Fathom Fleet Captain MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Pirate
Abilities Menace
Power 2
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Mobilizes a pirate horde, boosting board presence and creating combo opportunities with each attack.
  2. Demands careful resource management due to card discard necessities and specific mana requirements.
  3. Smuggles versatility and meta relevance into pirate-themed decks, enhancing aggressive play strategies.

Text of card

Menace Whenever Fathom Fleet Captain attacks, if you control another nontoken Pirate, you may pay . If you do, create a 2/2 black Pirate creature token with menace.

"Join me, and take the world for yourself!"


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Fathom Fleet Captain has an in-built mechanic that allows the creation of additional Pirate tokens. These tokens can provide not only board presence but also potential draw power if combined with other Pirate synergies or cards that reward you for controlling multiple creatures.

Resource Acceleration: Each Pirate token created by Fathom Fleet Captain can be considered a resource. While they don’t directly provide mana like Treasure tokens, they can be utilized for various effects that hinge on the number of creatures you control, effectively accelerating your game presence.

Instant Speed: While Fathom Fleet Captain’s ability itself is not at instant speed, it can synergize with cards that activate or trigger at instant speed. This can allow for surprising shifts in board state during combat or at the end of an opponent’s turn, giving the player strategic flexibility.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Deploying Fathom Fleet Captain’s ability demands a card to be discarded. This prerequisite could be particularly taxing should your hand be sparse, thereby potentially weakening your position over the course of the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Key to casting Fathom Fleet Captain is the need for black mana. This constraint makes the card a less versatile choice, leaning towards exclusivity in black or pirate-themed decks, potentially limiting its applicability in a diverse range of strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: To bring Fathom Fleet Captain’s benefits into play, one must invest an initial two mana. When compared to other creatures in its mana range, the captain might be considered somewhat costly, especially when factoring in the additional expenses to activate its abilities.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Fathom Fleet Captain slips smoothly into various pirate-themed decks and can serve as an efficient commander in the tribal deck archetype. Its ability to create menacing pirate tokens makes it not just a threat on its own, but a tool for building a formidable board presence.

Combo Potential: With a mana activation that requires only two mana, this card effortlessly synergizes with token doubling or sacrifice mechanics. It can rapidly escalate the pressure you’re able to apply on your opponents by yielding a growing armada of pirate tokens, which can be used for offense or to fuel other card abilities.

Meta-Relevance: Given that aggressive strategies often have a place in the MTG meta, Fathom Fleet Captain offers a recurring source of aggression that can adapt to the shifting tides of a game. Its relevancy persists especially in a meta that favors tempo, as it can consistently generate board presence and apply pressure without exhausting card resources.


How to beat

Fathom Fleet Captain is a notorious menace on the battlefield, known for its ability to easily create a fleet of menacing Pirate tokens. To come out ahead against this potent card, one must understand its mechanics and vulnerabilities. The card itself encourages aggressive play, but its strength lies in the player’s ability to attack and generate additional tokens, which can quickly turn the tides of warfare in their favor.

Countering Fathom Fleet Captain effectively requires disrupting the opponent’s strategies early on. Removal spells are the direct approach, with options like Fatal Push or Path to Exile being efficient ways to deal with the Captain before it can muster its pirate crew. Board wipes such as Wrath of God can also provide a reset button against an overcrowded board of tokens. Furthermore, Essence Scatter or other counterspells are excellent preventative measures, keeping the Captain and its tokens from ever stepping onto the plank. Utilizing instant-speed interactions gives you the upper hand, keeping the Captain at bay and their pirate armada from amassing.

In essence, maintaining control and disrupting your opponent’s advances are crucial to overcoming the onslaught of the Fathom Fleet Captain. Whether through targeted removal, timely counterspells, or sweeping the board clean, there are numerous strategies to beat this pirate and sail towards victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into the MTG realm and master the art of pirate synergy with Fathom Fleet Captain. Establish dominance on the battlefield by expanding your army swiftly with menacing tokens. Understanding the intricacies of each card can make the difference between defeat and victory. If you’re keen to create a tactical advantage and enjoy continuous improvements in your MTG encounters, it’s time to enhance your collection with cards like Fathom Fleet Captain. Empower your deck with this card’s ability to generate a relentless fleet. Set sail towards mastering your strategies; discover more on how to optimize your gameplay and become a formidable force in MTG.


Cards like Fathom Fleet Captain

Fathom Fleet Captain holds a unique place in the realm of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. With its menace ability, it resembles other pirate creatures, but few bring the same level of utility. Mustering an entire crew of pirates by merely attacking and spending two mana is a tactical advantage reminiscent of Krenko, Mob Boss, known for its ability to create an army of goblins.

Comparisons can be made to Dire Fleet Neckbreaker, which empowers other attacking pirates, offering a significant boost in battle. Nevertheless, Fathom Fleet Captain’s ability comes out on top in terms of versatility for generating board presence. Moreover, Marchesa’s Smuggler is another noteworthy card, with dethrone and the talent to grant haste to a target creature. Despite the allure of tactically giving haste, the sheer pirate synergies and token generation capability of Fathom Fleet Captain typically provide a broader scope of strategic options.

To sum it up, the combination of menace, token generation, and allegiance to pirate synergy makes Fathom Fleet Captain a formidable option for players looking to lead a fleet of pirates to victory on the high seas of MTG.

Krenko, Mob Boss - MTG Card versions
Dire Fleet Neckbreaker - MTG Card versions
Marchesa's Smuggler - MTG Card versions
Krenko, Mob Boss - Magic 2013 (M13)
Dire Fleet Neckbreaker - Rivals of Ixalan (RIX)
Marchesa's Smuggler - Conspiracy (CNS)

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Fathom Fleet Captain MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan Promos and Ixalan, 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 Fathom Fleet Captain and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Fathom Fleet Captain Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2017-09-29 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by Matt Stewart.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-09-29Ixalan PromosPXLN 106p2015normalblackMatt Stewart
22017-09-29IxalanXLN 1062015normalblackMatt Stewart
32017-09-29Ixalan PromosPXLN 106s2015normalblackMatt Stewart
42023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 1972015normalblackMatt Stewart

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Fathom Fleet Captain has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Fathom Fleet Captain card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2017-09-29 If you don't control another nontoken Pirate at the moment Fathom Fleet Captain attacks, its triggered ability won't trigger. If you don't control another nontoken Pirate as that ability resolves, you can't pay .
2017-09-29 While resolving Fathom Fleet Captain's triggered ability, you can't pay multiple times to create more than one Pirate token.

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