Ethereal Armor MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant

Key Takeaways

  1. Ethereal Armor excels in boosting creatures’ power and defense, enhancing your battlefield command through enchantment synergy.
  2. By enabling significant enhancements at low mana cost, it accentuates resource acceleration and board presence.
  3. Its sorcery speed doesn’t hinder its capability to surprise opponents and seize tactical advantages swiftly.

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each enchantment you control and has first strike.

Metal is scarce, smiths are pricey, and plate mail is heavy.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ethereal Armor provides an impressive boost not only in power but also in defensive capabilities with its additional enchantment count feature. This effectively turns every enchantment you control into a potential source of strength for your creature, giving you an edge in both offense and defense, ultimately contributing to card advantage on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: By enhancing a creature’s abilities at a low cost, Ethereal Armor acts as a form of resource acceleration. It allows you to develop a threatening board presence without the typical mana investment required for such a significant enhancement, freeing up your resources for other strategic plays.

Instant Speed: Although Ethereal Armor is not an instant, its ability to be cast at the speed of a sorcery does not diminish its potential. When played smartly, it can instantly turn a modest creature into a formidable opponent at the beginning of your combat phase, often surprising your enemy and creating tactical advantages on the fly.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Ethereal Armor doesn’t require you to discard cards directly, being an aura, it’s susceptible to two-for-ones if the equipped creature gets removed. This can be similar to a discard requirement, potentially diminishing your card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Ethereal Armor necessitates white mana, which might not be readily available in all decks. If you’re running a multi-color deck without a reliable mana base, including it can be risky and sometimes uncastable if the right lands aren’t drawn.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although one white mana may appear low, for aura spells that reliance on having a creature in play makes it a potential dead card in your hand. Additionally, to maximize its benefit, you need a deck with numerous enchantments, which could lead to a higher overall mana curve, making the deck slower in comparison to more streamlined strategies.


Reasons to Include Ethereal Armor in Your Collection

Versatility: Ethereal Armor is a well-rounded enchantment that can be slotted into a vast array of white-based decks. Its ability to boost a creature’s power and toughness for each enchantment you control makes it a perfect addition to enchantment-themed decks or any strategy looking to apply aggressive pressure early on.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks that synergize with enchantments. Enabling explosive turns by stacking multiple enchantments on a single creature, Ethereal Armor can be a game-changer, especially when combined with other auras or cards that protect enchanted creatures.

Meta-Relevance: Given its low mana cost and significant impact on the battlefield, Ethereal Armor remains relevant in formats where enchantments are a consistent part of the competitive landscape. Its presence can swiftly tilt the balance in matches, making it a solid choice in a variety of meta environments.


How to beat

Ethereal Armor represents a powerful enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that enhances creature strength substantially by capitalizing on the number of enchantments a player controls. This card finds its home typically in aura-heavy decks where it provides a significant boost in power and toughness, along with the advantageous first strike ability.

Confronting a creature equipped with Ethereal Armor requires a strategic approach. Removal spells that can bypass the creature’s buffed state are essential. Spells like Path to Exile or Murder can prove invaluable in these scenarios by eliminating the threat outright. Board wipes such as Wrath of God or Damnation are also effective, clearing the field of all creatures, regardless of their enchanted status.

Additionally, players should consider options for enchantment removal. Cards like Disenchant, Naturalize, or enchantment exile spells provide a direct solution to Ethereal Armor itself, weakening the creature it’s attached to or potentially leaving it vulnerable to attack. Strategies that limit a player’s ability to stack auras or enchantments can also diminish Ethereal Armor’s impact, emphasizing the importance of controlling the board and maintaining a balanced defense against aura-based strategies.


BurnMana Recommendations

The allure of Ethereal Armor in MTG is undeniable, offering both potent offensive and defensive upgrades at a minimal cost. This card excels in enchantment-rich decks, magnifying your creature’s prowess with every additional aura in play. Understanding its strengths, risks, and synergies is key in utilizing Ethereal Armor to its full potential. Whether you’re looking to build a resilient defense or craft a swift offensive force, incorporating Ethereal Armor into your strategy can be a game-changer. Dive deeper into strategic deck-building and learn how to harness the power of enchantments with wisdom. Visit us for comprehensive insights and elevate your gameplay to new heights.


Cards like Ethereal Armor

Ethereal Armor is a standout aura in the enchantment-heavy decks of Magic: The Gathering. This card notably boosts a creature’s power and toughness for each enchantment you control, making it especially potent in decks that leverage enchantments. Comparable to Ethereal Armor, All That Glitters also offers an increase in power and toughness based on a variable, which in this case is artifacts and/or enchantments.

While All That Glitters covers a broader range of permanents, Ethereal Armor’s focus on enchantments can be more synergistic in dedicated enchantment builds. Similarly, Ancestral Mask is another card in this vein that provides even more substantial boosts, counting not just your enchantments, but also those of your opponents. However, both All That Glitters and Ancestral Mask lack the first strike granted by Ethereal Armor, which can be a crucial advantage in combat.

Therefore, while there are other cards that offer comparable benefits, Ethereal Armor’s ability to add first strike and scale with enchantment quantity allows it to shine in the right deck. This balance of combat advantage and scaling buff potential places Etherald Armor in a respected position amongst aura spells in the world of Magic: The Gathering.

All That Glitters - MTG Card versions
Ancestral Mask - MTG Card versions
All That Glitters - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Ancestral Mask - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)

Cards similar to Ethereal Armor by color, type and mana cost

White Ward - MTG Card versions
Green Ward - MTG Card versions
Holy Strength - MTG Card versions
Lance - MTG Card versions
Consecrate Land - MTG Card versions
Animate Wall - MTG Card versions
Black Ward - MTG Card versions
Blue Ward - MTG Card versions
Holy Armor - MTG Card versions
Red Ward - MTG Card versions
Land Tax - MTG Card versions
Brainwash - MTG Card versions
Green Scarab - MTG Card versions
Blue Scarab - MTG Card versions
Spirit Link - MTG Card versions
Armor of Faith - MTG Card versions
Kithkin Armor - MTG Card versions
Flickering Ward - MTG Card versions
Limited Resources - MTG Card versions
Mask of Law and Grace - MTG Card versions
White Ward - Revised Edition (3ED)
Green Ward - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Holy Strength - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Lance - Revised Edition (3ED)
Consecrate Land - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Animate Wall - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Black Ward - Limited Edition Beta (LEB)
Blue Ward - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Holy Armor - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Red Ward - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Land Tax - Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales (WOT)
Brainwash - The Dark (DRK)
Green Scarab - Ice Age (ICE)
Blue Scarab - Ice Age (ICE)
Spirit Link - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Armor of Faith - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Kithkin Armor - Weatherlight (WTH)
Flickering Ward - Tempest (TMP)
Limited Resources - Exodus (EXO)
Mask of Law and Grace - Urza's Destiny (UDS)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ethereal Armor MTG card by a specific set like Return to Ravnica and Time Spiral Remastered, 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 Ethereal Armor and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ethereal Armor Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2012-10-05 and 2023-09-08. Illustrated by Daarken.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12012-10-05Return to RavnicaRTR 92003normalblackDaarken
22021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 2931997normalblackDaarken
32021-10-15Pioneer Challenger Decks 2021Q06 22015normalblackDaarken
42022-12-13Explorer Anthology 2EA2 72015normalblackDaarken
52023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine CommanderWOC 672015normalblackDaarken

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ethereal Armor has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-03-19 Ethereal Armor counts each enchantment you control, including itself and any Auras you control that are attached to an opponent or to permanents controlled by an opponent.

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