Armor Thrull MTG Card
1994-11-01 - Number 33a
1994-11-01 - Number 33c
1994-11-01 - Number 33d
1994-11-01 - Number 33b
2008-09-22 - Number 77
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Thrull |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Armor Thrull enhances board presence without reducing your hand, crucial for maintaining card advantage.
- While it doesn’t add mana, it indirectly preserves resources by augmenting creature survivability.
- Operating at sorcery speed, Armor Thrull encourages strategic turn planning, potentially disrupting opponents.
Text of card
oc T: Sacrifice Armor Thrull to put a +1/+2 counter on a target creature.
"The worst thing about being a mercenary for the Ebon Hand is having to wear a dead Thrull." —Ivra Jursdotter
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Armor Thrull doesn’t simply offer a creature presence on the board; it assigns a +1/+2 bonus to another target Thrull you control. This effectively improves the strength of your army without diminishing your hand resources, leaving you better positioned in the longer game stretches.
Resource Acceleration: Even though it does not directly contribute to mana generation, the static boost provided by Armor Thrull can accelerate your game by enhancing the survivability and impact of your other creatures. This translates to maintaining a more potent board presence and less need for casting additional creatures, thus indirectly preserving resources.
Instant Speed: Armor Thrull operates at sorcery speed, which, while not instantaneous, encourages strategic play. By using the Thrull in concert with your turn’s rhythm, you fortify your strategy and set the pace, potentially disrupting your opponent’s plans. This calculated augmentation can be the stepping stone to victory as it strengthens your creatures on the battlefield, ready for immediate engagement.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Although Armor Thrull does not require an actual discard, it does demand that you sacrifice the creature itself to provide a permanent +1/+2 boost to another. This self-sacrifice can sometimes be detrimental, especially if you’re left without enough board presence.
Specific Mana Cost: Armor Thrull requires both black and generic mana to cast. This can be restrictive in multi-colored decks where black mana sources might be limited or needed for other spells.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a single-use ability, Armor Thrull’s three mana cost can be deemed steep. In decks that aim to operate efficiently, there are creatures and enchantments available that offer persistent effects or greater flexibility for a similar or reduced mana investment.
Reasons to Include Armor Thrull in Your Collection
Versatility: Armor Thrull can seamlessly integrate into a variety of deck builds, particularly those centered around creature buffs and tribal synergies. Its ability to enhance the survivability of key creatures makes it useful in multiple game scenarios.
Combo Potential: When used in conjunction with sacrifice and recursion mechanics, Armor Thrull’s ability to bestow a permanent buff can repeatedly strengthen your creatures, creating advantageous board states that can overwhelm opponents over time.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based strategies prevail, Armor Thrull’s enduring enhancement can tip the scales by bolstering your creatures’ defenses against common removal spells and combat trades, making it a prudent choice for those adapting to creature-heavy environments.
How to Beat Armor Thrull
Armor Thrull may not be the most formidable creature on the battlefield, but it comes with a unique ability to bolster your defense. When it’s time to say farewell to this loyal Thrull, it ensures its legacy endures by granting another creature a permanent +0/+2 toughness bonus. To effectively counter this strategic move, consider the timing of your removal spells. Ideally, remove Armor Thrull before it has the chance to sacrifice itself and amplify another creature’s survivability.
Furthermore, use board wipes like Wrath of God to simultaneously clear Armor Thrull and any potential targets for its ability. Ensnaring its effect with a counter spell, like Counterspell, can also prevent this exchange altogether. Lastly, remember cards such as Rest in Peace can exile it and eliminate any thoughts of it leaving behind its armoring gift. With these tactics, the small yet potentially impactful contribution of Armor Thrull to your opponent’s forces can be mitigated.
Understanding and disrupting your opponent’s plan can turn the tide of the match. So keep your removals handy, and you’ll have the upper hand against those using Armor Thrull to build an impenetrable defense.
Cards like Armor Thrull
Armor Thrull has its unique place among creature enhancements in Magic: The Gathering. This card shares its identity with functionally similar creatures that sacrifice themselves for a greater cause. One equivalent would be the Ironclaw Curse, which also furnishes a long-term buff, yet it’s an enchantment with a debuff risk instead of a creature offering a direct stat boost. Armor Thrull, in this case, provides a more reliable and immediate effect upon its exit.
Exploring further, we encounter Cathedral Sanctifier, a creature that provides an instantaneous boost, but to a player’s life total rather than another creature’s power and toughness. The immediate gratification of life points could be invaluable in tight game scenarios, compared to the strategic power and toughness enhancement delivered by Armor Thrull. This illustrates the trade-off between different types of in-game advantages.
In summary, while other cards offer buffs and benefits in various forms, Armor Thrull carves a niche with its straightforward, risk-free enhancement to fellow creatures. Its utility in bolstering a single creature could be the tactical edge needed at critical moments in gameplay, distinguishing it within the creature enhancement pool of Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Armor Thrull by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Armor Thrull MTG card by a specific set like Fallen Empires and Fallen Empires, 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 Armor Thrull 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 Armor Thrull Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1994-11-01 and 2008-09-22. Illustrated by 4 different artists.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994-11-01 | Fallen Empires | FEM | 33a | 1993 | normal | black | Pete Venters | |
| 2 | 1994-11-01 | Fallen Empires | FEM | 33c | 1993 | normal | black | Jeff A. Menges | |
| 3 | 1994-11-01 | Fallen Empires | FEM | 33d | 1993 | normal | black | Scott Kirschner | |
| 4 | 1994-11-01 | Fallen Empires | FEM | 33b | 1993 | normal | black | Ron Spencer | |
| 5 | 2008-09-22 | Masters Edition II | ME2 | 77 | 1997 | normal | black | Pete Venters |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Armor Thrull has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
