Juggernaut

Juggernaut

Limited Edition Alpha Uncommon
Mana Cost: {4}
Type: Artifact Creature — Juggernaut
P/T: 5/3
Juggernaut Text:
This creature attacks each combat if able. This creature can't be blocked by Walls.
Flavor:
We had taken refuge in a small cave, thinking the entrance was too narrow for it to follow. To our horror, its gigantic head smashed into the mountainside, ripping itself a new entrance.
Artist: Dan Frazier
Collector Number: 255
Release Date: 1993-08-05
Art crop

Full Analysis

Generated on 2025-06-29T07:52:02.469379 • Legacy Format

TL;DR Summary

The Juggernaut is a powerful artifact creature that excels in aggressive, life-gain-based strategies. Its ability to attack every turn makes it a formidable force on the battlefield, and its resistance to walls provides an added layer of difficulty for opponents to defend against.

Detailed Card Mechanics and Interactions

The Juggernaut is a 5/3 artifact creature with an emphasis on its attack value. The most notable aspect of its power/toughness (P/T) ratio is the "This creature attacks each combat if able" keyword ability, which makes it particularly effective when paired with cards that generate card advantage or can accelerate the game state.

One interesting interaction to consider is how Juggernaut interacts with walls. The "can't be blocked by Walls" keyword ability means that even basic defensive spells cannot protect itself from being blocked, making it difficult for opponents to mount an effective defense against this creature.

Strategic Uses, Combos, and Synergies

The Juggernaut's most obvious playstyle is an aggressive, life-gain-based strategy. Cards that generate card advantage or accelerate the game state can be paired with Juggernaut to create powerful combos. For example, a player might run a combination of Juggernaut, Grizzly Bears, and Renowned Leader to create a strong early-game presence.

Another effective strategy involves pairing Juggernaut with more controlling cards that generate card advantage. The ability of Juggernaut to attack every turn can be augmented by spells like Counterspell or Force of Will, which can disrupt opponents' plans and allow for more aggressive plays.

Aggressive Strategies

A common strategy for decks featuring Juggernaut is to build around the creature's aggressive capabilities, with support cards designed to enable its attacks. For example, players might incorporate creatures like Goblin Guide and spells like Lightning Bolt into their deck to create an early-game advantage.

Combo-Driven Strategies

The versatility of Juggernaut also makes it a good fit for combo-driven strategies that aim to assemble a powerful combination of cards. The creature's ability to attack every turn can be augmented by cards like Grizzly Bears or Renowned Leader, and its resistance to walls provides a strong defensive backbone.

Midrange Strategies

In some cases, the midrange archetype is effective in featuring Juggernaut. By incorporating supporting creatures and spells, these decks are able to maintain an aggressive gameplan while still offering protection from more extreme threats. For instance, cards like Vines of Vastwood provide a flexible, natural growth strategy that also supports life gain.

Format Viability and Competitive Context

In terms of format viability, the Juggernaut has been a staple in competitive Standard decks since its release. The creature's aggressive capabilities and resistance to walls make it particularly well-suited for formats with an emphasis on creature advantage or early-game aggression. However, as the metagame shifts over time, the effectiveness of Juggernaut can vary.

Standard

In standard formats, Juggernaut has been a staple in aggressive strategies that focus on generating card advantage through spells and creatures like Grizzly Bears. Its versatility also makes it well-suited to midrange strategies with supporting creatures and cards like Vines of Vastwood.

Modern

Modern's metagame tends towards more complex, combo-driven strategies. In this format, the Juggernaut's ability to attack every turn can be leveraged by including other powerful combos that take advantage of its aggressive capabilities. However, in some formats, like Standard, Juggernaut is not as prominent.

Rules Interactions and Technical Notes

The Juggernaut has a few interesting interactions with other cards in the game:

  • In terms of blocking, there are no special cases for how walls treat this creature - as long as they have the ability to block it, Juggernaut can't be blocked.
  • The card's power/toughness does not change based on any external factors. This means that even if an opponent has multiple creatures attacking with you, your Juggernaut will deal its full 5 damage.

The official rules for Magic: The Gathering (mtg) describe how to interpret the "can't be blocked by Walls" keyword ability. According to these rules, any permanent with this ability can block a wall, no matter what its power or toughness is.

Art, Flavor, and Historical Context

Juggernaut's design draws heavily from the art of Justin Sweet, who illustrated the creature in card form. This artwork depicts a hulking creature with a menacing appearance that captures its aggressive nature.

The official storyline for Magic's creatures generally portray magical artifacts like this as being used by the most prominent and influential players, such as legendary beings or deities. In many cases these magical constructs possess powers that grant them superhuman abilities in terms of strength, endurance, intelligence or some other property.

Summary of Key Points

  • The Juggernaut is a 5/3 artifact creature with an emphasis on its attack value.
  • Its ability to attack every turn makes it well-suited for aggressive strategies and life-gain-based decks.
  • It has a "can't be blocked by Walls" keyword, which can make it difficult for opponents to mount effective defense.
  • A key archetype for Juggernaut is combo-driven strategies that pair the creature with cards like Grizzly Bears or Renowned Leader.

Overall, Juggernaut provides an interesting and formidable presence on the battlefield.