Mage-Ring Bully MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Warrior |
| Abilities | Prowess |
| Released | 2015-07-17 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Magic Origins |
| Set code | ORI |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 154 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | normal |
| Border | black |
| Illustred by | Karl Kopinski |
Key Takeaways
- Mage-Ring Bully’s prowess boosts its threat level, deterring opponents from using removal spells prematurely.
- Its 2/2 stat line for two mana offers early game pressure, accelerating your aggressive strategies.
- Instants heighten the Bully’s power during opponents’ turns, adding surprise and increased combat prowess.
Text of card
Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)Mage-Ring Bully attacks each turn if able.
"Don't be rude, Beleren. We just want to enjoy the view with you."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Mage-Ring Bully may not directly grant you additional cards, but its prowess ability ensures that each noncreature spell you cast makes it a more formidable threat. This can dissuade opponents from using their removal spells, potentially saving your more valuable creatures.
Resource Acceleration: While Mage-Ring Bully doesn’t provide resource acceleration in the traditional sense of mana ramping, its 2/2 body for a modest two-mana investment can help you exert early pressure, effectively speeding up your game plan against slower decks.
Instant Speed: The prowess ability of Mage-Ring Bully interacts favorably with instant speed spells. Casting instants on your opponent’s turn not only adds surprise value but also bumps up the Bully’s power, turning it into an unexpected and more dangerous attacker or blocker.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Mage-Ring Bully doesn’t itself call for you to discard, it can be a drawback in decks that do have discard mechanics. This card requires constant engagement in combat which could diminish your hand when paired with such effects.
Specific Mana Cost: Mage-Ring Bully requires both generic and red mana. This specific need for red mana makes it less versatile, fitting primarily into red or multicolor decks that can readily produce the required mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an investment of two mana for a 2/2 creature, Mage-Ring Bully’s prowess ability may not always justify its slot over other low-cost creatures. It competes with many other cards that can offer immediate or more impactful advantages for the same or lower mana investment.
Reasons to Include Mage-Ring Bully in Your Collection
Versatility: Mage-Ring Bully is a flexible addition to multiple deck archetypes, fitting well in aggressive strategies that capitalize on prowess—a mechanic that boosts its power whenever you cast a noncreature spell.
Combo Potential: With its prowess ability, Mage-Ring Bully synergizes well with cheap spells and canopies, enabling powerful turns with multiple spell casts. This synergy can be a keystone in decks focused on spell-slinging.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where early board presence is crucial, Mage-Ring Bully holds its own as a formidable two-drop. Its ability to apply pressure and grow in strength with spell casting makes it relevant, especially in formats that value quick, impactful plays.
How to beat Mage-Ring Bully
Mage-Ring Bully presents a unique challenge on the battlefield as a prowess creature that must attack each turn if able. While aggression can be its strength, it also opens avenues for opponents to strategize a counterattack. Utilizing creatures with higher toughness can thwart the Bully’s onslaught, as the forced attack leaves it vulnerable to blockers that can outlast its combat prowess.
Control spells are another effective method to neutralize Mage-Ring Bully. Spells that can remove it from combat or from the field entirely, such as Pacifism or Murder, shut down its aggressive potential without exposing your creatures to risk. For an even quicker response, instant-speed removal allows you to wait until the optimal moment, potentially leaving an opponent’s battle strategy in disarray.
Mage-Ring Bully thrives in a setting with numerous noncreature spells to bolster its prowess ability. Containing the spell casting of your adversary is key. This can be achieved by employing counterspells or by disrupting their mana curve, thereby limiting the spells that power the Bully’s strength. By strategically managing Mage-Ring Bully’s attacking compulsion and the spells that support it, you can secure an upper hand in your MTG matches.
Cards like Mage-Ring Bully
Mage-Ring Bully is an intriguing creature card that finds its place in Magic: The Gathering. When pitting it against cards like Elite Inquisitor or Aethergeode Miner, each offers unique advantages for deck building. Mage-Ring Bully is compelling with its prowess ability, granting it a power boost with every noncreature spell cast, making it a formidable combatant in spellslinger decks.
Comparatively, Elite Inquisitor doesn’t share the prowess trait but comes with first strike and vigilance, providing defensive and offensive capabilities right off the bat. In contrast, Aethergeode Miner offers a different approach, with its energy counter accumulation and potential for repeated use of its flicker effect. While Mage-Ring Bully demands strategic casting of spells to be effective, Aethergeode Miner can create value over time with its energy-related mechanics.
In essence, while Mage-Ring Bully can efficiently benefit from the spell-heavy decks to enhance its power, its counterparts shine in their respective strategies. The choice between these cards boils down to the overall synergy with the deck and the specific tactical advantages a player wishes to employ in their game.
Cards similar to Mage-Ring Bully by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Mage-Ring Bully MTG card by a specific set like Magic Origins, 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 Mage-Ring Bully 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Mage-Ring Bully 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 Mage-Ring Bully card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2015-06-22 | Any spell you cast that doesn’t have the type creature will cause prowess to trigger. If a spell has multiple types, and one of those types is creature (such as an artifact creature), casting it won’t cause prowess to trigger. Playing a land also won’t cause prowess to trigger. |
| 2015-06-22 | If, during its controller’s declare attackers step, Mage-Ring Bully is tapped or is affected by a spell or ability that says it can’t attack, then Mage-Ring Bully doesn’t attack. If there’s a cost associated with having it attack, its controller isn’t forced to pay that cost. If they don’t, Mage-Ring Bully doesn’t have to attack. |
| 2015-06-22 | Once it triggers, prowess isn’t connected to the spell that caused it to trigger. If that spell is countered, prowess will still resolve. |
| 2015-06-22 | Prowess goes on the stack on top of the spell that caused it to trigger. It will resolve before that spell. |
