Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Long-term value in the margins of time: Ruff, Underdog Champ and the charm of older, quirky printings

If you’ve ever chased a canny, underdog win in a midrange white shell, you’ve likely felt the tug of a card like Ruff, Underdog Champ. This legendary Dog Soldier from Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2021 isn’t just a cute canine in a white aura; it’s a thoughtful case study in how “older” printings—especially those tucked into playful sets—gain staying power for collectors and casual players alike. The card’s mana cost of {2}{W}{W} puts it in a comfortably playable bracket for four-mana value creatures, and its 3/2 body lands on the battlefield with two powerful white foci: first strike and lifelink. 🧙‍♂️🔥

What elevates Ruff beyond a simple statline is its Underdog mechanic: “If you’ve lost a game this match, Ruff, Underdog Champ and other Dogs you control get +1/+1.” That line is both cheeky and strategic. In longer games or persistent matchups, Ruff rewards patience, resilience, and a willingness to grind through setbacks—the exact kind of long-term value many players look for when evaluating older cards on a budget. The lifelink ensures you stay in the game even when the board is rough, while first strike helps you punch above your weight during combat, turning tricky late-game scenarios into opportunities to swing the momentum in your favor. ⚔️🎲

In the lore of the card, the playful line “All Hounds are Dogs.”—with a wink that acknowledges the errata we’d love to see—speaks to the broader MTG culture: a game where flavor and design sometimes collide in delightful, meme-worthy ways. The art, courtesy of Seth Conley, and the black border framing (frame 2015, legendary ornament) place this card squarely in a vintage-tinged vibe that appeals to collectors who savor oddities and nostalgia. The Mystery Booster Playtest set itself—labeled as a “funny” set—became a magnet for chatty conversations about what makes a card truly valuable: rarity, playability, and a story you can tell on the kitchen table or in a commander pod. 💎

“Ruff and his band of Dogs don’t just grow bigger; they grow better at curating long games.”

From a design and durability perspective, Ruff’s print in a playtest-era Mystery Booster has a durability that more than a few players appreciate: a non-foil, rare rarity with a proven track record of service in casual builds. The card’s oracle_text gives you a compact suite of capabilities—two white mana for a white-dominant creature, first strike for piercing early defenses, lifelink to sustain you through attrition, and the Underdog buff that scales with the game’s length. These mechanics echo a recurring MTG truth: timing and board presence can outpace raw power in long-form play, making Ruff a tidy example of a card that shines brightest when the game stretches beyond the first few turns. 🧙‍♂️💥

For collectors, the set—Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2021 (cmb2)—reads as a playful, almost folklore-rich corner of the MTG universe. It’s not an all-access standard staple, and the card’s current price (~$0.23 USD as listed) reflects its niche status. Yet the rarity and the curiosity factor around “playtest” and “funny set” cards can produce surprising long-tail demand. The color identity and its white enchantments make Ruff a natural companion in dog-themed or lifelink-focused decks, especially in more casual EDH/Commander circles where novelty and synergy with “underdog” partners count toward the value proposition. In short: this is a card that rewards collectors who chase oddities as well as players who enjoy a resilient, self-sustaining battlefield presence. 🐶💎

Of course, generous long-term value doesn’t rest on a single card alone. Ruff’s appeal rests in part on context: a playful, reprint-friendly piece that captures a moment in MTG’s broad history when designers and players alike leaned into humor and experimental printing environments. While it’s not a standard-champion, it sits comfortably in lists that appreciate lore, art, and playful mechanical twists—the kind of trifecta that keeps the Magic multiverse vibrant across decades. This is the beauty of “older” sets: their value isn’t just about raw power, but about the stories they tell and the conversations they spark. 🧪🎨

As you plan builds for the future, Ruff reminds us that long-term value isn’t always about the strongest card in the moment. It’s about staying power, a little whimsy, and the sense that you’re playing with something a touch out of the ordinary—the kind of card you save for the moment when a dog-themed board state finally becomes a triumphant howl. If you’re a player who loves a satisfying comeback, or a collector who loves to chase the next quirky addition to your shelf, Ruff, Underdog Champ is a playful reminder that MTG’s rich history has room for both the mighty and the mischievous. 🧙‍♂️🔥⚔️

For fans who want to bridge this card into a broader shopping experience, there’s also a neat crossover moment. Our shop highlights a product you can explore after you finish a round of strategic planning and card-tinkering: a Neon Desk Mouse Pad—Customizable One-Sided Print 0.12in Thick. It’s a playful nod to the same sense of personal style that makes MTG collecting so engaging, with a design that’s kit-worthy for your gaming setup. Neon Desk Mouse Pad - Customizable One-Sided Print 0.12in Thick

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