Vanguard's Shield MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Artifact — Equipment
Abilities	Equip
Released	2012-05-04
Set symbol
Set name	Avacyn Restored
Set code	AVR
Number	223
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Ryan Pancoast

Key Takeaways

Enhances creature toughness, indirectly leads to card advantage through improved battlefield presence.
Resource-intensive initially, but payoff is greater creature survivability and better long-term mana use.
Instant speed synergy with other cards provides flexibility and can surprise opponents during combat.

Text of card

Equipped creature gets +0/+3 and can block an additional creature. Equip (: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)

Wars are not fought on a single front.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Vanguard’s Shield provides a solid defense boost and potential card advantage. By enhancing a creature’s toughness, it also maintains your battlefield presence and can lead to beneficial exchanges or outright deter opponents from attacking, indirectly leading to card advantage over time.

Resource Acceleration: Equipping the shield may seem resource-intensive at first glance, but in a setup that hinges on equipping creatures, it pays dividends. The equip cost is offset by the enhanced survivability of your creatures, allowing you to use your mana and resources more effectively in the long run.

Instant Speed: While the shield itself doesn’t have an ability that is used at instant speed, it synergizes well with cards that do. It helps you keep your key creatures alive through combat tricks or removal attempts during your opponent’s turn, indirectly benefiting from the flexibility of instant speed interactions.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Vanguard’s Shield comes with the added burden of discarding another card. This can be a significant drawback in situations where your hand is already strained and every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: This artifact requires a specific mana investment to cast, which may not always align seamlessly with your deck’s mana base, potentially causing delays or inconsistencies in gameplay.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Vanguard’s Shield offers a defensive boost, its mana cost is substantial. Players might find that other cards provide similar benefits or better versatility at a lower mana investment, making them more appealing choices for deck building.

Reasons to Include Vanguard’s Shield in Your Collection

Versatility: Vanguard’s Shield has the unique advantage of being able to protect a variety of creatures. Whether you’re looking to safeguard a key commander or a pivotal creature in your deck, this card provides defense across multiple game scenarios.

Combo Potential: This card can be instrumental in combos that capitalize on boosting creatures’ toughness or abilities that trigger upon blocking or being targeted. Its ability to be equipped at instant speed allows for surprise interactions on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment that’s heavy on combat and aggressive strategies, having a reliable defensive option like Vanguard’s Shield can give you the upper hand. Its inclusion in your arsenal signifies preparedness against an attack-heavy meta, aligning your deck with the current competitive trends.

How to beat

Vanguard’s Shield is an intriguing equipment card that can be quite powerful in the strategic landscape of Magic: The Gathering. Its capacity to bolster a creature’s defensive capabilities makes it a notable piece in decks geared towards stalling and control. However, as with any card, strategies exist to trounce it effectively.

To surpass the obstacle of Vanguard’s Shield, removal spells that can target either the shield itself or the creature it’s attached to are key. Disenchanting effects or artifact destruction spells will promptly neutralize the shield’s benefit. Similarly, one must consider board control strategies; sweepers that clear multiple creatures can sidestep the shield’s enhancement. Utilizing cards with exile effects also outmaneuver the shield’s defensive boost by removing the fortified creature from play altogether, rather than just destroying it.

Ultimately, while Vanguard’s Shield provides formidable protection, adeptly employing direct removal and control techniques will break down the barriers it constructs. Understanding this will help maintain the flow of the game in your favor, ensuring that the shield’s defensive bulwark is nothing but a temporary hindrance in your path to victory.

Cards like Vanguard's Shield

Vanguard’s Shield is another intriguing defensive artifact found within Magic: The Gathering. Its closest kin, perhaps, is the card called Shield of the Realm. Both are able to absorb damage, making creatures they are attached to tougher to take down. Unlike Shield of the Realm which reduces damage dealt to the equipped creature, Vanguard’s Shield instead boosts the creature’s toughness and offers an additional layer of protection by warding a single point of damage.

In the realm of damage prevention, we also spy Teyo’s Lightshield. While Teyo’s Lightshield doesn’t come in artifact form and therefore doesn’t stay on the field offering continued protection, it does provide a significant temporary toughness boost upon entering the battlefield. Then there’s Jousting Lance, an artifact that not only bolsters a creature’s power but also gives it first strike during your turn, proposing a different tactical advantage.

Analyzing these options, Vanguard’s Shield serves as a solid choice for any MTG player looking to fortify their creatures on the battlefield. It balances permanence, increased resilience, and a minor yet consistent shield against damage that can frustrate opponents’ strategies.

Cards similar to Vanguard's Shield by color, type and mana cost

Water Gun Balloon Game - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Vanguard's Shield MTG card by a specific set like Avacyn Restored, 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 Vanguard's Shield and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Vanguard's Shield 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 Vanguard's Shield card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.