Phalanx Leader MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Soldier
Abilities Heroic
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Phalanx Leader excels in granting card advantage by buffing multiple creatures simultaneously.
  2. Its synergy with instant-speed spells allows strategic, game-changing enhancements.
  3. A well-timed removal or counter can effectively neutralize Phalanx Leader’s impact.

Text of card

Heroic — Whenever you cast a spell that targets Phalanx Leader, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Phalanx Leader has the capability to enhance your entire board with its heroic mechanic. When you target Phalanx Leader with a spell, not only does it get stronger, but every other creature you control does as well. This allows for significant card advantage as one spell can effectively improve multiple creatures, making it more difficult for your opponents to overcome your expanded battlefield presence.

Resource Acceleration: Though Phalanx Leader doesn’t directly produce additional mana or treasure tokens, its impact on the battlefield can accelerate your victory. By bolstering your creatures, it maximizes the resources you’ve already invested into your army, potentially leading to faster wins without the need for further investment into additional creatures or spells.

Instant Speed: Phalanx Leader’s ability synergizes well with instant-speed spells, giving you the flexibility to enhance your forces at the most opportune moments. This allows smart players to set traps during combat or in response to an opponent’s actions, thereby utilizing their mana and cards in hand with optimal timing and efficiency to turn the tide of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Phalanx Leader doesn’t require a discard directly, but trying to trigger its heroic ability can strain your hand, requiring you to play other spells, potentially decreasing your available resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Needing both white mana can restrict this card’s inclusion in multicolor decks that may not prioritize white mana or white spells that can trigger its ability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While two mana for a 1/1 creature might not seem steep, it is essential to consider the additional costs needed to activate its heroic ability effectively. In many cases, other creatures may provide more immediate board presence or impact for the same or lower cost.


Reasons to Include Phalanx Leader in Your Collection

Versatility: Phalanx Leader is a cornerstone for a wide array of deck strategies, particularly those focusing on counter distribution. Its ability to bolster your entire battlefield with +1/+1 counters, simply by targeting it with a spell, complements both aggressive and more synergistic deck builds. It’s an invaluable addition whether you’re amassing a large army or enhancing key creatures for a formidable board presence.

Combo Potential: Combining Phalanx Leader with cheap spells and heroic enablers can lead to explosive plays. It thrives in decks that capitalize on casting multiple spells per turn. Incorporating this card creates opportunities for multiplying the value of each of your instants or sorceries, transforming even the simplest of spells into potent game changers that can turn the tides in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: Given its potential to create massive shifts in battlefield advantage, Phalanx Leader holds its own in various metas, particularly those teeming with creature-based strategies. As games pivot on establishing and maintaining board control, this card acts as a force multiplier, tipping scales and often commanding immediate answers from opponents wary of its snowballing effect.


How to beat

Phalanx Leader has been recognized for its synergy-based power in Magic: The Gathering, emphasized by its ability to enhance your entire board with +1/+1 counters each time it’s targeted by a spell you cast. However, overcoming this card is not out of reach. The key lies in strategic removal. Instant-speed removal spells such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile can disrupt the Leader’s impact before a buff can be spread, negating the need to deal with a potentially overwhelming board of strengthened creatures later.

Counterspells also play a crucial role. By countering the spells aimed at Phalanx Leader directly, you not only prevent the counters but also waste your opponent’s resources. Moreover, board wipe spells such as Wrath of God can level the playing field, erasing the advantage that Phalanx Leader might have created despite how many counters it has distributed. This approach is particularly effective as it disregards the Leader’s ability, targeting everything on the board indiscriminately.

In essence, while Phalanx Leader can create significant momentum for an opponent, a well-timed removal or counter strategy can neutralize its threat effectively, allowing you to maintain control of the game state.


BurnMana Recommendations

Diving into MTG means embracing the subtle art of deck building and battlefield tactics, a skill perfected over time and through insightful card choices. Phalanx Leader stands as a testament to strategic depth, offering a pivot point for numerous deck archetypes. To harness its full potential, it’s essential to understand the value it brings to the game. Its role as a force amplifier is not to be underestimated, carving a path for victory through unity and synergy. We encourage you to further explore the combinations and strategies that revolve around Phalanx Leader. Learn more with us and elevate your game to new heights where every card play counts towards your next emblematic win.


Cards like Phalanx Leader

Phalanx Leader has earned its reputation in MTG as a staple for white-based token and counter strategies. This card parallels with Heroes’ Reunion in the sense that both cards can significantly impact the board by promoting creature growth. However, Phalanx Leader does so uniquely by distributing +1/+1 counters when targeted by a spell, enhancing multiple creatures rather than just one. Moreover, the ability to trigger Heroic actions further elevates its tactical advantage.

Looking towards Juniper Order Ranger, there’s a resemblance in how both creatures bolster your army. Though the Ranger benefits only from creatures entering the battlefield and lacks the Heroic trigger, it permanently gains +1/+1 counters alongside another creature. In another light, Anointer Priest shares a similarity with Phalanx Leader in its synergy with token generation but focuses on life gain rather than strengthening the team. Interestingly, Phalanx Leader can facilitate a more aggressive strategy by enabling combat efficacy across your creatures.

Considering the versatility and direct enhancement Phalanx Leader provides to each creature on the field, it stands out in the realm of MTG by supporting a collective strength approach, which could shift the tide of a match dramatically when leveraged correctly.

Heroes' Reunion - MTG Card versions
Juniper Order Ranger - MTG Card versions
Anointer Priest - MTG Card versions
Heroes' Reunion - Invasion (INV)
Juniper Order Ranger - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Anointer Priest - Amonkhet (AKH)

Cards similar to Phalanx Leader by color, type and mana cost

White Knight - MTG Card versions
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Soltari Monk - MTG Card versions
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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 - Urza's Saga (USG)
Avenger en-Dal - Nemesis (NEM)
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)
Cloudreach Cavalry - Legions (LGN)
Samite Healer - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Kor Firewalker - Mystery Booster (MB1)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Phalanx Leader MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Theros Promos, 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 Phalanx Leader and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Phalanx Leader Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2013-09-21 and 2018-12-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 501162003normalblackRaymond Swanland
22013-09-21Theros PromosPTHS 262003normalblackRaymond Swanland
32013-09-27TherosTHS 262003normalblackDavid Palumbo
42018-12-07Ultimate MastersUMA 272015normalblackDavid Palumbo

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Phalanx Leader has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2013-09-15 Heroic abilities will resolve before the spell that caused them to trigger.
2013-09-15 Heroic abilities will trigger only once per spell, even if that spell targets the creature with the heroic ability multiple times.
2013-09-15 Heroic abilities won't trigger when a copy of a spell is created on the stack or when a spell's targets are changed to include a creature with a heroic ability.

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