Ornamental Courage MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Ornamental Courage shines in enabling additional uses of creatures with its untapping ability.
  2. The instant speed of this card allows for unexpected twists during combat.
  3. While powerful, it must compete with other spells for a spot in green-focused decks.

Text of card

Untap target creature. It gets +1/+3 until end of turn.

Inspired by the thorns and brambles of the untamed wilds, elvish armor is both beautiful and formidable.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ornamental Courage doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, but by untapping a creature, it can enable that creature to be used again, potentially for abilities that provide card draw or other advantageous effects.

Resource Acceleration: Although Ornamental Courage doesn’t produce mana or Treasure tokens, it effectively can accelerate your resources by refreshing a mana-producing creature, providing more mana in the same turn for extra plays or defense.

Instant Speed: As an instant, Ornamental Courage gives you the flexibility to react during your opponent’s turn. This could turn the tide by untapping a blocker or by surprising an opponent during combat, providing a substantial tempo swing in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Ornamental Courage does not require an actual discard to cast, it being a single-use spell means it somewhat mirrors a discard effect. Once used, it goes to the graveyard, depleting your hand and potentially reducing your resources for successive plays.

Specific Mana Cost: Ornamental Courage’s mana cost demands one green mana, which may not seamlessly fit into every deck, especially in multi-colored or non-green strategies. This could restrict its playability to decks that are heavy in green mana or those that have reliable mana fixing capabilities.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Given that Ornamental Courage costs a total of two mana for a temporary boost and untapping a single creature, some players might find it less efficient compared to other low-cost spells that provide longer-lasting effects or benefit multiple creatures. This is a consideration when deck-building where every mana point is crucial for setting up more impactful plays.


Reasons to Include Ornamental Courage in Your Collection

Versatility: Ornamental Courage is a flexible card that can be slotted into a variety of decks, including those focused on combat tricks or bolstering creatures at critical moments during a match.

Combo Potential: This instant can be the linchpin in combos, giving creatures not only a power and toughness boost but also untapping them, which can be paired with anything from tapping abilities to vigilance strategies.

Meta-Relevance: With its ability to serve as both a defensive and offensive surprise and a low mana cost, Ornamental Courage holds its ground in metas where quick responses can turn the tide of battle.


How to Beat

Ornamental Courage stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a versatile instant that can untap a creature and boost its strength and resilience in a single move. It mirrors other combat tricks like Giant Growth, albeit without the larger power increase. The strength of Ornamental Courage lies in its surprise factor, allowing a seemingly outmatched creature to rebound and potentially turn the tides in combat.

However, overcoming this card involves strategic planning. Since it is an instant, anticipate its use during combat, particularly if your opponent has untapped mana and a card in hand. Employing removal spells in response to Ornamental Courage or before your opponent gets the chance to cast it is effective. Cards that prevent spell casting, like Silence, can also nullify such combat tricks. Lastly, countermagic such as Negate can directly counteract Ornamental Courage, ensuring your creatures’ safety and keeping the opponent’s creatures in check.

Understanding when and how to disrupt your opponent’s plans is key. Ornamental Courage can be a game-changer, but with attentiveness and the right counters in your deck, you can neutralize its impact and secure your path to victory.


Cards like Ornamental Courage

Ornamental Courage is an intriguing instant that offers creature boosting abilities in Magic: The Gathering. It bears resemblance to cards like Giant Growth, imparting a temporary increase in power and toughness. The difference lies in Ornamental Courage’s unique ability to untap the creature in addition to the stat boost. Giant Growth, in contrast, provides a greater increase but does not have the untap feature.

Comparatively, we have Blossoming Defense which provides a boost of +2/+2 and also grants hexproof, protecting the creature from targeted spells or abilities. While it doesn’t untap the creature, the protection it offers can be crucial in many situations. Invocation of Saint Traft is another comparable card – although more specific in its effect, it embodies a similar intent to empower creatures temporarily.

In sum, Ornamental Courage fits nicely into the pantheon of combat tricks found in Magic: The Gathering, distinguished by its utility in both offense and defense, owing to its unique untap ability. It shines in situations where immediate reactivity is crucial and can swing combat outcomes or utilize tap abilities multiple times within a turn.

Giant Growth - MTG Card versions
Blossoming Defense - MTG Card versions
Invocation of Saint Traft - MTG Card versions
Giant Growth - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Blossoming Defense - Kaladesh (KLD)
Invocation of Saint Traft - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)

Cards similar to Ornamental Courage by color, type and mana cost

Fog - MTG Card versions
Natural Selection - MTG Card versions
Lifelace - MTG Card versions
Berserk - MTG Card versions
Giant Growth - MTG Card versions
Crumble - MTG Card versions
Crop Rotation - MTG Card versions
Sandstorm - MTG Card versions
Seedling Charm - MTG Card versions
Shrink - MTG Card versions
Choking Vines - MTG Card versions
Crossbow Ambush - MTG Card versions
Reclaim - MTG Card versions
Worldly Tutor - MTG Card versions
Gaea's Might - MTG Card versions
Serene Sunset - MTG Card versions
Sprout - MTG Card versions
Gather Courage - MTG Card versions
Nature's Claim - MTG Card versions
Prey's Vengeance - MTG Card versions
Fog - Magic 2012 (M12)
Natural Selection - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Lifelace - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Berserk - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Giant Growth - The List (PLST)
Crumble - World Championship Decks 1997 (WC97)
Crop Rotation - The List (PLST)
Sandstorm - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Seedling Charm - Mirage (MIR)
Shrink - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Choking Vines - Weatherlight (WTH)
Crossbow Ambush - Stronghold (STH)
Reclaim - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Worldly Tutor - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Gaea's Might - Dominaria United (DMU)
Serene Sunset - Judgment (JUD)
Sprout - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Gather Courage - The List (PLST)
Nature's Claim - The List (PLST)
Prey's Vengeance - The List (PLST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ornamental Courage MTG card by a specific set like Kaladesh and Kaladesh Remastered, 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 Ornamental Courage and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ornamental Courage Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-09-30 and 2020-11-12. Illustrated by Anthony Palumbo.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-09-30KaladeshKLD 1642015normalblackAnthony Palumbo
22020-11-12Kaladesh RemasteredKLR 1732015normalblackAnthony Palumbo

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ornamental Courage has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2016-09-20 You can cast Ornamental Courage targeting an untapped creature. It will still get +1/+3 until end of turn.

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