Sworn Defender MTG Card


Adaptable power and toughness make Sworn Defender a versatile blocker or attacker in combat situations. Its ability to activate at instant speed grants players surprise tactics and a strategic edge. Sworn Defender fits well in decks that can support its higher mana cost and specific color requirement.
Sworn Defender - Alliances
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Knight
Released1996-06-10
Set symbol
Set nameAlliances
Set codeALL
Power 1
Toughness 3
Number19
Frame1993
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byD. Alexander Gregory

Text of card

o1: Change Sworn Defender's power to the toughness of target creature blocking or being blocked by Sworn Defender, minus 1, until end of turn. Change Sworn Defender's toughness to 1 plus the power of that creature, until end of turn.


Cards like Sworn Defender

Sworn Defender is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering that allows players to adjust its power and toughness until the end of turn. Standing out for its defensive flexibility, the card finds company in other adaptable creatures like Erratic Cyclops. Where Sworn Defender excels in toughness manipulation to potentially wall off many attacking creatures, Erratic Cyclops swings the versatility towards power, potentially skyrocketing its attack strength based on the spells you cast.

Another comparable MTG card is Morphling, which offers a range of abilities including power and toughness adjustments, but it also features added bonuses like shroud and untapping that Sworn Defender doesn’t. While Morphling can control the battlefield with more versatility, Sworn Defender’s uniqueness lies in the ability to dictate combat outcomes by pumping toughness to survive multiple attackers.

Balancing these attributes, Sworn Defender serves well in decks that strategize around defensive stances and board control. Its ability to adjust to various situations presents a valuable tactical advantage, particularly in drawn-out matches where its power and toughness tweaking can repeatedly thwart opponent attacks.

Erratic Cyclops - MTG Card versions
Morphling - MTG Card versions
Erratic Cyclops - MTG Card versions
Morphling - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Sworn Defender by color, type and mana cost

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Northern Paladin - MTG Card versions
Moorish Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Witch Hunter - MTG Card versions
Carrier Pigeons - MTG Card versions
Tormented Angel - MTG Card versions
Seasoned Marshal - MTG Card versions
Coalition Honor Guard - MTG Card versions
Teroh's Vanguard - MTG Card versions
Mangara, the Diplomat - MTG Card versions
Akroma's Devoted - MTG Card versions
Leonin Abunas - MTG Card versions
Kami of Old Stone - MTG Card versions
Aven Cloudchaser - MTG Card versions
Blinking Spirit - MTG Card versions
Seht's Tiger - MTG Card versions
Valor - MTG Card versions
Veteran of the Depths - MTG Card versions
Guardian Seraph - MTG Card versions
Lightkeeper of Emeria - MTG Card versions
Cho-Manno, Revolutionary - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sworn Defender’s unique ability to alter its power and toughness can lead to advantageous blocking or attacking scenarios, often resulting in card advantage as you neutralize threats without losing your creature.

Resource Acceleration: While not a direct source of mana, Sworn Defender can be a key defensive play that sustains your resources on the board, preventing the need for spending additional cards to deal with attackers.

Instant Speed: Sworn Defender’s ability can be activated at instant speed, offering flexible responses to combat situations and allowing you to adapt to the unfolding game without telegraphing your strategy to the opponent.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Sworn Defender’s abilities can demand a significant number of cards to be discarded, which might deplete your hand and leave you at a strategic disadvantage, making it less appealing in decks that don’t have sufficient draw power or ways to mitigate card loss.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana cost includes white mana, making it less flexible and hence more challenging to integrate into multicolored decks that might not have consistent access to white mana sources or are strained on their mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a higher mana investment required to get Sworn Defender into play, players may find themselves at a tactical setback when facing opponents who utilize lower-cost creatures with comparable or more immediate impacts on the game state.


Reasons to Include Sworn Defender in Your Collection

Versatility: Sworn Defender is a unique card that can adapt its power and toughness during each combat, making it a formidable defender in a variety of decks seeking flexible solutions to opposing threats.

Combo Potential: With its variable stats, Sworn Defender synergizes well with cards that track power or toughness, potentially unlocking powerful interactions in cleverly constructed decks.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where combat tricks and creature-based strategies are prevalent, Sworn Defender can become a key piece in outmaneuvering opponents and protecting your life total effectively.


How to beat Sworn Defender

Sworn Defender is a unique creature card in Magic The Gathering that can adjust its power and toughness on the fly during combat. Its ability makes it a flexible and tough opponent to take down in a duel. To successfully defeat a Sworn Defender, players must deploy a strategy that circumvents direct combat. One effective method is using removal spells that can bypass its combat trick, such as “Path to Exile” or “Doom Blade,” which can eliminate the creature without engaging it in battle.

Another approach is to utilize cards that prevent the Defender from blocking or declare an attack. Enchantments like “Pacifism” or “Arrest” can effectively neutralize Sworn Defender without initiating a fight. Players could also leverage flying creatures, as Sworn Defender lacks reach, making it vulnerable to aerial attacks. Additionally, employing counterspells to prevent Sworn Defender from hitting the battlefield in the first place can spare the player from tangling with this adaptable foe. Always remember that flexibility and smart choices can conquer strength on the battlefield.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sworn Defender MTG card by a specific set like Alliances, 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 Sworn Defender and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sworn Defender has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2009-10-01 You apply power/toughness changing effects in a series of sublayers in the following order: (a) effects from characteristic-defining abilities; (b) effects that set power and/or toughness to a specific number or value; (c) effects that modify power and/or toughness but don’t set power and/or toughness to a specific number or value; (d) changes from counters; (e) effects that switch a creature’s power and toughness. This card’s effect is always applied in (b), which means that effects applied in sublayer (c), (d), or (e) will not be overwritten; they will be applied to the new value.