Boros Challenger – MTG Card Review

David
Fanany
Player
since
1995

This is one of the build-around cards for the mentor mechanic that characterizes Boros in Guilds of Ravnica. He tempts you with the promise of being able to mentor basically any creature, given enough mana; four mana to get +1/+1 is not the most efficient rate, but it’s enough for it to become relevant once you get to the midgame. Fortunately, his own power to cost ratio is pretty good, and he can attack quite effectively when you cast him early. 

The Challenger also highlights how well the mentor mechanic works with battalion, from Gatecrash. Both of them encourage you to have lots of creatures, especially smaller ones to benefit from the +1/+1 counters. Powerful battalion triggers like on Legion Loyalist and Frontline Medic just pile up on top and make everything into a must-stop threat.

Constructed: 3/5
Casual: 4/5
Limited: 4/5
Multiplayer: 3/5
EDH/Commander: 3/5

Subtle, this is not. Boros Challenger plays well with the Boros mechanic, able to benefit from it (thanks to his low power) and help creatures (thanks to its self-pump). This is definitely one of the “signpost” uncommons in Limited, because it can push the advantage across your board very well, and 3 toughness for 2 mana means it can trade adequately at the game’s outset. Boros Challenger is pretty nifty…not a Constructed all-star, by any means, but a nice piece to the Boros puzzle and a body that can play well with their mechanic.

Constructed: 3
Casual: 3.5
Limited: 4
Multiplayer: 3
Commander: 3.25