Soltari Champion MTG Card

Stronghold (STH)
1998-03-02 - Number 18

Soltari Champion - Tempest Remastered (TPR)

Tempest Remastered (TPR)
2015-05-06 - Number 29

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Soltari Soldier
Abilities	Shadow
Power	2
Toughness	2

Key Takeaways

The Champion’s attack boosts other creatures, giving a strategic advantage by spreading threats.
Its Shadow ability offers a tactical edge, simulating instant-speed evasion for aggressive play.
Though potent, the Champion can strain mana in multi-colored decks and faces stiff competition.

Text of card

Shadow (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.) If Soltari Champion attacks, all other creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Soltari Champion comes with a unique strength that can lead to significant card advantage. Each time it attacks, it empowers your other creatures, essentially upgrading your entire battlefield with each swing. This can force your opponent to deal with multiple threats instead of just one, potentially draining their resources faster than they can rebuild.

Resource Acceleration: Although Soltari Champion doesn’t directly accelerate your resources in terms of mana, it acts as a force multiplier on the battlefield. By giving other creatures you control a boost, it elevates your board state, allowing you to apply pressure more swiftly. This can accelerate the pace at which you overwhelm your opponent, turning your existing resources into more formidable threats.

Instant Speed: While Soltari Champion itself isn’t an instant-speed spell, its Shadow ability provides a tactical advantage akin to having an evasive creature that can often attack unblockable. This means that it can quickly become an unexpected problem for the opponent, much like an instant-speed interaction. Additionally, being a 2/2 for three mana means that it can be deployed early on to start building your board presence while still holding up mana for other instant-speed plays during your opponent’s turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Soltari Champion does not necessitate discarding cards, players should be aware that maintaining card advantage can be crucial in games, and cards with discard requirements can hinder that strategy when paired alongside this creature.

Specific Mana Cost: Deploying Soltari Champion requires both white mana and generic mana. Its specific cost can create challenges in multi-colored decks that may not have consistent access to white mana, potentially causing delays in casting it.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At three mana (two generic and one white), Soltari Champion is on the higher side for its creature type. Given its attributes and abilities, some players may seek more aggressively costed options for a faster pace and immediate board presence.

Reasons to Include Soltari Champion in Your Collection

Versatility: Soltari Champion is a flexible card that can be easily included in various deck builds owing to its ability to both swing in for combat and bolster other creatures’ power.

Combo Potential: Its Shadow ability ensures the Champion is often unblockable, and it combines seamlessly with strategies that aim to stack triggers from attacking creatures or buffs for wide-scale assaults.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where creature-based combat is pivotal, Soltari Champion stands out as a valuable addition. Its presence on the board can impact the pacing and outcome of battles, handling the aggression of creature-heavy decks or sneaking in for critical damage against control setups.

How to beat

Soltari Champion is a card that boosts the strength of other creatures as you engage in combat. This makes it a challenge on the battlefield, considering its ability to swiftly escalate the damage potential of its controller’s side. Dealing with this Shadow creature often means targeting it before combat phases or finding ways to neutralize its beneficial effects.

An effective strategy is to include removal spells in your deck that can bypass its Shadow ability. Cards like Wrath of God or Doom Blade allow you to remove once it’s declared as an attacker or blocker, helping to prevent your opponent from gaining the Champion’s benefits. Another tactic is to employ the use of counter spells such as Counterspell or Essence Scatter to prevent the Champion from entering the battlefield in the first place. It’s also beneficial to maintain control of the board by using cards that limit the number of creatures your opponent can attack with, thereby reducing the impact of Soltari Champion’s power boost.

In essence, mitigating the Soltari Champion’s influence requires foresight and a deck that can handle threats both on and off the board. Tailoring your deck with efficient removals or counters can ensure this creature’s prowess is kept in check during your matches.

Cards like Soltari Champion

The Soltari Champion stands as a unique aggressor within the Magic: The Gathering realm. Its ability to pump other creatures gives it synergy with the go-wide strategies typical of White Weenie decks. In parallels, we look at cards like Benalish Marshal, which not only buffs creatures but is also a robust body on the battlefield. While the Marshal demands a more color-intensive investment, it doesn’t require an attack to provide the boost.

Comparatively, mirror entity arrives as a changeling that can also serve as a powerful force amplifier. Despite its initial unassuming presence, with enough mana, it can dramatically elevate a board full of creatures to monumental power levels. Unlike Soltari Champion, however, it lacks shadow, forgoing unblockability for sheer flexibility.

Honor of the Pure shines in a similar role. This enchantment passively increases the might of white creatures consistently without relying on combat interaction. While the Soltari Champion emphasizes an offensive position during attack, Honor of the Pure fortifies every moment of the game, combat or otherwise, reinforcing white’s creature-driven strategies effectively.

Cards similar to Soltari Champion by color, type and mana cost

Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Soltari Champion MTG card by a specific set like Stronghold and Tempest Remastered, 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 Soltari Champion and other MTG cards: