Guardians' Pledge MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2011-07-15
Set symbol
Set name	Magic 2012
Set code	M12
Number	22
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Christopher Moeller

Key Takeaways

Guardians’ Pledge excels in token creation, offering a significant board presence advantage without hand depletion.
Instant speed utility of Guardians’ Pledge provides strategic flexibility in both attacking and defending.
Despite its strengths, the card’s discard requirement and specific mana cost can hinder some strategies.

Text of card

White creatures you control get +2/+2 until end of turn.

A dozen fighting for each other are worth a thousand fighting for themselves.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Generating tokens with Guardians’ Pledge can equate to drawing multiple creature cards, giving you a distinct advantage as your board state grows without dipping into your hand. This allows for dominant presence in creature-heavy strategies, keeping pressure high and offering robust defense.

Resource Acceleration: Guardians’ Pledge may synergize with effects that trigger upon creature or token creation, effectively ramping your available resources. These resources can be in the form of extra mana, life, or even card draw, depending on your setup, providing you with accelerated game progression and potential unexpected combos.

Instant Speed: The quickfire nature of Guardians’ Pledge makes it a tactical surprise in both offense and defense. It allows players to wait for the perfect moment during their opponent’s turn to unleash creatures, potentially disrupting planned attacks or forming instant blocks, making it a versatile tool in any match-up.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Guardians’ Pledge comes with the stipulation that you must toss another card from your hand into the graveyard. This caveat can sometimes backfire, particularly when every card in your hand is crucial for maintaining a fluid game strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: To cast Guardians’ Pledge, your mana pool needs the precise colors it demands. This can be restrictive, especially when you’re running a multicolor deck that could struggle to meet the specific mana requirement during the crucial moments of a match.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The casting cost attached to Guardians’ Pledge is on the higher side when pitted against other options within the game. This higher investment can impact your tempo, potentially leaving you vulnerable to opponents playing more cost-efficient cards at a faster pace.

Reasons to Include Guardians’ Pledge in Your Collection

Versatility: Guardians’ Pledge offers a boost to white decks by providing an instant speed buff to your creatures. Its ability to be used in response to threats or during combat makes it a flexible tool for many situations.

Combo Potential: This card has synergy with strategies that reward you for having creatures with increased power or with abilities that trigger when casting instants. The instant power boost can also turn the tide by enabling surprise wins and bolstering defense.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that sees a lot of aggressive or creature-based strategies, Guardians’ Pledge can serve as a key piece to outmaneuver opponents and protect your board presence effectively.

How to beat Guardians’ Pledge

Guardians’ Pledge presents itself as a solid card that boosts your creatures’ abilities in MTG. Its potential to turn the tides of a game by enhancing your board cannot be underestimated. However, it’s not without its counters. A reliable strategy to overpower this card involves timing your removal spells effectively. Cards like Doom Blade or Abrupt Decay can disrupt the intended synergy before it unfolds on the battlefield.

Another method to outpace Guardians’ Pledge is to maintain board control through sweepers like Wrath of God or Damnation, erasing all creatures before the buff comes into play. Keeping a close watch on your opponent’s mana availability and baiting out the Pledge before launching a sweeper can also give you an upper hand. Using counterspells such as Counterspell or Mana Leak when your opponent casts Guardians’ Pledge is another direct route to neutralize its impact.

Ultimately, staying one step ahead and being prepared with the right answers in your deck ensures that Guardians’ Pledge doesn’t stand in the way of your victory. By understanding the mechanics and having the right cards at your disposal, you can effectively navigate around the challenges posed by this card.

Cards like Guardians' Pledge

Guardians’ Pledge offers a unique twist to the white weenie strategy in Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with cards like Inspired Charge, which also grants a boost to the entire team. However, Guardians’ Pledge is specific to white creatures, providing them with a significant +2/+2 until the end of the turn for the same mana cost. This limitation and enhancement balance each other out favoring decks heavily populated with white creatures.

Another card worth considering is Make a Stand. This spell provides a smaller buff of +1/+1 but has the added advantage of granting indestructible until end of turn, offering a more defensive angle for your creatures against board wipes. In contrast, Guardians’ Pledge emphasizes an aggressive strategy by pushing for a sizeable increase in power and toughness.

Similarly, Charge is a low-cost option that gives a +1/+1 boost to your creatures for only one mana. While not as potent as Guardians’ Pledge, its low investment can be pivotal in early game scenarios where mana efficiency is key. Thus, while there are many cards that enhance a squadron of creatures, Guardians’ Pledge sits comfortably among the top picks for a mono-white aggressive build that aims to close out games swiftly.

Cards similar to Guardians' Pledge by color, type and mana cost

Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Guardians' Pledge 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 Guardians' Pledge and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Guardians' Pledge has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2011-09-22	Guardians’ Pledge only gives a bonus to white creatures you control when it resolves. Creatures that enter the battlefield later in the turn and nonwhite creatures that become white later in the turn will not get the bonus.
2011-09-22	If a white creature that gets the bonus stops being white later in the turn, it will continue to get +2/+2 until end of turn.