Exoskeletal Armor MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	2002-05-27
Set symbol
Set name	Judgment
Set code	JUD
Number	114
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Wayne England

Key Takeaways

Boosts creatures’ power based on graveyard card count, rewarding strategic play and deck design.
Fosters synergy with self-mill and creature sacrifice, leading to potentially game-winning combos.
Vulnerable to graveyard control, necessitating smart play to maximize its dynamic benefits.

Text of card

Enchanted creature gets +X/+X, where X is the number of creature cards in all graveyards.

"We use only what we need—but in times of strife, our need becomes great." —Centaur warrior

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Exoskeletal Armor offers a unique benefit by potentially increasing card advantage. As it grants +1/+1 to the creature it enchants for each card in your graveyard, your fallen creatures essentially contribute to strengthening your board presence. This can create formidable creatures over the course of the game, ensuring you get value even from the cards that have been used or countered.

Resource Acceleration: Unlike traditional mana ramp cards, Exoskeletal Armor accelerates your resources through the graveyard. It encourages a strategy that fills the graveyard, which can synergize with mechanics such as delve or threshold, turning a typical game resource into a powerful tool for overpowering your opponents.

Instant Speed: While Exoskeletal Armor itself is an Aura spell that must be cast during your main phases, its impact on the game can be felt at instant speed. Once the creature it’s attached to is in combat, the Armor’s effect scales with your graveyard in real time, making combat math challenging for your opponent and potentially turning blocks or attacks in your favor unexpectedly.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One potential drawback for Exoskeletal Armor’s utility is the need to fulfill graveyard conditions to maximize its effect. This could translate to strategic discarding or specific deck configurations, which may not be ideal for all game situations.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring green mana, Exoskeletal Armor can be somewhat restrictive and primarily finds a place in mono-green or green-centric decks. Players running multicolored decks without a strong green component might find it challenging to accommodate this card effectively.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the mana cost isn’t exorbitant, Exoskeletal Armor does require a single green mana and two generic mana to cast. When compared to other enchant creature cards, some players might favor lower-cost alternatives that provide immediate or more versatile benefits.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Exoskeletal Armor shines in decks that focus on creature abilities and graveyard mechanics. Its ability to scale with the number of creatures in the graveyard makes it adaptable to various stages of the game.

Combo Potential: This enchantment pairs well with decks that have a self-mill strategy or creature sacrifice themes. By increasing the number of creatures in your graveyard, you can grow a single creature to overwhelming sizes, turning it into a formidable threat.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based decks prevail, Exoskeletal Armor can offer the edge needed, providing a significant power boost by utilizing your graveyard as a resource. This could pivot the board state in your favor against the creature-heavy matchups.

How to beat

Exoskeletal Armor stands out in MTG due to its ability to rapidly increase a creature’s power and toughness. Upon attaching this aura, the creature gains stats equivalent to the number of creatures in all graveyards — a trait that can quickly escalate especially in a creature-heavy metagame. Despite its potential for colossal growth, the Armor is vulnerable to several strategy pivots and card choices.

One effective tactic to handle this card includes maintaining control of the graveyard. Cards with graveyard hate abilities, like Tormod’s Crypt or Leyline of the Void, can nullify the Armor’s effect by keeping graveyards clear. Another approach emphasizes on instant-speed removal or bounce effects to deal with the enchanted creature prior to attacks or in response to the Armor being cast. Look to reliable spells like Path to Exile or Blink of an Eye. Counterspells are also a viable preventative measure if you can counter Exoskeletal Armor itself.

To sum it up, while Exoskeletal Armor can potentially lead to overpowering creatures, its dependency on graveyard volume creates opportunities to mitigate its effectiveness. In the dynamic environment of MTG, successful strategies often include foresight and flexibility to adapt to such enhancements on your opponent’s creatures.

Cards like Exoskeletal Armor

Exoskeletal Armor finds its niche within the array of aura spells in Magic: The Gathering, gleaning its power from the creatures in the graveyard. Its effect is akin to that of Lignify, which also transforms a creature’s ability by altering its base power and toughness. However, Exoskeletal Armor has the unique quality of capitalizing on graveyard size, enabling potentially immense power boosts, unlike the fixed transformation Lignify offers.

Another parallel can be drawn with Spider Umbra, which also bestows a creature with a power increase. While Spider Umbra offers a more modest boost and the valuable Totem Armor ability for protection, Exoskeletal Armor allows for significantly larger power swings governed by the graveyard. Then there’s Elephant Guide, granting a creature not only a substantial power and toughness enhancement but also a creature token upon its departure. Elephant Guide provides immediate board presence, whereas Exoskeletal Armor harbors the potential for game-changing power scaling.

Considering these comparisons, Exoskeletal Armor can become a game-altering card for players who master graveyard mechanics, providing a dynamic advantage that can grow throughout the match, solidifying its place in strategies that exploit the number of creatures in the graveyard.

Cards similar to Exoskeletal Armor by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Exoskeletal Armor MTG card by a specific set like Judgment, 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 Exoskeletal Armor and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Exoskeletal Armor has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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