As a 3/3 for three, it's well-suited for aggro
decks. The fact that it risks nothing in a real
alpha strike makes it even better, as it lets
you charge in without fear of blockers. That
alone makes it worth playing.
The interesting thing, though, is the sack
ability. Counter an X spell unless its
controller pays 3? Not likely-- you have to
already have the Medic on the field when the X
spell is cast, so your opponent will know you've
got it and leave 3 up accordingly so you can't
counter it. Which means the value of X will be 3
lower than it otherwise would have been, which
is a benefit at least. Most X spells tend to be
burn or life gain/drain, but you may
occasionally catch a Mind Spring with it as
well. X spells are also more common in casual
formats that reward indulging your Timmy side.
More competitive formats will value this as an
indestructible 3/3 attacker for three instead.
I really like this card's second ability. For
some reason, it's the one that always stands out
to me when I see this card; I guess it's because
it goes into an area that I really think white
should have access to. Not that the first
ability isn't useful; it lets you attack almost
any opposing creature setup without fear, and
considering that at least three creatures are
going in, you're most likely going to get damage
through. Add in this guy's second ability
protecting you from Bonfire of the Damned and
Sphinx's Revelation (I thought control was
underpowered right now, internet people?), and
you have easily one of the strongest cards in
Gatecrash.
Today's card of the day is Frontline Medic
which is a three mana 3/3 White that can be
sacrificed to counter target spell with X in the
mana cost unless its controller pays three and
Battalion making your creatures indestructible
until end of turn. The sacrifice effect is
okay for forcing an opponent to spend three less
on any X spells, if they happen to use one with
it in play and are unable to remove it first,
which leans this more towards the sidedeck
unless the local metagame is flooded with X
spells. The Battalion is good for
protecting your attackers from removal responses
which are going to be more prevalent as the
older block rotates out and the Ravnica effects
provide the majority of options. Overall
this will see some play, more in certain areas,
but not being a soldier and the somewhat
specific uses keep it from being a must play.
In Limited there are a few threatening X spells,
but it should often be easier to wait out the
Medic and deal with it directly than cast a
weakened spell. The potential for
indestructible makes it an important target when
not protected and it can be an overlooked card
that is more difficult to handle than it may
first appear. Well worth playing in Sealed
decks and a strong on color choice for Booster,
around the third or fourth pick depending on the
pack.
Welcome back to the card of the day section here
at Pojo.com! Today we are taking a look at the
Frontline Medic from Gatecrash. Frontline Medic
is a rare white creature human cleric that
costs two generic and one white mana for a 3/3.
Frontline Medic has a Battalion ability that
makes permanents you control indestructible if
he attacks with two other creatures. Frontline
Medic also has a second ability that also you to
sacrifice the Frontline Medic to counter a spell
with X in it's mana cost unless it's controller
pays three generic more.
I am a HUGE Boros player. I loved the original Boros ability
Radiance, but absolutely LOVE Battalion. It is a
huge reward for aggressive players. And perhaps
one of the best ways it does so is in using
Frontline Medic. A 3/3 for three mana is always
worth it. But combine that with the Battalion
ability of making all your permanents
indestructible that turn, and you really have no
reason not to all out slam at your opponent!
Well, most of the time. But in most situations,
you will be attacking with decent sized
creatures that are getting some form of boost
themselves. This could force blocks, and they
will not trade due to the Frontline Medic.
But perhaps the best thing of all is the secondary ability. I
know, most people are going to be all like,
'It's not that great.' or 'It sucks!' but let me
tell you, right now, a Frontline Medic somewhere
has stopped a Bonfire of the Damned cold! The
mere presence means that even Miracle Bonfire
needs seven mana to clear out the Medic, one to
cast, three for the kill, and then three to
ensure it doesn't get countered. Chances are,
that's not going to be the case often. Even
Aurelia's Fury can be restricted, all because of
this guy.
Definitely a favorite card of mine coming out of Gatecrash,
and highly recommended for any deck that uses
white, even if the main strategy isn't smash
mouth attacks. Remember, this guy and any two
creatures at the same time results in
indestructibility for the turn, so in any white
deck, your two best attackers and this guy will
all be safe, kind of.
