Battlefield Medic MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Cleric |
| Released | 2002-10-07 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Onslaught |
| Set code | ONS |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 9 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Matt Thompson |
Key Takeaways
- Battlefield Medic can change game dynamics with consistent healing abilities each turn.
- Its instant speed interactions add depth and adaptability to your strategy.
- Activation requires discarding, which could be costly if resources are limited.
Text of card
oc T: Prevent the next X damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn, where X is the number of Clerics in play.
"Death never stops to rest. Neither can we."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Battlefield Medic offers the potential to pivot crucial moments in a game by providing consistent healing each turn. This can effectively prevent loss of life and even turn the tide in prolonged matches, ensuring you have the sustainability to outlast your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: As a versatile support unit, Battlefield Medic can synergize with life-gain strategies that trigger additional effects. Its ability to interact with other cards can lead to accelerated resource gain, such as bolstering creature strength or enabling complex combos that can tip the scales in your favor.
Instant Speed: The ability to activate Battlefield Medic’s abilities at instant speed adds tactical depth to your gameplay. This flexibility allows you to respond to threats or opportunities as they arise during your opponent’s turn, ensuring that you can adapt to an evolving battlefield without missing a beat.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Battlefield Medic card necessitates discarding another card, which can be quite setback if your hand is already depleted or if each card in hand is crucial for your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: Requiring a unique combination of mana colors, the Battlefield Medic might struggle to find a place in decks that don’t readily produce both types of mana, potentially limiting its versatility across diverse deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that may seem excessive relative to the abilities it provides, players might be inclined to opt for alternatives that offer a better cost-to-benefit ratio, thus affecting the card’s inclusion in competitive decks.
Reasons to Include Battlefield Medic in Your Collection
Versatility: Battlefield Medic can be seamlessly integrated into various deck archetypes that prioritize life gain or need defensive strategies. Its ability to heal allies makes it a solid inclusion in both aggressive and control builds.
Combo Potential: The card holds intrinsic synergy with strategies that capitalize on life total changes. Pairing it with cards that trigger effects on healing or life gain can set up powerful interactions and tipping points during gameplay.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where aggressive strategies are prevalent, Battlefield Medic shines by providing a steady stream of life gain. This can effectively help in stabilizing the field and thwarting opponents’ attempts to close out the game quickly.
How to beat
Battlefield Medic is a card well-recognized for its utility in creature-focused MTG decks that rely on staying power. This card’s potential lies in its ability to consistently keep your creatures in fighting shape through its prevention abilities. Unlike spells that offer a one-time healing surge, Battlefield Medic provides a reusable source of damage prevention which can be formidable over the course of a match.
Nevertheless, the key to outmaneuvering Battlefield Medic lies in overwhelming it with effects that negate its prevention capacity. Removal spells that bypass its healing by exiling or providing unpreventable damage can be effective. Consider utilizing cards with sweepers or direct damage spells that can handle multiple threats at once. Timing is critical, so aim to deploy these tactics when your opponent is least expecting it, or when they are tapped out and unable to use the Medic’s ability. This approach ensures that the Battlefield Medic’s influence is minimized, tipping the scales in your favor.
Overall, defeating a card like Battlefield Medic calls for a blend of strategic removal and the element of surprise, which can disrupt your opponent’s game plan and pave the way for your victory in an MTG duel.
Cards like Battlefield Medic
The Battlefield Medic closes a gap within the suite of utility creatures that have marked their territory in Magic: The Gathering. This card finds its place among other units that offer life gain and damage prevention. Comparable to the Alabaster Mage, which provides a repeatable source of life gain, Battlefield Medic allows tactical flexibility. While it doesn’t allow you to draw a card, its ability to prevent damage to multiple creatures or players simultaneously gives it a competitive edge in larger battles.
Examining Selfless Spirit offers insight into a creature that offers full-fledged protection by sacrificing itself. Unlike Battlefield Medic, which can protect turn after turn, Selfless Spirit is a one-time use card. Comparatively, Benevolent Bodyguard operates similarly to Battlefield Medic by protecting a single creature, but it too is a single-use ally, sacrificing itself for one grand act of defense.
Evaluating these options, Battlefield Medic not only bolsters defenses but does so consistently, which can be instrumental in outlasting opponents across numerous turns. It’s this blend of enduring utility and strategic depth that sets the Battlefield Medic apart in MTG, especially in formats where preventing damage can pivot the direction of the game.
Cards similar to Battlefield Medic by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Battlefield Medic MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught, 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 Battlefield Medic 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 Battlefield Medic has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Battlefield Medic card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | The value of X is determined when this resolves, not later when damage would be dealt. |
