcaller off the board before it can trigger the saga abilities. Direct damage spells or targeted creatures like Shivan Fire or Cast Down work wonders against it. In a broader strategy, incorporate board wipes if facing a horde of creatures or counterspells to nix important spells that could synergize with the Warcaller.

Maintaining a good defense is also crucial. Deploying creatures with high toughness or those with reach gives you a buffer, reducing the likelihood of the Warcaller’s successful aggression. Through these methods, the potency of Keldon Warcaller is greatly diminished, allowing you to steady the battlefield and secure your victory with strategic play and foresight.

Cards like Keldon Warcaller

Keldon Warcaller strides into the battlefield of Magic: The Gathering as an interesting piece within the wide array of creature cards. It draws a comparison to similarly costed creatures like Ahn-Crop Crasher, a card that also comes with its own set of advantages. Both are part of the aggressive red strategies, but Keldon Warcaller facilitates additional castings of historic spells, ramping up the potential for combo synergies.

Another card bearing resemblance in terms of cost and color is the Bomat Courier, which offers a different kind of strategic benefit with card advantage over time, a contrast to the immediate impact Keldon Warcaller could have on the game state. The Courier accumulates cards as it attacks, adding a layer of anticipation and card resource accrual, quite different from the Warcaller’s direct synergy with historic spells.

Assessing these different cards, players will note that while they share similarities, each card’s unique abilities can shape the way a deck is built and played. Keldon Warcaller stands out with its innate synergy with historic plays, adding layers of strategy for players looking to exploit this angle within their red aggressive decks.

Cards similar to Keldon Warcaller by color, type and mana cost

Goblin Elite Infantry - MTG Card versions

Rock Hydra - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)

Dwarven Weaponsmith - Foreign Black Border (FBB)

Dwarven Lieutenant - Fallen Empires (FEM)

Goblin Elite Infantry - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)

Fireslinger - Duel Decks Anthology: Jace vs. Chandra (JVC)

Mogg War Marshal - Duel Decks: Elves vs. Goblins (DD1)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Keldon Warcaller MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria, 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 Keldon Warcaller and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Keldon Warcaller has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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