Cartouche of Ambition MTG Card


Provides dual advantages: powers up your creature and imposes a penalty on an opponent’s. Boosts board state economically, using just three mana for significant gameplay impact. Flexibility makes it useful in various decks, synergizing especially well with lifelink strategies.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura Cartouche
Abilities Enchant

Text of card

Enchant creature you control When Cartouche of Ambition enters the battlefield, you may put a -1/-1 counter on target creature. Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has lifelink.


Cards like Cartouche of Ambition

Cartouche of Ambition is a unique aura card that Magic: The Gathering players frequently consider for enhancing creature decks. Similar to other auras like Dead Weight, it offers a twist to creature control by providing a significant -1/-1 to an opponent’s creature upon entering the battlefield. Yet, it diverges with the added benefit of bolstering one of your own creatures with a +1/+1 counter and lifelink. Unlike Dead Weight’s sole focus on diminishing an opponent’s forces, Cartouche of Ambition does dual work by empowering your own.

Staying within the same vein, Gifted Aetherborn comes to mind with lifelink and deathtouch as its innate abilities, though not an aura, it presents a creature-based strategy that multiplies the potential of your plays. Moreover, Lethal Sting plays a different role by using -1/-1 counters as a currency to manage the battlefield while you control the distribution. While it doesn’t affect your creatures positively, it’s a versatile tool that demands strategic planning.

To sum up, Cartouche of Ambition offers a blend of offensive and defensive utilities, standing out in the pool of creature-enhancing cards. Its dual-purpose design enables players to shift the balance of power in their favor, making it a commendable choice for deck builders considering aura-based strategies.

Dead Weight - MTG Card versions
Gifted Aetherborn - MTG Card versions
Lethal Sting - MTG Card versions
Dead Weight - MTG Card versions
Gifted Aetherborn - MTG Card versions
Lethal Sting - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Cartouche of Ambition by color, type and mana cost

Gloom - MTG Card versions
Season of the Witch - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Gate - MTG Card versions
Withering Wisps - MTG Card versions
Necropotence - MTG Card versions
Funeral March - MTG Card versions
Casting of Bones - MTG Card versions
Blanket of Night - MTG Card versions
Hecatomb - MTG Card versions
Megrim - MTG Card versions
Recurring Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Contamination - MTG Card versions
Oppression - MTG Card versions
Maggot Therapy - MTG Card versions
Murderous Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Noxious Field - MTG Card versions
Tainted Well - MTG Card versions
Scavenged Weaponry - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Arena - MTG Card versions
Gravestorm - MTG Card versions
Gloom - MTG Card versions
Season of the Witch - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Gate - MTG Card versions
Withering Wisps - MTG Card versions
Necropotence - MTG Card versions
Funeral March - MTG Card versions
Casting of Bones - MTG Card versions
Blanket of Night - MTG Card versions
Hecatomb - MTG Card versions
Megrim - MTG Card versions
Recurring Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Contamination - MTG Card versions
Oppression - MTG Card versions
Maggot Therapy - MTG Card versions
Murderous Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Noxious Field - MTG Card versions
Tainted Well - MTG Card versions
Scavenged Weaponry - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Arena - MTG Card versions
Gravestorm - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cartouche of Ambition provides a two-fold advantage by enhancing your creature and weakening an opponent’s. The ability to place a -1/-1 counter on a creature your opponent controls can shift the board balance in your favor, potentially removing a blocker or attacker. This effect, combined with the lifelink it grants to your creature, often results in favorable trades and improved longevity for your deck.

Resource Acceleration: While Cartouche of Ambition doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense of providing mana, it offers a cost-effective way to improve your board state. By only using three mana, you invest minimally for a change that can have significant impact on the pace of the game, allowing you to use your resources elsewhere.

Instant Speed: Although Cartouche of Ambition is not an instant, it compensates by synergizing well with creatures that can exploit its lifelink ability at instant speed. It can be tactically played post-combat to surprise an opponent or pre-combat to deter attacks, making it a versatile option in various situations.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One drawback players might find with Cartouche of Ambition is the potential need to lose a card if you aim to capitalize on its full benefits. This can negatively impact your hand if resources are scant.

Specific Mana Cost: Cartouche of Ambition requires black mana to play, which could restrict its integration in multicolored decks that are already pressed for colored mana resources or lean towards other colors predominantly.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For three mana, other enchantments or spells could potentially offer more value or a more powerful effect than what’s provided with Cartouche of Ambition. This can influence deck builders to opt for alternatives over this card when considering their mana curve and strategy.


Reasons to Include Cartouche of Ambition in Your Collection

Versatility: Cartouche of Ambition is not limited to a single deck archetype. This enchantment can enhance various strategies by boosting your creatures and diminishing opposing forces.

Combo Potential: The card offers synergy with decks that revolve around -1/-1 counters or life gain. Its ability to attach to any creature gives it a natural pairing with other Auras or equipment.

Meta-Relevance: With its life-gain feature and the ability to weaken enemy creatures, Cartouche of Ambition holds its ground in a variety of meta environments, especially where small creature strategies are prevalent.


How to beat

Cartouche of Ambition is an aura spell that can be quite the game-changer on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This black enchantment not only gives a creature +1/+1 and lifelink, making it stronger in combat but also forces an opponent to put a -1/-1 counter on one of their creatures. This serves to weaken their board presence and can dissuade aggressive play or take out key utility creatures.

To handle Cartouche of Ambition effectively, consider using removal spells that can directly deal with the enchanted creature, such as Murder or Doom Blade, which bypass the aura’s enhancements. Enchantment removal like Disenchant or Naturalize can also directly target and remove Cartouche of Ambition, nullifying its impact and preserving your creatures from its debilitating effect. Additionally, counter spells play a valuable role in preventing such troublesome auras from hitting the field in the first place. Negate and Essence Scatter are fine examples of catch-all solutions that can intercept Cartouche of Ambition before it ever becomes a threat. When deck building, incorporating versatile answers to auras ensures you’re not caught off guard by buffs like Cartouche of Ambition.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cartouche of Ambition MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Amonkhet Remastered, 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 Cartouche of Ambition and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Cartouche of Ambition Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Kieran Yanner.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-04-28AmonkhetAKH 832015NormalBlackKieran Yanner
22020-08-13Amonkhet RemasteredAKR 972015NormalBlackKieran Yanner

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cartouche of Ambition has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2017-04-18 Cartouche is an enchantment subtype with no special meaning. Other cards may care about which enchantments are Cartouches.
2017-04-18 Each Cartouche is an Aura with “Enchant creature you control.” If another player gains control of either the Cartouche or the enchanted creature (but not both), then the Cartouche will be enchanting an illegal permanent and be put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action.
2017-04-18 If the target creature becomes an illegal target before a Cartouche spell resolves, the spell doesn’t resolve. It doesn’t enter the battlefield.
2017-04-18 The target creature for the triggered ability of Cartouche of Ambition doesn’t have to be the creature it enchants.