Akrasan Squire MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Soldier |
| Abilities | Exalted |
| Released | 2008-10-03 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Shards of Alara |
| Set code | ALA |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 1 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Todd Lockwood |
Key Takeaways
- Its cost-effective casting and Exalted ability lend a significant tactical advantage in the early game.
- Akrasan Squire excels in decks that capitalize on boosting single attackers, enhancing aggressive strategies.
- Despite mana cost specifics and a softer late-game presence, it remains a valuable addition to certain MTG deck archetypes.
Text of card
Exalted (Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, that creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Bant's armies are primarily composed of members of the Mortar caste, loyal commoners who haven't yet earned a sigil.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While Akrasan Squire itself doesn’t directly provide card advantage, it synergizes well with other creatures that benefit from being boosted, potentially giving you an edge on the battlefield with enhanced attack capabilities.
Resource Acceleration: Akrasan Squire may not produce additional mana or tokens, but its low casting cost serves as a type of acceleration by allowing you to develop your board presence rapidly, leaving mana open for other plays.
Instant Speed: Although Akrasan Squire is not an instant, its Exalted ability can be unexpectedly leveraged during the combat phase, similar in a tactical sense to an instant’s timing advantage, by providing an unforeseen boost to an unblocked attacker.
Card Cons
Specific Mana Cost: Akrasan Squire requires white mana for casting, making it less flexible for multicolored decks that may prioritize other colors or mana-fixing capabilities.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When analyzed alongside its power level and the benefit it provides, the mana investment for Akrasan Squire might be seen as inefficient compared to other one-drops that offer immediate impact on the game state.
Low Impact Late Game: While Akrasan Squire can be a decent early game play due to its Exalted ability, its relevance often diminishes as the game progresses, failing to provide the needed advantage during crucial later turns.
Reasons to Include Akrasan Squire in Your Collection
Versatility: Akrasan Squire is an asset due to its ability to seamlessly fit into various white weenie or exalted decks. Its low casting cost makes it a great early play and it pairs well with a broad range of creatures.
Combo Potential: This card excels in multiplying the impact of exalted triggers, allowing for powerful one-creature attacks. Its synergistic potential makes it a linchpin in strategies focused on strengthening individual attackers.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors aggressive, creature-based strategies, Akrasan Squire can provide the edge needed to outpace and overpower opponents, making it a smart inclusion in any adaptive collection.
How to beat
Akrasan Squire is a card that certainly earns a nod of approval for those playing White Weenie decks in Magic: The Gathering. Its niche lies in providing a decent boost to one other creature with its exalted ability each turn it attacks alone, tipping early game skirmishes in your favor. However, overcoming this card’s influence is about disrupting the synergy it tries to create.
Spot removal spells are your first line of defense, swiftly taking Akrasan Squire off the board before it can buff other creatures. Think along the lines of Fatal Push or Path to Exile, which work well against low-cost creatures. Board wipes can also clear the entire field, negating the advantage the squire provides. Consider cards like Wrath of God or Damnation that do not discriminate based on size or cost. Ensnaring an opponent’s strategy through disruption spells also works well, such as Thoughtseize, allowing you to pluck the Squire or any complimentary pieces directly from their hand.
Ultimately, dealing with Akrasan Squire efficiently boils down to not letting your opponent establish their board or exalted chain. Quick removal, strategic hand disruption, and keeping the battlefield clear are the keys to victory against a deck leveraging this tenacious one-drop.
Cards like Akrasan Squire
Akrasan Squire stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a modest yet influential card, especially within the exalted mechanic deck builds. Its closest comparison might be to the Knight of Glory, which also provides a form of buff to other creatures. However, unlike Knight of Glory’s protection from black creatures, Akrasan Squire focuses on empowering any one creature that attacks alone with an additional point of damage and toughness.
Exploring further, Sigiled Paladin shares the exalted trait, yet it enhances its prowess by offering not just a boost in stats but also double strike to the lone attacker, increasing the potential damage output. While Akrasan Squire doesn’t have this combat keyword, its lower mana cost gives players an early game advantage by quickly developing board presence and exalted stacks.
Lastly, Sublime Archangel deserves mention. It escalates the exalted mechanic to new heights by granting not just one, but an instance of exalted for each creature you control. This effect is vastly different from Akrasan Squire’s single exalted boost, but both cards serve as crucial enablers within their respective strategies in the game of Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Akrasan Squire by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Akrasan Squire MTG card by a specific set like Shards of Alara, 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 Akrasan Squire 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 MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Akrasan Squire has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Akrasan Squire card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-10-01 | Exalted abilities will resolve before blockers are declared. |
| 2008-10-01 | Exalted bonuses last until end of turn. If an effect creates an additional combat phase during your turn, a creature that attacked alone during the first combat phase will still have its exalted bonuses in that new phase. If a creature attacks alone during the second combat phase, all your exalted abilities will trigger again. |
| 2008-10-01 | If you attack with multiple creatures, but then all but one are removed from combat, your exalted abilities won’t trigger. |
| 2008-10-01 | If you declare exactly one creature as an attacker, each exalted ability on each permanent you control (including, perhaps, the attacking creature itself) will trigger. The bonuses are given to the attacking creature, not to the permanent with exalted. Ultimately, the attacking creature will wind up with +1/+1 for each of your exalted abilities. |
| 2008-10-01 | In a Two-Headed Giant game, a creature “attacks alone” if it’s the only creature declared as an attacker by your entire team. If you control that attacking creature, your exalted abilities will trigger but your teammate’s exalted abilities won’t. |
| 2008-10-01 | Some effects put creatures onto the battlefield attacking. Since those creatures were never declared as attackers, they’re ignored by exalted abilities. They won’t cause exalted abilities to trigger. If any exalted abilities have already triggered (because exactly one creature was declared as an attacker), those abilities will resolve as normal even though there may now be multiple attackers. |
