Aven Tactician MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Aven Tactician is often included in decks where bolstering smaller creatures is a key strategy. Upon entering the battlefield, this card can give a +1/+1 counter to a creature you control with the least toughness, slightly expanding your board presence and potentially turning the tide during a match.

Resource Acceleration: Though Aven Tactician itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it can be an essential part of an army that gains benefits from having a high creature count. This larger army can prove crucial for strategies that require tapping creatures for mana or other abilities.

Instant Speed: While Aven Tactician is a creature card that doesn’t operate at instant speed, its presence can affect how opponents play their instant-speed spells. Knowing that you have a creature that can bolster upon entry may cause the opponent to think twice before playing removal spells, potentially saving your more valuable creatures from being targeted.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Aven Tactician does not directly necessitate discarding cards, having a high mana cost can pressure players to choose between playing it or discarding other valuable cards in certain game scenarios.

Specific Mana Cost: Aven Tactician’s mana cost includes not just white mana but also generic mana, requiring a total of five mana. This specificity can limit the card’s inclusion to decks that can reliably produce both types of mana without hindrance.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, Aven Tactician is considered costly compared to other creatures with bolster or similar abilities. Players might opt for lower-cost creatures that provide more immediate board presence or effects.

Reasons to Include Aven Tactician in Your Collection

Versatility: Aven Tactician serves as a multi-faceted addition thanks to its flying ability and bolster mechanic, making it a solid choice for aerial-themed decks or ones focusing on +1/+1 counters.

Combo Potential: The bolster ability can be tactically paired with creatures that have modular, evolve, or any other counter-based synergy, forging strategic plays that enhance your battlefield presence.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where flying creatures dominate, Aven Tactician provides an edge by not only contributing to your vertical assault but also strengthening your other units, maintaining relevance in various matchups.

How to Beat Aven Tactician

Aven Tactician is a card that brings a mix of aerial strength and a one-time boost in the form of its +1/+1 counters upon entering the battlefield. As a creature that belongs to the vast collection in Magic: The Gathering, it requires a strategic approach to counter effectively. Firstly, since it has flying, ground creatures won’t be able to block it, so your first line of defense should include creatures with flying or reach to nullify its aerial advantage. Moreover, instant removal spells that can target creatures regardless of their abilities, like Doom Blade or Murder, are indispensable tools against Aven Tactician.

Additionally, timing is crucial when you’re facing cards that strengthen others like Aven Tactician. Using board wipes before the Tactician’s effect triggers can prevent your opponent’s army from gaining the +1/+1 counters, thereby keeping the battlefield manageable. Lastly, remember that the Tactician’s impact is limited to when it enters the battlefield. Without other synergies at play, its power level remains static afterward, allowing you to plan a mid to late-game strategy that can outpace your opponent’s early buff. Coordinated tactics and proper sequencing of plays will lead you to victory against this feathery strategist.