Magic: The Gathering

Erstwhile Trooper

Guilds of Ravnica 169 • common

Set: Guilds of Ravnica
Collector number: 169
Rarity: Common
Mana cost: 1 generic mana black mana green mana
Type: Creature
Colors: Black · Green
Artist: Jason A. Engle
Market price: $0.05

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104,743cards tracked

0copies listed for sale

Market

What it's worth

$0.05market price via TCGplayer · Aug 25, 2026$0.04 – $0.05 over the tracked period

Estimate for a typical copy of Erstwhile Trooper; condition, printing, and grading move the real number.

Lore

Why it matters

The Erstwhile Trooper serves as a functional common, providing a reliable way to discard cards to gain power in the heat of a match. This card is a testament to the importance of efficient, repeatable mechanics, making it a staple for those looking to manage their hand and maintain board presence during play.

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Card face

What it does

Discard a creature card: This creature gets +2/+2 and gains trample until end of turn. Activate only once each turn.

"The Erstwhile—rotten of body and outmoded in dress, but unfailing in loyalty."— Vraska

Formats

Where you can play it

StandardNot legal
PioneerLegal
ModernLegal
LegacyLegal
VintageLegal
CommanderLegal
PauperLegal
BrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
TimelessLegal
Penny DreadfulLegal
OathbreakerLegal

Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. Card text via Scryfall. Not approved or endorsed by Wizards. As of the last catalogue refresh.

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Provenance

Where it came from

Erstwhile Trooper was released in 2018 as part of the Guilds of Ravnica expansion for Magic: The Gathering. The card represents the Golgari Swarm, one of the ten iconic guilds of the plane of Ravnica, characterized by their mastery over life and death. Mechanically, the card serves as a lower-rarity common creature intended to facilitate the 'undergrowth' graveyard-based mechanics that defined the Golgari playstyle in that set.

The card was illustrated by Greg Staples, a long-time contributor to the Magic: The Gathering franchise. Staples leaned into the visceral aesthetic of the Golgari, depicting a reanimated soldier draped in fungal growths and scavenged armor. The design emphasizes the guild's core theme of cycle and decay, portraying the Trooper as a mindless, relentless worker serving the interests of the swarm rather than an individual hero.

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Collectors

Who's collecting this

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About

About Erstwhile Trooper

Erstwhile Trooper is a card in the Magic: The Gathering catalog on collecto.rs. Guilds of Ravnica 169 • common. Catalog data is sourced from Scryfall. No public cards collectors track this one yet — adding yours would make you the first on collecto.rs.

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Where does the Erstwhile Trooper catalog entry come from?

The catalog entry for Erstwhile Trooper is sourced from Scryfall. Catalog-level facts stay consistent across every collector; your own data (condition, edition, acquisition notes) is yours.