Adanto Vanguard

Creature — Vampire Soldier

As long as this creature is attacking, it gets +2/+0.
Pay 4 life: This creature gains indestructible until end of turn. (Damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy it.)

CMC
2
Mana cost
{1}{W}
Color identity
W
Rarity
uncommon
Set
The List
Price
$0.26
EDHREC rank
#16120
Buy on TCGplayer
Adanto Vanguard card art
Adanto Vanguard is a two-mana 1/1 that becomes an indestructible 3/1 attacker whenever you need it — the catch is paying 4 life each time, which is a real cost but rarely a prohibitive one. In decks that can recoup life or simply close games before attrition matters, it punches well above its mana cost.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander
legacy
modern
pioneer
standard
vintage
pauper
oathbreaker

In Commander, Adanto Vanguard occupies a niche role: it's resilient enough to survive board wipes that say "destroy" and blocks removal cold, but 40-life politics mean opponents rarely bother targeting a 1/1 anyway, which limits its upside. Pioneer and Modern are where Adanto Vanguard has historically been most relevant — aggressive white strategies value an indestructible attacker that can't be cleanly answered by Fatal Push or Lightning Bolt. Legacy has better options at every slot, so it doesn't see play there. Oathbreaker mirrors the Commander read: useful in go-wide life-gain shells, fringe elsewhere.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Price Context

Current price

$0.26 bulk tier

At $0.26, Adanto Vanguard is firmly bulk — easy to pick up as a four-of without a second thought. That price reflects its current format fringe status, and there's no reason to expect significant movement unless a new aggressive white shell pushes it back into competitive relevance.

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Mentioned

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    Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.