Benalish Veteran MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Soldier
Released	2011-07-15
Set symbol
Set name	Magic 2012
Set code	M12
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	10
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Steven Belledin

Key Takeaways

Benalish Veteran provides card presence that taxes your opponent’s resources, gaining battlefield advantage with each attack.
Its low cost allows for simultaneous plays, making it an efficient component in white-based decks.
Instant-speed interaction is encouraged by its readiness for combat, giving players strategic tempo control.

Text of card

Whenever Benalish Veteran attacks, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

"One day I will rest and join my comrades in the afterlife, but not while scum like you still sully this world."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Though not directly allowing you to draw cards, Benalish Veteran’s ability to maintain a presence on the battlefield ensures that you consistently have a creature to utilize. Every turn that it survives and attacks only bolsters your force, indirectly contributing to card advantage as it forces your opponent to expend resources in dealing with it.

Resource Acceleration: Benalish Veteran doesn’t provide traditional resource acceleration, but its low casting cost means it hits the board quickly. This efficient mana investment allows you to deploy other threats or answers alongside it without stretching your available resources too thin each turn.

Instant Speed: While Benalish Veteran itself isn’t an instant-speed spell, its sturdy stature for its mana cost means it’s often ready to participate in combat. This reliability can indirectly force opponents to play at instant speed, hesitant to attack into an open board, thus giving you the tempo advantage to cast spells at the most opportune times.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While the Benalish Veteran doesn’t have a direct discard requirement, those running the card may encounter situations where discarding becomes necessary to maximize their game plan, especially if they need to make room for more potent spells or manage hand size to comply with rules.

Specific Mana Cost: The Benalish Veteran card stipulates a white mana cost, which might not seamlessly fit into multicolor deck strategies. This can make it less flexible for players who prefer a diverse mana base and limit the card’s usage primarily to mono-white or white-centric decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When it comes to mana efficiency, the mana cost to deploy Benalish Veteran can be considered high relative to the benefits it provides. This can lead to slower game progress, as players may find themselves dedicating valuable turns just to get the Veteran onto the battlefield without immediate impact.

Reasons to Include Benalish Veteran in Your Collection

Versatility: The Benalish Veteran is a flexible inclusion for any white-based deck. Its ability to gain a power boost when attacking can be tactically advantageous in creating aggressive strategies or to reinforce your board presence.

Combo Potential: This card works well with various battalion and soldier synergies. Its increasing power when attacking can become a significant threat when combined with cards that benefit from numerous creatures attacking at once.

Meta-Relevance: In a landscape where white weenie or soldier tribal decks are performing well, Benalish Veteran can serve as a reliable and cost-effective creature that bolsters your army and keeps the pressure on your opponents.

How to beat

Confronted with the Benalish Veteran on the battlefield in MTG, players need to strategize effectively. This creature is favored for its battle-hardened resilience, gaining a boost each time it attacks. While it may not tower over the most notorious cards in the game, its incremental power makes it a sleeper threat. Playing against it requires a nimble approach.

Control tactics shine when dealing with such persistent threats. Removal spells, especially those that don’t rely on combat, can be valuable assets. Cards like Murder or Doom Blade can dispatch the Benalish Veteran before it becomes too substantial a force. Countermeasures that prevent the Veteran from attacking in the first place, like pacifism effects or cards like Frost Lynx that temporarily tap creatures, also serve as effective strategies. With those in your deck arsenal, the Veteran’s growing strength becomes a non-issue.

To sum up, successful counterplay against Benalish Veteran revolves around anticipation and preemptive actions. Utilize removals, tap-down effects, and tactics that skirt combat to keep this card from gaining traction. Each game of MTG is a new opportunity to demonstrate tactical prowess and overcoming a card like Benalish Veteran is proof of a player’s strategic acumen.

Cards like Benalish Veteran

The Benalish Veteran is a card that resonates with players who appreciate creature cards with a knack for growth as the game progresses. A comparable card is Knight of Grace, which also treads along the line of a 2/2 creature for three mana with an upside. The Benalish Veteran leaps ahead by becoming a 3/3 when attacking, which mirrors the Knight of Grace’s potential strength boost when facing a black permanent.

Another similar card is the Elite Vanguard, a solid entry for any deck seeking an aggressive one-drop. While the Vanguard doesn’t grow like the Benalish Veteran, it hits the game with the same initial power, implying a similar early impact. Despite the Elite Vanguard’s ability to immediately assert presence, the Benalish Veteran can outpace it as combat phases stack up, providing increasing value over time.

Breaking down the comparisons, the Benalish Veteran shows potential in decks that thrive on combat and incremental advantages, marking its success within Magic: The Gathering, not through immediate impact, but through its ability to become a substantial threat with each attack.

Cards similar to Benalish Veteran by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Benalish Veteran MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2012, 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 Benalish Veteran and other MTG cards: