Champion Lancer MTG Card

Starter 1999 (S99)
1999-07-01 - Number 11

Champion Lancer - Masters Edition IV (ME4)

Masters Edition IV (ME4)
2011-01-10 - Number 8

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Human Knight
Power	3
Toughness	3

Key Takeaways

Card advantage gained from Champion Lancer can decisively swing matches in your favor.
Resource acceleration capabilities allow for earlier deployment of high-cost threats.
Instant speed usage of Champion Lancer adds surprise and flexibility during play.

Text of card

Prevent all damage that would be dealt to Champion Lancer by creatures.

The flash of his lance projects the pure radiance of his honor.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Champion Lancer works to position you ahead by offering the potential for card advantage. Its ability to pull valuable cards from your deck keeps your hand full and puts pressure on your opponent. Diving into your deck and getting the right tools at the right time can be a deciding factor in many matches.

Resource Acceleration: This formidable card can be a linchpin in the strategy of resource acceleration. By potentially untapping your lands or other mana sources, it ensures that your resources are maximized each turn. This can lead to playing bigger threats earlier than your opponents and can sway the game in your favor.

Instant Speed: Its capabilities at instant speed offer excellent flexibility. This allows you to adapt to the current state of the game rather than committing to a single course of action too early. Making moves during your opponent’s turn can surprise them and disrupt their strategies, which can be crucial to your victory.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Champion Lancer demands a discard from your hand to activate its key abilities. This might strain your hand, especially when you’re playing a tightly-resourced game where each card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that leans heavily into one color, integrating Champion Lancer into a multicolored deck could be challenging, potentially disrupting a streamlined mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Champion Lancer boasts valuable skills, its mana efficiency is questionable. For its casting cost, players may expect a more immediate impact on the game state.

Reasons to Include Champion Lancer in Your Collection

Versatility: Champion Lancer’s robust defensive capabilities allow it to secure a spot in both aggressive and control decks. Its ability to shutdown the combat abilities of opponent creatures makes it a strategic defensive play regardless of your deck’s primary win condition.

Combo Potential: As a knight, Champion Lancer synergizes with other knight-specific or tribe-focused cards, potentially enabling powerful combinations that bolster your board presence or provide unique advantages during matches.

Meta-Relevance: Given its potential to thwart opponents relying on combat tricks or creature abilities to win, Champion Lancer’s presence is particularly useful in metas dominated by creature-based strategies, offering a solid counter-play and adding resilience to your lineup.

How to beat

Champion Lancer can be quite the formidable threat on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This card often stands out due to its ability to protect other creatures, making it a linchpin in many strategies that focus on sustaining a large board presence. Overcoming this obstacle requires a nuanced approach, as direct removal can be inefficient against a deck with such synergies.

One effective strategy to counter Champion Lancer is to use board wipes like Wrath of God or Damnation which bypass its protective ability by not targeting creatures. Spot removal spells that don’t target, such as Council’s Judgment, can also be invaluable. Additionally, commonly played cards like Path to Exile or Fatal Push offer an alternative by removing the Champion Lancer directly, before its ability comes into effect. Prioritizing the Champion Lancer is key due to its ability to leave your opponent’s creatures vulnerable.

It’s also important to anticipate and mitigate the Champion Lancer’s impact. Ensuring you have a strategic mix of removals, counteracts, and alternative win conditions can stabilize your game against decks leveraging the Champion Lancer’s strengths. Knowing when and how to dismantle your opponent’s plan centered around this card can be the tipping point in a match.

Cards like Champion Lancer

Champion Lancer is a remarkable force in MTG, set apart by its distinct ability to be immune to damage from creatures. Drawing parallels to Paladin en-Vec, both hold protective qualities, but Champion Lancer boasts a more comprehensive guard, as no creatures can harm it. Paladin en-Vec selectively prevents damage from red creatures and from black creatures, highlighting Champion Lancer’s superior defensive stance.

In the same breath, we delve into Loyal Sentry, another card with a singular preventive measure—a “destroy” effect upon being blocked or blocking, emphasizing Champion Lancer’s ongoing protection in battle. However, Loyal Sentry’s ability is a one-shot deal, as it’s destroyed in the process, something that doesn’t burden the Champion Lancer.

Observing these counterparts and reflecting on their abilities, Champion Lancer emerges as a formidable option for players seeking an enduring defender on the battlefield. Its comprehensive protection against creatures allows for a strategic edge, providing a reliable guard in MTG matchups.

Cards similar to Champion Lancer by color, type and mana cost

Personal Incarnation - MTG Card versions

Archon of Coronation - MTG Card versions

Crovax, Ascendant Hero - MTG Card versions

Spirit of the Hearth - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Champion Lancer MTG card by a specific set like Starter 1999 and Masters Edition IV, 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 Champion Lancer and other MTG cards: