Martyr for the Cause
~$0.21 low · ~$0.37 high
White. Creature — Human Soldier
War of the Spark #23 · Illustrated by Zoltan Boros
War of the Spark #23 · Illustrated by Zoltan BorosWhat is Martyr for the Cause worth?
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TCGplayer market prices in USD, updated October 14, 2026. Each price is for one printing and one finish.
Oracle text
When this creature dies, proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
2/2
"If I am to die in service, there is no more worthy fight than this."
Format legality
The only printing of Martyr for the Cause
| Printing | Rarity | Non-foil | Foil | Cardmarket (EUR) | My collection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 War of the Spark war #23· 2019common· Cardmarket €0.08 · €0.29 foil | common | $0.21 | $0.37 | €0.08€0.29 foil |
Prices are TCGplayer market prices in USD for each printing and finish, via Scryfall. They are a guide, not an appraisal.
Where to buy Martyr for the Cause
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Card details
- First printed
- 2019
- Printings
- 1
- Mana value
- 2
- EDHREC rank
- #14,601 on EDHREC (Commander popularity)
- Keywords
- Proliferate
- Artist
- Zoltan Boros
What the codes mean
The small print at the bottom of the War of the Spark card (#23).
023 · WAR · C · EN
- 023Collector number: this card's place in the set list. Main-set cards print it over the set's card count.
- WARSet code for War of the Spark
- CCommon
- ENPrinted in English
How to read a Magic card: every part and code, on real cards.
Rulings (7)
2019-05-03
If another creature with a +1/+1 counter on it is dealt lethal damage at the same time as Martyr for the Cause, the triggered ability can't proliferate a +1/+1 counter on the other creature in time to save it.
2023-02-04
If a permanent ever has both +1/+1 counters and -1/-1 counters on it at the same time, they're removed in pairs as a state-based action so that the permanent has only one of those kinds of counters on it.
2023-02-04
Players can respond to a spell or ability whose effect includes proliferating. Once that spell or ability starts to resolve, however, and its controller chooses which permanents and players will get new counters, it's too late for anyone to respond.
2023-02-04
You don't have to choose every permanent or player that has a counter, only the ones you want to add another counter to. Since "any number" includes zero, you don't have to choose any permanents at all, and you don't have to choose any players at all.
2023-02-04
If a player or permanent has more than one kind of counter on it, and you choose for it to get additional counters, it must get one of each kind of counter it already has. You can't have it get just one kind of counter it already has and not the others.
2023-02-04
To proliferate, you can choose any permanent that has a counter, including ones controlled by opponents. You can choose any player who has a counter, including opponents. You can't choose cards in any zone other than the battlefield, even if they have counters on them.
2023-02-04
An ability that triggers "Whenever you proliferate" triggers even if you chose no permanents or players while doing so.
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