Ritual Guardian MTG Card


Ritual Guardian provides card advantage and resource acceleration, pivotal for game dominance. It’s flexibility and defensive capabilities make it a worthy addition to MTG arsenals. Mana cost and discard requirements are critical considerations before including it in your deck.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Soldier
Abilities Coven
Power 3
Toughness 2

Text of card

Coven — At the beginning of combat on your turn, if you control three or more creatures with different powers, Ritual Guardian gains lifelink until end of turn.

"By ancient magics, by angels' grace, we will survive this night."


Cards like Ritual Guardian

Ritual Guardian forges its own identity in the sprawling universe of creature cards within Magic: The Gathering. It’s a stalwart ally, reminiscent of cards like Dauntless Bodyguard, which also provides a protective shield to your valued creatures. What makes Ritual Guardian unique is its capacity to generate a life-gaining benefit when it enters the battlefield, fostering a more defensive strategy.

As we look to comparable guardians, Selfless Spirit emerges as a worthy parallel. It offers sacrifice for the greater good, shielding your army from destruction spells once, while Ritual Guardian continuously guards against smaller threats by absorbing damage with strategic life gain. Then, there’s Alseid of Life’s Bounty, which not only defends but can also give any creature or enchantment protection from a color of your choice upon its noble sacrifice.

Hence, delving into the merits of similar cards, Ritual Guardian stands out in MTG as a safeguard that can repetitively bolster defenses, particularly beneficial in long-drawn matches where incremental advantages stack up to secure victory.

Dauntless Bodyguard - MTG Card versions
Selfless Spirit - MTG Card versions
Alseid of Life's Bounty - MTG Card versions
Dauntless Bodyguard - MTG Card versions
Selfless Spirit - MTG Card versions
Alseid of Life's Bounty - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Ritual Guardian by color, type and mana cost

Argivian Blacksmith - MTG Card versions
Jamuraan Lion - MTG Card versions
Snow Hound - MTG Card versions
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Stern Marshal - MTG Card versions
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Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions
Dogged Hunter - MTG Card versions
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Faithful Squire // Kaiso, Memory of Loyalty - MTG Card versions
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Freewind Equenaut - MTG Card versions
Sanctum Guardian - MTG Card versions
Field Marshal - MTG Card versions
Kithkin Healer - MTG Card versions
Kor Hookmaster - MTG Card versions
Argivian Blacksmith - MTG Card versions
Jamuraan Lion - MTG Card versions
Snow Hound - MTG Card versions
Elvish Healer - MTG Card versions
Femeref Knight - MTG Card versions
Border Guard - MTG Card versions
Stern Marshal - MTG Card versions
Benalish Knight - MTG Card versions
Regal Unicorn - MTG Card versions
Wild Griffin - MTG Card versions
Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions
Dogged Hunter - MTG Card versions
Diving Griffin - MTG Card versions
Faithful Squire // Kaiso, Memory of Loyalty - MTG Card versions
Kitsune Palliator - MTG Card versions
Freewind Equenaut - MTG Card versions
Sanctum Guardian - MTG Card versions
Field Marshal - MTG Card versions
Kithkin Healer - MTG Card versions
Kor Hookmaster - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ritual Guardian offers a significant benefit by enabling you to search your library for a basic land card and put it into play tapped, thus increasing your card presence on the battlefield without losing hand resources.

Resource Acceleration: By providing an additional land, Ritual Guardian assists in accelerating your mana resources, essential for casting more powerful spells earlier in the game.

Instant Speed: This card’s capability to be played at instant speed gives you the flexibility to respond to your opponent’s moves, making it a versatile and tactical addition to your arsenal.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For players looking to cast Ritual Guardian, one obstacle they must face is the discard requirement. This card stipulates that you must part ways with another card in your hand, which can pose a challenge, especially when your arsenal of plays is dwindling, and each card is vital for your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Ritual Guardian has a specific mana cost that may not synergize well with all types of decks. Decks focusing on a particular archetype may find it difficult to accommodate the mana requirements of this versatile card. This can potentially limit its inclusion to only those that match its color identity and mana curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When you evaluate the mana investment required to summon Ritual Guardian against the benefits it offers, you might find it to be on the higher side of the mana spectrum. This cost analysis could guide players towards other cards that yield a greater advantage or cost fewer resources for similar or even enhanced effects.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Ritual Guardian shines in decks that thrive on maintaining board presence. Its ability to act as a reliable defender while providing life gain makes it a valuable asset in both aggressive and defensive strategies.

Combo Potential: This card can become a linchpin in life-gain combos, triggering synergies with cards that feed off each lifepoint restored. Its place in such combos ensures your tactics flow seamlessly round after round.

Meta-Relevance: With its blend of defense and incremental life gain, Ritual Guardian slots in neatly against a landscape dominated by burn and aggro decks, offering a foothold to stabilize and mount your comeback.


How to Beat Ritual Guardian

Ritual Guardian is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering that boasts the ability to protect your other nonland permanents. Its ward ability creates a layer of defense, deterring opponents from targeting your valuable assets on the battlefield. However, like any card in MTG, it’s not invincible. To effectively navigate around Ritual Guardian’s defensive capabilities, one strategy is to utilize mass removal spells. This circumvents individual targeting and clears the field, including the ward-protected creatures.

Additionally, playing aggressive decks that can overwhelm the opposition before they stabilize with cards like Ritual Guardian can be equally successful. By pressuring your opponent’s life total early on, you reduce the impact of their late-game protective measures. Another angle is to engage in combat tricks that either beef up your creatures or diminish the opponent’s to ensure that Ritual Guardian can be dealt with during the combat phase. Considering these strategies, a player can find the weak spots in defenses built around Ritual Guardian and come out victorious.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ritual Guardian MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Innistrad: Double Feature, 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 Ritual Guardian and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ritual Guardian Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-09-24 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Denman Rooke.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight HuntMID 302015NormalBlackDenman Rooke
22022-01-28Innistrad: Double FeatureDBL 302015NormalBlackDenman Rooke

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ritual Guardian has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2021-09-24 A creature has different power from another if their powers are different numbers. For example, a 1/1 creature and a 2/1 creature have different powers.
2021-09-24 For three creatures to have different powers from one another, each of their powers needs to be different. A 1/1 creature, a 2/1 creature, and another 2/1 creature aren't three creatures with different powers, even though both 2/1 creatures have different power than the 1/1 creature.
2021-09-24 Many coven abilities, such as that of Dawnhart Wardens above, are triggered abilities with intervening if clauses. You must control three or more creatures with different powers at the time the ability triggers and at the time the ability tries to resolve. They do not, however, need to be the same set of creatures in both cases.