Ashenmoor Cohort MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Elemental Warrior
Released	2008-05-02
Set symbol
Set name	Shadowmoor
Set code	SHM
Power	4
Toughness	3
Number	56
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Lucio Parrillo

Key Takeaways

Ashenmoor Cohort can give you an upper hand by forcing opponents to use more resources against it.
The card can indirectly accelerate your resource access by pressuring opponents in combat.
Carrying a powerhouse like Ashenmoor Cohort allows for strategic instant-speed spell plays.

Text of card

Ashenmoor Cohort gets +1/+1 as long as you control another black creature.

"None will concede a place for us in this world. If it is not for us, neither shall it be for them. We rest not until they choke in its cold ashes." —Illulia of Nighthearth

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Ashenmoor Cohort is a significant presence on the battlefield due to its potential size increase, making it a formidable blocker or attacker. Having such a force in play often means opponents must commit more resources to deal with it, indirectly providing you with card advantage as they spend multiple cards to handle just one of yours.

Resource Acceleration: While the Ashenmoor Cohort itself doesn’t directly provide mana acceleration, its strength in combat can pave the way for your other cards that do. By effectively pressuring your opponent, you may force them to divert resources elsewhere, indirectly accelerating your own access to critical game resources.

Instant Speed: Although Ashenmoor Cohort operates at sorcery speed, the importance of instant-speed spells in your deck increases. With a reliable powerhouse on the board, you can comfortably pass the turn with mana open, ready to cast instant-speed removal or counterspells, knowing you have a solid defense already in play.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: A setback for Ashenmoor Cohort might surface when a deck requires consistent card advantage to maintain presence on the battlefield. The need to discard as part of a casting or ability cost can put a strain on a player’s hand, especially in fast-paced games where every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s demand for a certain mana arrangement can be a stumbling block for multicolor or off-theme decks. Ashenmoor Cohort, with its need for black mana sources, may constrain your deck-building options, tethering you to a particular archetype or strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: In environments where efficiency is key, the mana investment to bring Ashenmoor Cohort into play might detract from its appeal. Devoting five mana to a creature must yield significant impact, and in some cases, there are alternatives that achieve more for the same or lower mana expenditure.

Reasons to Include Ashenmoor Cohort in Your Collection

Versatility: Ashenmoor Cohort is a solid creature card that can amplify your board presence in mono-black or black-based decks. Its power increases when controlling another black creature, making it a flexible addition that grows with your creature count.

Combo Potential: In combination with cards that benefit from or enable creature buffs, Ashenmoor Cohort can become a formidable force. Synergies with cards that proliferate counters or grant incremental advantages each time a creature’s power increases can be particularly advantageous.

Meta-Relevance: As meta shifts towards creature-heavy decks, Ashenmoor Cohort can serve as a cost-effective threat. Its inherent ability to scale with other black creatures means it can adapt well against various deck types, maintaining relevance in diverse playing environments.

How to beat

Ashenmoor Cohort is another intriguing piece on the MTG battlefield, particularly in decks where Black is a predominant color. As a card that gains strength with the presence of other Black creatures, it encourages a mono-Black deck build or at least a heavy Black component in a multi-color deck. One way to weaken its impact is by focusing on removal spells, since removing other Black creatures can drastically reduce the Cohort’s power and toughness, making it less of a threat.

Control decks hold an advantage here as they can manage the board and keep creature counts low, lessening the potency of the Cohort’s boost from other Black creatures. Additionally, including exile effects in your strategy can be especially effective against Ashenmoor Cohort as it prevents any recursion tactics that might bring it back from the graveyard. Remember, playing against a creature like Ashenmoor Cohort often means addressing the enablers, not just the threat itself.

Therefore, when preparing to face a deck featuring Ashenmoor Cohort, ensure your deck can effectively manage opponent creatures and adapt your gameplan to disrupt synergy-based strategies. With the right control elements, the momentum Ashenmoor Cohort provides can be significantly dampened.

Cards like Ashenmoor Cohort

Ashenmoor Cohort is a notable black creature card from the Shadowmoor set, appreciated for its scaling power based on the number of black permanents on the field. In essence, this card frequently reveals itself as a formidable force, especially in mono-black decks. When it comes to power level and gameplay, it bears resemblances to other cards that appreciate in strength under similar conditions.

Graveyard Marshal, for instance, shares its ability to become more potent in a mono-black deck environment. While the Cohort thrives on the number of other black permanents, the Marshal exploits the cards in the graveyard to create a powerful board presence. Additionally, Nantuko Shade also parallels Ashenmoor Cohort in the sense that it grows with available black mana—offering players a dynamic way to intimidate opponents during the late game.

Overall, creatures like Ashenmoor Cohort cater to strategy-building for players who commit to a single color theme, offering increasing rewards as they maintain board state consistency. Such cards serve to evolve the landscape of player tactics, enriching the MTG experience by presenting diverse pathways to accumulating power on the battlefield.

Cards similar to Ashenmoor Cohort by color, type and mana cost

Chittering Harvester - MTG Card versions

Crossway Troublemakers - MTG Card versions

Geth, Lord of the Vault - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ashenmoor Cohort MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor, 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 Ashenmoor Cohort and other MTG cards: