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Emperor's Vanguard
Price history
Emperor's Vanguard price history chart, default range 3 months. currently $0.18.
Emperor's Vanguard Price Summary
Emperor's Vanguard's current headline price is $0.18.
Emperor's Vanguard Printings & Prices
Emperor's Vanguard has 2 tracked printings across 2 sets, in nonfoil and foil finishes, including prerelease treatments.
All finishes
Sell Emperor's Vanguard: Buylist Offers
| Buyer | Printing | Finish | Cash offer | Retail | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| starcitygames | XLN #189 | Foil | — | — | — |
| Card Kingdom | PXLN #189s | Foil | — | — | — |
| starcitygames | XLN #189 | Nonfoil | — | — | — |
| Card Kingdom | XLN #189 | Foil | — | — | — |
| Card Kingdom | XLN #189 | Nonfoil | — | — | — |
Emperor's Vanguard Rules Text & Legality
View on Scryfall ↗Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, it explores. (Reveal the top card of your library. Put that card into your hand if it's a land. Otherwise, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature, then put the card back or put it into your graveyard.)
Emperor's Vanguard is legal in Pioneer, Modern, Legacy and Commander, and not legal in Standard and Pauper.
Emperor's Vanguard Rulings
- Jan 19, 2018 If a resolving spell or ability instructs a specific creature to explore but that creature has left the battlefield, the creature still explores. If you reveal a nonland card this way, you won't put a +1/+1 counter on anything, but you may put the revealed card into your graveyard. Effects that trigger "whenever a creature explores" trigger as appropriate.
- Jan 19, 2018 If a resolving spell or ability instructs a specific creature to explore but that creature has left the battlefield, the creature still explores. If you reveal a nonland card this way, you won't put a +1/+1 counter on anything, but you may put the revealed card into your graveyard. Effects that trigger "whenever a creature you control explores" trigger if appropriate.
- Jan 19, 2018 If an ability instructs a creature to explore, its controller reveals the top card of their library. If it's a land card, they'll put it into their hand. Otherwise, they'll put a +1/+1 counter on that creature, then choose to either leave that card on top of their library or put it into their graveyard.
- Jan 19, 2018 If no card is revealed, most likely because that player's library is empty, the exploring creature receives a +1/+1 counter.
- Jan 19, 2018 In some unusual cases, noncreature permanents may explore. For example, if the creature card returned by Defossilize is somehow not a creature once it's on the battlefield, it can still explore. You'll take all the same actions, and you may end up putting a +1/+1 counter on the permanent. (Note that some effects target a creature, and those effects would still require a legal target to have it explore.)
Reprints & Reprint Risk
Emperor's Vanguard has been reprinted 3 times.
| Set | Date | Rarity | Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| XLN #189 | 2017-09-29 | Rare | Standard |
| PXLN #189s | 2017-09-29 | Rare | Prerelease |
| XLN #189 | 2017-09-29 | Rare | Standard |
Emperor's Vanguard in Commander
Emperor's Vanguard is the #25,257 most-played card on EDHREC, down 544 places over the last 30 days.
Emperor's Vanguard FAQ
How much is Emperor's Vanguard worth?
Emperor's Vanguard is worth about $0.18 for its cheapest playable printing as of Sep 23, 2026.
Is Emperor's Vanguard legal in Commander?
Yes — Emperor's Vanguard is legal in Commander. It is also legal in Pioneer, Modern and Legacy.
Has Emperor's Vanguard been reprinted?
Yes — Emperor's Vanguard has been reprinted 3 times, with 2 printings tracked on The Index.
Why is Emperor's Vanguard cheap?
Emperor's Vanguard trades at about $0.18 — 3 reprints keep supply plentiful, and Commander demand is modest (#25,257 on EDHREC).