Emeria Captain MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Angel Warrior |
| Abilities | Flying, Vigilance |
| Released | 2020-09-25 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Zendikar Rising |
| Set code | ZNR |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 11 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Matt Stewart |
Key Takeaways
- Boosts board presence with +1/+1 counters, effectively tipping creature matchups in your favor.
- Synergizes seamlessly with instant speed spells for unexpected and impactful plays.
- Demands white mana, potentially restricting deck flexibility and mana management during play.
Guide to Vigilance card ability
In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.
Text of card
Flying, vigilance When Emeria Captain enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on it for each creature in your party. (Your party consists of up to one each of Cleric, Rogue, Warrior, and Wizard.)
"The gifts of the past must find their way into deserving hands."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Emeria Captain shines by bringing a +1/+1 counter for each creature in your party when it enters the battlefield. This benefit provides immediate board presence and can effectively tip the scales by strengthening your line-up, giving you a significant advantage in creature matchups.
Resource Acceleration: As a creature that can potentially enter as a sizeable threat, Emeria Captain helps you make the most of your mana spent. While it doesn’t directly ramp, the value you get from its party mechanic allows you to optimize your resource allocation, putting you ahead on the board quicker.
Instant Speed: Though Emeria Captain itself isn’t cast at instant speed, its synergy with instant speed party-enabling spells can catch opponents off guard. Instant speed interactions can set up the stage for Emeria Captain to land with more impact, making it a strategic asset in any party-focused deck.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Emeria Captain’s ability does not necessitate discarding cards. However, maintaining a strong hand size is crucial to maximize its effectiveness due to its party mechanic, which can be indirectly taxing on your hand.
Specific Mana Cost: Emeria Captain requires a precise mana allocation, including at least white mana. This can sometimes limit deck-building options or make it less accessible during gameplay when mana flexibility is critical.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that demands four resources including white mana, Emeria Captain comes at a pivotal turn where players may prefer to cast spells with an immediate impact on the game rather than setting up for potential future payoffs.
Reasons to Include Emeria Captain in Your Collection
Versatility: Emeria Captain thrives in decks with a strong party mechanic theme, fitting seamlessly into white-based party or ally synergistic strategies to instantly bolster your battlefield presence.
Combo Potential: This creature’s ability to amass +1/+1 counters not only enhances its own power but can also synergize with other cards that benefit from counters or creatures with substantial stats, paving the way for impactful plays.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors creature-based tactics or where white weenie strategies are prevalent, Emeria Captain shines by providing a significant power boost while supporting a well-rounded team dynamic.
How to beat Emeria Captain
Emeria Captain presents itself as a formidable ally creature in Magic: The Gathering, especially in decks that focus on maximizing creature synergy. With its landfall ability, it becomes a larger threat with each land you play, benefiting from additional +1/+1 counters. Furthermore, it’s bolstered by the fact that it’s also a flying creature, granting you an advantageous position in air combat.
To effectively counter this, removal spells are your strongest asset. Instant speed removals such as Path to Exile or Terminate are efficient at dealing with Emeria Captain before its landfall ability can be triggered multiple times. Board wipes such as Wrath of God or Damnation could also serve to reset the battlefield, thereby neutralizing the advantage the Emeria Captain might have secured. Additionally, cards that limit the number of lands an opponent can play, like Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, or attrition strategies like land destruction can inhibit the Captain’s ability to grow in power.
It’s crucial to remember that managing the pace at which your opponent plays lands and deploying your removal spells at the optimal moment can be the key to dampening Emeria Captain’s impact on the game. Playing around this card requires a blend of preemptive and reactive strategies to ensure that it doesn’t escalate into an insurmountable threat.
Cards like Emeria Captain
Emeria Captain finds its niche within the ranks of creatures that boast the party mechanic introduced in the Zendikar Rising set for Magic: The Gathering. Its kinship lies with cards like Squad Commander, which also relies on the number of creatures in your party to scale its effect. However, Emeria Captain carves its own path with the versatility of flying, making it a formidable threat in the air straightaway.
Another relative is Tazri, Beacon of Unity, which not only benefits from a full party but also enables the player to look for a member of the party from the top six cards of their library. Emeria Captain doesn’t offer such a bonus, trading card advantage for immediate board presence and pressure from above. Patrolling a different aspect of the party theme, Archpriest of Iona’s power level is directly proportional to the size of your party and offers an early game advantage that Emeria Captain can’t match.
Each of these cards showcases a different angle of the party mechanic, showing both the breadth and depth of Magic: The Gathering’s gameplay. Whether you favor immediate aerial impact with Emeria Captain or other party mechanic benefits, the choice enhances the strategic complexity and fun of deck building.
Cards similar to Emeria Captain by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Emeria Captain MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar Rising, 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 Emeria Captain and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Emeria Captain has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Emeria Captain card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-09-25 | An ability referring to the number of creatures in your party gets a number from zero to four. Such abilities never ask which creatures are in your party, and you never have to designate specific creatures as being in your party. You can’t choose to exclude creatures from this count to lower the number. |
| 2020-09-25 | Because Emeria Captain receives its +1/+1 counters from a triggered ability rather than a replacement effect, players may take actions while that triggered ability is on the stack and Emeria Captain’s toughness is just 1. |
| 2020-09-25 | If a creature has more than one party creature type, and there are multiple ways to count that creature that could result in a different number of creatures in your party, the highest such number is used. For example, if you control a Cleric and a Cleric Wizard, the number of creatures in your party is two. You can’t choose to have it be just one by counting the Cleric Wizard first as a Cleric. |
| 2020-09-25 | If an ability of a creature counts the number of creatures in your party, that number is counted as the ability resolves. If that creature is still on the battlefield when the ability resolves, it’ll be counted if appropriate. |
| 2020-09-25 | To determine “the number of creatures in your party,” check whether you control a Cleric, whether you control a Rogue, whether you control a Warrior, and whether you control a Wizard. The number is the total number of those checks to which you answered yes. Each creature you control can be counted for only one of those checks. |
