Evanescent Intellect MTG Card


Evanescent Intellect enhances your card draw, ensuring strategic flexibility and better combat decisions. The enchantment’s instant speed allows for reactive play, maintaining an edge over opponents. Requires careful management due to its discard cost, specific mana needs, and high activation cost.
Evanescent Intellect - Born of the Gods
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant,Mill
Released2014-02-07
Set symbol
Set nameBorn of the Gods
Set codeBNG
Number38
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byDan Scott

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature has ", : Target player puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard."

The mind is a vessel that may be emptied like any other.


Cards like Evanescent Intellect

The Evanescent Intellect gathers intrigue as a niche aura card within the rich tapestry of Magic: The Gathering. It allows for gradual card draw through its ability to tap the enchanted creature for the purpose of milling and drawing cards. This feature creates direct similarity to the likes of Chronic Flooding, which also mills cards, though it does so whenever the enchanted land becomes tapped, and there is no additional draw.

Another comparable card is Mental Vapors, which follows the discard pathway to draw but specifically targets your opponent’s hand. This can disrupt strategies, yet it doesn’t enable you to draw as Evanescent Intellect does. On the other hand, there’s Pilfered Plans, a sorcery that combines milling the opponent with the instant advantage of drawing two cards. Although it does not allow for repeated use as Evanescent Intellect does, the immediate effect can be more impactful in a single turn.

In weighing the strategic value and situational use of each card, Evanescent Intellect presents itself as a continuous source of card advantage but requires setup. Comparatively, its counterparts offer different modes of disruption and immediate reward, illustrating the diverse approaches available to players crafting their decks.

Chronic Flooding - MTG Card versions
Mental Vapors - MTG Card versions
Pilfered Plans - MTG Card versions
Chronic Flooding - MTG Card versions
Mental Vapors - MTG Card versions
Pilfered Plans - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Evanescent Intellect by color, type and mana cost

Flight - MTG Card versions
Unstable Mutation - MTG Card versions
Field of Dreams - MTG Card versions
Dream Coat - MTG Card versions
Tangle Kelp - MTG Card versions
Tidal Flats - MTG Card versions
Flood - MTG Card versions
Backfire - MTG Card versions
Mystic Remora - MTG Card versions
Essence Flare - MTG Card versions
Awesome Presence - MTG Card versions
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Veiled Sentry - MTG Card versions
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Seal of Removal - MTG Card versions
Shimmering Wings - MTG Card versions
Flight - MTG Card versions
Unstable Mutation - MTG Card versions
Field of Dreams - MTG Card versions
Dream Coat - MTG Card versions
Tangle Kelp - MTG Card versions
Tidal Flats - MTG Card versions
Flood - MTG Card versions
Backfire - MTG Card versions
Mystic Remora - MTG Card versions
Essence Flare - MTG Card versions
Awesome Presence - MTG Card versions
Cloak of Invisibility - MTG Card versions
Vanishing - MTG Card versions
Mana Chains - MTG Card versions
Robe of Mirrors - MTG Card versions
Telepathy - MTG Card versions
Veiled Sentry - MTG Card versions
Air Bladder - MTG Card versions
Seal of Removal - MTG Card versions
Shimmering Wings - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: By investing mana into Evanescent Intellect, you can steadily siphon additional cards from your library, fortifying your hand and supplying you with more options in combat and strategy.

Resource Acceleration: While not a direct source of mana, this enchantment can indirectly expedite your game plan by uncovering the necessary components faster, ensuring pivotal spells are within reach when needed.

Instant Speed: Activating Evanescent Intellect doesn’t require a tap, allowing you to utilize its card draw ability at the end of your opponent’s turn or in response to their actions, thus keeping your strategies versatile and unpredictable.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Evanescent Intellect necessitates pitching a card to activate its ability. This can result in a net loss of hand advantage, critically detrimental if you’re struggling to maintain card resources during gameplay.

Specific Mana Cost: The enchantment requires both blue mana and one generic mana, making it less versatile and harder to incorporate outside of blue-centric or multicolor decks that can reliably produce the necessary mana types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a combined activation and casting cost equating to three mana, there are more efficient draw spells available. This can be particularly taxing in early gameplay or in turns where mana efficiency is vital.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Evanescent Intellect offers a level of utility that can slide into numerous decks, particularly those that capitalize on manipulating both player’s decks and hands. Its ability to enchant a creature and potentially draw cards makes it adaptable in various game situations.

Combo Potential: This enchantment opens up synergies in decks that revolve around drawing cards or using the graveyard as a strategic resource. It can act as a cog within a machine of intricate decks built for combo-driven play.

Meta-Relevance: In a gameplay environment where hand disruption and deck manipulation are key, Evanescent Intellect could act as a subtle yet powerful tool. It aligns seamlessly with strategies that exploit the opponent’s resources, which can be particularly effective against control decks needing specific answers.


How to beat

Evanescent Intellect stands out among enchantments that focus on gradual card advantage in Magic: The Gathering. Its unique ability allows a player to essentially mill an opponent, slowly grating away at their library card by card. This can be quite the intimidating tactic, especially for those playing strategies that rely heavily on particular cards within their deck. To overcome this enchantment, speed is of the essence.

Dealing with Evanescent Intellect requires swift removal or disruption. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant are direct answers, efficiently ridding the battlefield of this pesky spell. Players can also consider utilizing counter spells to prevent the enchantment from hitting the field in the first place. For a more comprehensive approach, executing a faster deck strategy that outpaces the milling process or employing graveyard retrieval spells can mitigate the effect of Evanescent Intellect.

Ultimately, tailoring your deck to anticipate such enchantments and integrating a mix of preventive and reactive solutions will place you in an advantageous position. This allows players to maintain the rhythm of their game plan while neutralizing the looming threat that Evanescent Intellect poses.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Evanescent Intellect MTG card by a specific set like Born of the Gods, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Evanescent Intellect and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Evanescent Intellect has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal