Ninth Bridge Patrol MTG Card
2016-09-30 - Number 22
2019-11-07 - Number 184
2020-11-20 - Number 33
2022-12-02 - Number 221
2020-09-26 - Number KLD-22
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Dwarf Soldier |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Key Takeaways
- Gains +1/+1 counters for each ally leaving the battlefield, providing long-term value.
- Instant-speed interactions allow timely boosts, making it a mid-game threat.
- Requires synergistic cards to launch its potential, limiting stand-alone use.
Text of card
Whenever another creature you control leaves the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on Ninth Bridge Patrol.
The Consulate keeps watch at each of the eleven bridges to ensure that the market remains a haven for commerce, not for con artists.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Ninth Bridge Patrol’s unique ability to gather +1/+1 counters whenever another creature leaves the battlefield positions it as an asset in grindy matchups. By fortifying itself over time, it contributes to card quality on the board, effectively turning each departing ally into incremental value for itself.
Resource Acceleration: While Ninth Bridge Patrol does not directly provide mana or treasure tokens, its low cost and synergistic potential can accelerate your board presence. Integrating it into decks with flicker effects or those that sacrifice creatures can unexpectedly amplify your battlefield leverage without taxing your mana base.
Instant Speed: Although Ninth Bridge Patrol’s ability is not an instant, it interacts fluidly with instant-speed mechanics. For instance, pairing it with instant-speed removal or flicker spells allows it to capitalize on the dynamic battlefield conditions these cards create, optimizing the timing of its strength growth and ensuring it remains an intimidating force as the game progresses.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The utility of Ninth Bridge Patrol often depends on other cards that enable you to sacrifice or have creatures leave the battlefield. Without such synergies in your deck, the full potential of Ninth Bridge Patrol might not be realized.
Specific Mana Cost: Ninth Bridge Patrol requires white mana, which, while not overly restrictive, still limits deck-building options to those that can accommodate white or multicolored mana bases.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of one white mana and one generic mana, there are other two-drop creatures that could immediately impact the board state or offer better stats. Considering the Patrol’s ability relies on a buildup of other actions, its cost efficiency can be questioned when comparing it to other creatures in the same mana slot.
Reasons to Include Ninth Bridge Patrol in Your Collection
Versatility: Ninth Bridge Patrol has a universal appeal within white-based creature strategies due to its unique ability to grow stronger with every ally that leaves your battlefield, making it suitable for a wide array of deck builds, from token generators to blink-and-bounce effects.
Combo Potential: This card thrives in synergistic environments — it’s excellent in combination with cards that flicker or sacrifice creatures, resulting in a substantially beefed-up creature that can pose a significant threat over time.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Ninth Bridge Patrol becomes a way to capitalize on the natural ebb and flow of the battlefield, turning routine plays into power boosts for a resilient and increasingly dangerous defender.
How to Beat
Ninth Bridge Patrol can be quite the obstacle in MTG when it gains strength with each of your creature’s departures from the battlefield. This card grows more powerful with its ability to add +1/+1 counters, making it a potentially unyielding defender. Yet, there are strategies to dismantle its strength before it becomes insurmountable. The key is to manage the battlefield and the flow of creatures.
Removal spells that exile can be particularly effective against Ninth Bridge Patrol as they prevent the trigger of its ability. Cards like Path to Exile or Declaration in Stone can help clear the way by removing the patrol without fueling its growth. Another strategy is to minimize bouncing your creatures or using sacrifice-based strategies when the patrol is on the field. Instead, focus on applying steady pressure and avoid tactics that cause creatures to leave the battlefield repeatedly.
Finally, utilizing spells or abilities that tap down creatures without killing them, such as those found on cards like Frost Lynx, can keep Ninth Bridge Patrol at bay while you secure the win. By strategically planning around the strengths of Ninth Bridge Patrol, you can weaken its defense and maintain control over the game.
Cards like Ninth Bridge Patrol
Ninth Bridge Patrol maintains a unique place in Magic: The Gathering as a creature card that thrives on the synergy of allies entering and leaving the battlefield. When compared to similar cards, Sister Safety, a creature also grows in power with each creature that leaves your battlefield. Unlike Ninth Bridge Patrol, Sister Safety gains a strength boost immediately but lacks the ongoing growth potential provided by Ninth Bridge Patrol’s mechanics.
Looking to Thraben Inspector, we find another creature that interacts with the dynamics of creature deployment. While Ninth Bridge Patrol gradually increases its strength, Thraben Inspector provides immediate value by allowing you to draw a card, albeit through an additional cost. This makes Thraben Inspector a good early game play for card advantage, while Ninth Bridge Patrol is a slow-burning power player, especially in decks designed for flickering or sacrificing creatures.
Overall, when examining creature dynamics and in-game strategies, Ninth Bridge Patrol offers a solid option for decks that are built around creature movement. It may not have the immediate impact of some alternatives but can become a formidable force with the right board presence over time.
Cards similar to Ninth Bridge Patrol by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ninth Bridge Patrol MTG card by a specific set like Kaladesh and Mystery Booster, 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 Ninth Bridge Patrol 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 Magic products
Printings
The Ninth Bridge Patrol Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2016-09-30 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Ryan Alexander Lee.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-09-30 | Kaladesh | KLD | 22 | 2015 | normal | black | Ryan Alexander Lee | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 184 | 2015 | normal | black | Ryan Alexander Lee | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | KLD-22 | 2015 | normal | black | Ryan Alexander Lee | ||
| 4 | 2020-11-20 | Commander Legends | CMR | 33 | 2015 | normal | black | Ryan Alexander Lee | |
| 5 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 221 | 2015 | normal | black | Ryan Alexander Lee |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ninth Bridge Patrol has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ninth Bridge Patrol card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-11-10 | If Ninth Bridge Patrol is dealt lethal damage at the same time as another creature you control, it won't receive a counter from its ability in time to save it. |
| 2020-11-10 | Ninth Bridge Patrol's ability doesn't care where the creature went or whether it's a creature in its new zone. It may have died, been exiled, returned to your hand, and so on. It won't trigger if an object remains on the battlefield but ceases to be a creature. It won't trigger if a creature phases out. |
