Battalion in MTG: Rules, History, and Best Cards

Timothy Zaccagnino 8 days ago MTG Cards, MTG Rules

Last updated on August 30, 2026

Tajic, Blade of the Legion | Illustration by James Ryman

The Boros Legion () hasn’t had the most stellar mechanics across the various Ravnica sets. Radiance, battalion, and mentor all have their quirks, but they all fall into the bucket of forgettable mechanics until MTG decides to revive them for some one-shot effect. It’s the middle mechanic, battalion, that best fits the flavor of the guild, though.

Battalion captures the idea of a legion of soldiers engaging in combat side-by-side, though the execution on card designs has always been fairly middling. More recent designs have pushed the power level of battalion cards, so there’s a chance you’ll see it in action from time to time.

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How Does Battalion Work in MTG

Sentinel Sarah Lyons | Illustration by David Astruga

Battalion is a triggered ability that requires the creature with battalion to attack alongside at least two other creatures. In other words, if you’re able to attack with three or more creatures, any battalion abilities that your attacking creatures have will trigger.

The History of Battalion in MTG

Battalion originated as the Boros guild mechanic in Gatecrash, replacing radiance as the original Boros mechanic in Ravnica: City of Guilds. The ability appeared on two cards in Dragon’s Maze as a follow-up to Gatecrash, and it has since appeared in various sets, usually as a mechanic on only one or two cards, and often in Commander-related sets.

The card Makeshift Battalion was originally printed with the keyword spelled out, but its Ravnica Remastered version updated the rules text with the actual battalion keyword. Interestingly, Haazda Marshal from the same block hasn’t received any errata, likely because it hasn’t had a proper reprint to make it necessary.

A soft version of battalion returned in Murders at Karlov Manor on cards like Seasoned Consultant and Meddling Youths. The main difference here is that these cards trigger whenever any three of your creatures attack, whether the creature with the ability attacked or not.

Is Battalion an Attack Trigger?

Yes, battalion is a triggered ability that triggers when you declare an attack, so it qualifies as an “attack trigger” for the purposes of cards like Isshin, Two Heavens as One.

What Happens if an Attacking Creature Dies in Response to Battalion?

Battalion only has one “check”, and that’s whether you attacked with three creatures. There isn’t a second check on resolution to see if you’ve still got three attackers, so removing the battalion creature or any of the other attackers after the ability has triggered won’t stop that ability from resolving.

Does Battalion Work with Creatures That Enter Attacking?

No. For battalion to trigger, that creature must be declared as an attacker along with at least two other creatures. The battalion creature entering tapped and attacking has missed the window for its ability to trigger, and other creatures entering as attackers won’t count towards the three needed to trigger battalion. Falcon, Joaquin Torres’s battalion ability will still scry 1, even if it’s no longer on the battlefield when the ability resolves.

Does Battalion Work If You Attack Different Players?

Yes! Battalion doesn’t care who or what you’re attacking, so long as you have declared three creatures as attackers. You can split those creatures between any number of players, battles, or planeswalkers.

How Does Battalion Work in Two-Headed Giant?

Battalion doesn’t specify whose creatures need to be attacking, so your battalion creature will still work if there’s a combined three attackers between you and your partner.

Gallery and List of Battalion Cards

Note: One of the six versions of Garbage Elemental from Unstable has battalion, but the other five do not.

Best Battalion Cards

#7. Tajic, Blade of the Legion

Pour one out for old Tajic, Blade of the Legion. This used to be a premier Boros commander before the format became inundated with so, so many more options, and it’s hardly even in consideration anymore. It’s still an indestructible commander with the potential to 3-shot people with commander damage, but it needs a lot of help these days.

#6. Firemane Avenger

Firemane Avenger is a totally fair card that’ll feel pretty busted if it lives long enough to get its trigger a couple times. Lightning Helix on attacks is Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury levels of messed up, though this angel requires infinitely more setup.

#5. Sontaran General

Just being a Charging Monstrosaur that removes blockers would be enough to make Sontaran General playable, but goading the targets pushes it above, making it easier to attack on future turns. Haste and battalion work very well together since you can get an immediate benefit the turn you play your battalion creature.

#4. Sentinel Sarah Lyons

+2/+2 to the squad is no joke, especially off something as simple as having just played an artifact for the turn. Sentinel Sarah Lyons will have a big effect on your board, and it even spots you some extra direct damage on attacks.

#3. Frontline Medic

Originally printed in Gatecrash as a counter against Sphinx's Revelation and Rakdos's Return in Standard, Frontline Medic is actually a rock solid attacker that makes blocking tough once battalion is active. That’s the primary use for the card, so people often overlook the ability to counter an all-in X-spell.

#2. Legion Loyalist

Legion Loyalist is a totally fine 1-mana goblin with a pretty scary battalion effect, especially when it lines up against token decks. This one pops up in competitive play from time to time.

#1. Paladin Elizabeth Taggerdy

It should come as no surprise that some of the newer cards are among the better battalion creatures. Paladin Elizabeth Taggerdy could stop at “draw a card” and already be in the upper half, but putting creatures into play for free tapped and attacking is a huge boon to an already great effect.

Wrap Up

Legion Loyalist | Illustration by Eric Deschamps

Battalion is a very clean mechanic with little to no rules baggage, and only a couple corner cases that’d make you stop and question how it works. It’s also a purely aggressive mechanic that encourages attacks and rewards you for staying on the offense, as a good Fresh-Faced Recruit does.

Have you had any meaningful interactions with the battalion mechanic? How do you think it stacks up with the other abilities that have represented the Boros Legion? Let us know in the comments below, or in the Draftsim Discord. And check out The Daily Upkeep newsletter to stay up to date on all the latest MTG news.

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Timothy Zaccagnino

Timothy has been a Magic enthusiast since picking up the game in 2012, with a love of Limited and Commander. He's the co-creator of Jank Diver Gaming and host of The Jank Tank podcast. These days you can find him at the draft table, brewing his 20th EDH deck or cubing with friends on Arena.