Creature boosters are a group of spells that aim to upgrade a creature by adding to its strength/toughness values, or by granting it special abilities such as flying. The group is divided into three main architypes of spells:
- sorcery-speed amplifiers.
- auras.
- equipment.
Creature boosters’ sensitivity to mana cost:
As a group, creature boosters are sensitive to their mana cost as they are designed to give the player using them tempo. Their value drives from the fact that they are a relatively cheap in terms of mana to make a creature stronger.
Take for example the following spell:
Hyena Umbra
mana costs:
mana amount: 1
complexity: 1
The inherent advantage of this spell in terms of gaining tempo is clear. If we wanted to cast a creature +1/+1 larger than the one we actually cast and that benefits from the first strike ability, the increase in its mana cost would undoubtedly be greater than one. And this is without even taking into account the additional ability that protects the creature from destruction. In terms of CS these cards tend to be very profitable!
There is one exception to this rule- equipments. Equipments are usually more expensive in terms of mana than other creature boosters. Of course they enjoy other advantages (see: card cost in cards). However, many times their cost is excessive and their use damages the tempo instead of contributing to it.
Creature boosters’ cost in cards:
While creature boosters generally benefit from a positive CS score, they are expensive in terms of card cost in cards. The reason is that usually the benefit derived from them depends on the survival of the creature they strengthen. Destroying the creature will lead to the loss of their effect. Therefore, using these spells is a kind of gamble: the opponent can use a single card of his (removal) to neutralize two of your cards. Therefore, using them may lead to a negative relationship in terms of the balance of cards with the opponent. An exception is equipments that can be reused even after the creature they strengthen is removed. For this reason, their value in terms of tempo is lower than that of other creature boosters. Let take for example two cards:
Armadillo Cloak
mana costs:
mana amount: 3
complexity: 2
Behemoth Sledge
mana costs:
mana amount: 3
complexity: 2
What’s more important: speed or resiliency?
The Cloak and the Sledge give the creature similar advantages. Yet, the first one is better in terms of tempo while the second is better in terms of cost in cards, or more accurately: less risky in terms of card (dis)advantage.
Creature’s boosters under the stability tests
Creature’s boosters as a group are relatively situational. This is because they are useless unless you control a creature to which the booster can be attached. As creatures are the most common spell in limited, this liability does not seem too restricting. Yet not every creature is a good fit for such a booster. Putting an aura which gives the creature +2/+0 and trample on a 1/1 creature or on a 0/4 creature with defender is not a great play. Not only do you need a creature to use the booster, but you also need the right creature. This limits the number of boosters you would put in a deck. Usually, 1 creature’s booster would be more than enough. A deck heavy on creatures may be considered a second one. But that might be a risky move.
The time axis is very relevant in analyzing creatures’ boosters. Auras are better in the early stages of the game while Equipment tends to be more useful in the late game when the mana is more available, and you have less resources to spend it on. As we have seen, the Cloak is much better in terms of tempo since you can equip a 2 drop creature in turn three. The Sledge casting and usage demands 6 mana. Using it at the firs stages of the game will have a heavy cost in terms of tempo. Yet, it would be much better than the Cloak in later stages of the game.
