Ambush Paratrooper
Creature — Human Soldier
Flash
Flying
: Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- The Brothers' War
- Price
- $0.07
- EDHREC rank
- #20500
Ambush Paratrooper enters the battlefield, deals 1 damage to any target, and replaces itself with a card draw — all on a 2/1 body with flash for three mana. The rate is unimpressive outside of decks that specifically want an enters-the-battlefield trigger on a creature with a relevant type, so slot it only when the synergy is real.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Ambush Paratrooper earns its slot in go-wide token strategies and blink decks that chain ETB triggers — the ping plus cantrip on a flash body is genuinely useful when you can repeat it. Elsewhere it struggles: Pauper has cleaner one-for-one cantrip creatures, and Modern and Pioneer have zero interest in a three-mana 2/1 that deals 1 damage. Legacy and Vintage lists that want this effect have faster, cheaper options. The card's best home is squarely in Commander, in a shell that cares about soldier tribal, blink, or repeated ETB value.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.07 bulk tier
At $0.07, Ambush Paratrooper is deep bulk — you're paying pennies for a card that fills a narrow role. Bulk commons and uncommons at this price rarely move, so there's no financial reason to hesitate on picking up copies if the synergy fits your deck.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.