Shield Bearer MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Soldier
Abilities Banding
Power 0
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Shield Bearer excels in defense, protecting key creatures and providing game-altering advantages.
  2. Instant speed activation offers unpredictable tactical plays, disrupting the opponent’s strategy.
  3. Resource acceleration and combo potential make it a versatile addition to various deck types.

Text of card

Banding

"You have almost completed your four years, my son. Soon you shall be a Skyknight." —Arna Kennerüd, Skyknight


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Shield Bearer’s abilities ensure that you can protect and enhance your valuable creatures, extending your board presence and potentially swinging the game in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Through synergies with other cards that benefit from defensive actions, the Shield Bearer can indirectly contribute to your mana pool or resources, keeping you ahead in the race for dominance.

Instant Speed: The ability to activate Shield Bearer’s defensive power at instant speed ensures you have flexibility during the heat of battle, making it easier to surprise an opponent and disrupt their strategy without sacrificing your turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To deploy Shield Bearer, a player may need to discard another card. This could deplete valuable hand assets, especially if strategic reserves are already dwindling.

Specific Mana Cost: Shield Bearer demands a precise combination of mana types, which might not seamlessly fit into all deck archetypes, potentially limiting its versatility across various builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana cost leaning on the higher side for its abilities, players might find that there are alternative creatures or spells that offer similar protections or benefits at a lower cost, increasing the importance of judicious mana spending.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Shield Bearer offers a value addition to any deck in need of robust defensive options. It can adapt across various play styles, serving as both early-game protection and late-game board stabilizer.

Combo Potential: This card pairs well with mechanics like exert and enchantments that magnify its defensive capabilities. It can become a cornerstone in a combo designed to outlast opponents.

Meta-Relevance: With an evolving competitive scene, Shield Bearer’s effectiveness in deterring aggressive archetypes makes it a relevant card, potentially shifting the pace of play in your favor.


How to beat

Shield Bearer is a unique card in the world of MTG, presenting a challenge for those looking to navigate past its defensive capabilities. This card’s primary strength lies in its ability to bolster a player’s defenses, making assaults against them more difficult. To effectively counter this card, focus on removal spells that can bypass the protection it offers. Spells that offer unconditional removal or exile effects like Path to Exile or the ever-popular Doom Blade are particularly effective against Shield Bearer.

Additionally, considering Shield Bearer’s role in “buffing” other creatures, a player could look to apply pressure on the controller directly, using direct damage spells or abilities that circumvent the battlefield. Cards like Lightning Bolt or Lava Spike can bypass Shield Bearer’s supportive role by targeting the player or planeswalkers directly. In games where board wipes are more appropriate, cards such as Wrath of God can clear the field of Shield Bearer along with any creatures it may be protecting, leveling the playing field once more.

In essence, overcoming Shield Bearer in MTG requires a strategic combination of direct removal, board control, and alternative attack routes. By leveraging well-timed spells and focusing on versatile strategies, defeating an opponent making use of this card becomes a manageable task.


Cards like Shield Bearer

Shield Bearer finds its place among the pantheon of defensive creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Notably, it bears comparison to cards like Wall of Omens, which also provides a defense boost on the board. Shield Bearer stands out as it often comes with additional abilities that protect other creatures, not just bolstering your line of defense. Wall of Omens might grant you an immediate card draw, but it lacks the utility to safeguard your more valuable creatures.

Another close relative in gameplay is the venerable Guard Gomazoa. This creature prevents all combat damage that would be dealt to it, making it an exceptional blocker. However, its potential doesn’t extend to defending allies like Shield Bearer. On the other hand, we see a card like Benevolent Bodyguard, which can be sacrificed to give a targeted creature protection from a color of your choice. This one-off effect offers a different angle of board control through targeted protection, rather than the ongoing benefit provided by Shield Bearer’s potential to enhance multiple creatures’ survivability.

Scrutinizing their uses and strategic advantages, Shield Bearer clinches its unique role within defensive strategies. Its versatility in safeguarding an array of creatures makes it a card worthy of consideration in decks designed around fortitude and endurance.

Wall of Omens - MTG Card versions
Guard Gomazoa - MTG Card versions
Benevolent Bodyguard - MTG Card versions
Wall of Omens - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Guard Gomazoa - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Benevolent Bodyguard - Judgment (JUD)

Cards similar to Shield Bearer by color, type and mana cost

White Knight - MTG Card versions
Soul Shepherd - MTG Card versions
Soltari Monk - MTG Card versions
Talon Sliver - MTG Card versions
Keeper of the Light - MTG Card versions
Faith Healer - MTG Card versions
Angelic Page - MTG Card versions
Avenger en-Dal - MTG Card versions
Royal Falcon - MTG Card versions
Spirit Weaver - MTG Card versions
Voice of the Blessed - MTG Card versions
Stoneforge Mystic - MTG Card versions
Drannith Magistrate - MTG Card versions
Leonin Lightscribe - MTG Card versions
Silver Knight - MTG Card versions
Longbow Archer - MTG Card versions
Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions
Flumph - MTG Card versions
Soltari Priest - MTG Card versions
Luminarch Aspirant - MTG Card versions
White Knight - Duel Decks: Knights vs. Dragons (DDG)
Soul Shepherd - Weatherlight (WTH)
Soltari Monk - Tempest (TMP)
Talon Sliver - Tempest (TMP)
Keeper of the Light - Exodus (EXO)
Faith Healer - Urza's Saga (USG)
Angelic Page - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Avenger en-Dal - Nemesis (NEM)
Royal Falcon - Starter 2000 (S00)
Spirit Weaver - Invasion (INV)
Voice of the Blessed - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
Stoneforge Mystic - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Drannith Magistrate - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)
Leonin Lightscribe - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Silver Knight - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Longbow Archer - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Silverflame Squire // On Alert - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Flumph - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Soltari Priest - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Luminarch Aspirant - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Shield Bearer MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age and Fifth Edition, 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 Shield Bearer and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Shield Bearer Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1995-06-03 and 2008-09-22. Illustrated by Dan Frazier.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11995-06-03Ice AgeICE 521993normalblackDan Frazier
21997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 621997normalwhiteDan Frazier
32008-09-22Masters Edition IIME2 351997normalblackDan Frazier

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Shield Bearer has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2008-10-01 A maximum of one nonbanding creature can join an attacking band no matter how many creatures with banding are in it.
2008-10-01 Creatures in the same band must all attack the same player or planeswalker.
2008-10-01 If a creature with banding attacks, it can team up with any number of other attacking creatures with banding (and up to one nonbanding creature) and attack as a unit called a “band.” The band can be blocked by any creature that could block a single creature in the band. Blocking any creature in a band blocks the entire band. If a creature with banding is blocked, the attacking player chooses how the blockers’ damage is assigned.
2009-10-01 If a creature in combat has banding, its controller assigns damage for creatures blocking or blocked by it. That player can ignore the damage assignment order when making this assignment.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks