Ajani's Pridemate MTG Card


Gaining life turns Ajani’s Pridemate into a formidable creature, demanding multiple removal resources from opponents. Instant-speed life gain allows for flexible growth and strategic advantages during your opponent’s turns. Limited effectiveness without life gain, making it sometimes a mere 2/2 creature on the board.
Card setsReleased in 13 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Cat Soldier
Power 2
Toughness 2

Text of card

Whenever you gain life, you may put a +1/+1 counter on Ajani's Pridemate. (For example, if an effect causes you to gain 3 life, you may put one +1/+1 counter on this creature.)

"When one of us prospers, the pride prospers." —Jazal Goldmane


Cards like Ajani's Pridemate

Ajani’s Pridemate is a staple in Magic: The Gathering life gain decks, offering a unique advantage whenever you gain life. It shares the stage with cards like Wild Growth Walker, a creature that also grows more formidable with life gain triggers. However, Ajani’s Pridemate’s consistency and lack of deck-building constraints give it an edge in life-centric strategies.

An interesting counterpart is Sunscorch Regent, which not only gets stronger with life gain but also triggers on opponent’s spells, offering a dual threat. In contrast, Ajani’s Pridemate requires your own life gain effects to increase its power. Then there’s Cradle of Vitality, an enchantment allowing you to distribute +1/+1 counters based on the life you’ve gained, giving you more control over multiple creatures, unlike the focused growth of Ajani’s Pridemate.

Looking at these comparisons, Ajani’s Pridemate holds a prominent place for its simplicity and synergistic potential in life gain decks. Its ability to become a significant threat with each iteration of life gain makes it a valuable asset in MTG’s vast pool of cards.

Sunscorch Regent - MTG Card versions
Cradle of Vitality - MTG Card versions
Sunscorch Regent - MTG Card versions
Cradle of Vitality - MTG Card versions

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White Knight - MTG Card versions
Soul Shepherd - MTG Card versions
Soltari Monk - MTG Card versions
Talon Sliver - MTG Card versions
Keeper of the Light - MTG Card versions
Faith Healer - MTG Card versions
Angelic Page - MTG Card versions
Avenger en-Dal - MTG Card versions
Royal Falcon - MTG Card versions
Spirit Weaver - MTG Card versions
Voice of the Blessed - MTG Card versions
Stoneforge Mystic - MTG Card versions
Drannith Magistrate - MTG Card versions
Leonin Lightscribe - MTG Card versions
Silver Knight - MTG Card versions
Longbow Archer - MTG Card versions
Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions
Flumph - MTG Card versions
Soltari Priest - MTG Card versions
Luminarch Aspirant - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Ajani's Pridemate. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Mono-White Death & TaxesMono-White Death & Taxes GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 13 2024
Boros AggroBoros Aggro GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 12 2024
Selesnya ComboSelesnya Combo GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 12 2024

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ajani’s Pridemate becomes a formidable creature as it gains +1/+1 counters for each instance of life gain. This can quickly lead to a card advantage as it necessitates multiple cards from an opponent to deal with it, especially if it grows beyond the range of common removal spells.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting mana, Ajani’s Pridemate can accelerate your board presence considerably. Each life gain incident, which can be minimal in resource cost, potentially increases its power, applying pressure without the need for additional mana investment.

Instant Speed: Interactions with instant-speed life gain spells allow Ajani’s Pridemate to grow outside your main phases. This adds a layer of strategy, enabling surprise trades during combat or right before your turn, making it a versatile threat that can adapt to the fluid dynamics of a game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Ajani’s Pridemate doesn’t have an inherent discard requirement, it does rely on gaining life to grow stronger. In scenarios where you cannot trigger life gain, its potential remains dormant, acting as a simple 2/2 creature without intimidating board presence or impact.

Specific Mana Cost: Ajani’s Pridemate demands white mana, which may not always be readily available in multicolored or mana-strained decks. This can delay its deployment or make it a dead card in hand when diversifying your mana base is essential to your strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although costing only two mana, in a fast-paced game, those resources could be allocated to more immediate threats or answers. Considering modern gameplay speed, a 2/2 that requires set up might not match the pace at which other decks develop more formidable boards or secure win conditions faster.


Reasons to Include Ajani’s Pridemate in Your Collection

Versatility: Ajani’s Pridemate shines across various deck archetypes, fitting effortlessly into life-gain strategies prevalent in both casual and competitive formats. Its ability to grow with each instance of life gain makes it a robust addition to many white-based decks.

Combo Potential: With its ability to scale in power and toughness, Ajani’s Pridemate pairs well with cards that offer repeatable life gain. This can lead to explosive turns where Pridemate becomes a significant threat, synergizing especially well with cards like Soul Warden or Serra Ascendant.

Meta-Relevance: In a game that’s often shaped by aggressive strategies, Pridemate holds its ground as a meta-relevant creature. It’s capable of becoming a dominant force on the board, turning the incidental life gain into a powerful asset against a variety of opponent strategies.


How to beat

Ajani’s Pridemate shines in Magic: The Gathering as a creature that grows stronger each time you gain life. This synergy often finds a home in decks built around life gain mechanics, turning what might be minor increments of health into a formidable threat.

Defeating Ajani’s Pridemate demands a strategy that disrupts life gain or removes the creature before it becomes too large. Removal spells that can target creatures regardless of size are crucial. Consider cards like Murder or Doom Blade, which can destroy a creature for a relatively low mana cost, to keep the Pridemate in check. Cards that allow you to exile it, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, are especially effective as they prevent further recurrence from the graveyard.

Alternatively, tackling the problem at its source by using cards that prevent life gain, like Tainted Remedy, can stifle the Pridemate’s growth. Planning your removal and control elements with these kinds of cards in mind is key to keeping Ajani’s Pridemate from snowballing out of control in your next game of Magic: The Gathering.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding Ajani’s Pridemate’s strengths and weaknesses is crucial for MTG players looking to optimize their decks. Whether it’s leveraging the card’s ability to snowball into a massive creature or mitigating its cons through strategic deck construction, mastery of such key pieces can turn the tides of any match. It’s essential to consider how this card can best serve your strategy and to remain adaptive to the ever-evolving gameplay dynamics. For those ready to deepen their knowledge and harness the full potential of Ajani’s Pridemate within their collection, we invite you to discover more strategies and insights. Let’s embark on this journey to elevate your gameplay together.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ajani's Pridemate MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2011 and Duel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicol Bolas, 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 Ajani's Pridemate and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ajani's Pridemate Magic the Gathering card was released in 13 different sets between 2010-07-16 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12010-07-16Magic 2011M11 32003NormalBlackSvetlin Velinov
22011-09-02Duel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicol BolasDDH 92003NormalBlackSvetlin Velinov
32013-11-01Commander 2013C13 32003NormalBlackSvetlin Velinov
42014-07-18Magic 2015M15 22015NormalBlackSvetlin Velinov
52017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 52015NormalBlackSvetlin Velinov
62018-07-13Core Set 2019M19 52015NormalBlackSvetlin Velinov
72019-05-03War of the SparkWAR 42015NormalBlackSidharth Chaturvedi
82019-07-12Core Set 2020M20 12015TokenBlackHoward Lyon
92019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 142015NormalBlackSidharth Chaturvedi
102020-09-26The ListPLST WAR-42015NormalBlackSidharth Chaturvedi
112021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 2901997NormalBlackSvetlin Velinov
122022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 1422015NormalBlackSvetlin Velinov
132024-02-23Ravnica: Clue EditionCLU 522015NormalBlackSidharth Chaturvedi

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ajani's Pridemate has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PredhLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2021-03-19 Each creature with lifelink dealing combat damage causes a separate life-gaining event. For example, if two creatures you control with lifelink deal combat damage at the same time, Ajani’s Pridemate’s ability will trigger twice. However, if a single creature you control with lifelink deals combat damage to multiple creatures, players, and/or planeswalkers at the same time (perhaps because it has trample or was blocked by more than one creature), the ability will trigger only once.
2021-03-19 If Ajani’s Pridemate is dealt lethal damage at the same time that you gain life, it won’t receive a counter from its ability in time to save it.
2021-03-19 If you gain an amount of life “for each” of something, that life is gained as one event and the ability of Ajani’s Pridemate triggers only once.
2021-03-19 In a Two-Headed Giant game, life gained by your teammate won’t cause the ability to trigger, even though it caused your team’s life total to increase.
2021-03-19 The ability of Ajani’s Pridemate triggers just once for each life-gaining event, whether it’s 1 life from Paradise Plume or 2 life from Mycologist.