Overwhelmed Apprentice MTG Card


Provides deck insight and graveyard setup, crucial for personalized strategy execution. Demands careful play due to its hand discard requirement and specific mana cost. Retains value with meta shifts, disrupting opponents and enabling combos.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Wizard
Abilities Mill,Scry
Power 1
Toughness 2

Text of card

When Overwhelmed Apprentice enters the battlefield, each opponent mills two cards. Then you scry 2. (Look at the top two cards of your library, then put any number of them on the bottom of your library and the rest on top in any order.)


Cards like Overwhelmed Apprentice

Overwhelmed Apprentice is a unique creature card that has carved its niche in the world of Magic: The Gathering. Its abilities align it with other low-cost creatures that enhance your library control, such as Sage of Epityr, which lets you look at the top four cards of your library. However, Overwhelmed Apprentice also forces a player to mill two cards, offering a subtle shift in control over the opponent’s deck.

Stepping into the realm of self-mill, cards like Merfolk Secretkeeper bring a similar flavor. This creature’s Adventure ability allows a player to put the top four cards of their library into their graveyard, providing a sizable self-synergy with graveyard-based strategies. While both cards actively interact with libraries, Overwhelmed Apprentice adds the dimension of hand disruption by forcing each opponent to mill.

When evaluating these cards, Overwhelmed Apprentice brings a blend of library manipulation and milling that is advantageous within certain MTG strategies, especially when it comes to setting up for combo plays or hindering an opponent’s upcoming draws. Considered alongside its counterparts, this card delivers a dual strategic edge in early game scenarios.

Sage of Epityr - MTG Card versions
Sage of Epityr - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Overwhelmed Apprentice by color, type and mana cost

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Merfolk of the Pearl Trident - MTG Card versions
Flying Men - MTG Card versions
Shrieking Drake - MTG Card versions
Cloud Pirates - MTG Card versions
Fledgling Osprey - MTG Card versions
Manta Riders - MTG Card versions
Faerie Squadron - MTG Card versions
Faerie Seer - MTG Card versions
Fugitive Wizard - MTG Card versions
Wandering Ones - MTG Card versions
Dreamcatcher - MTG Card versions
Drifter il-Dal - MTG Card versions
Sage of Epityr - MTG Card versions
Screeching Sliver - MTG Card versions
Timebender - MTG Card versions
Cloud Sprite - MTG Card versions
Merrow Witsniper - MTG Card versions
Cursecatcher - MTG Card versions
Martyr of Frost - MTG Card versions
Grixis Illusionist - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Overwhelmed Apprentice shines by offering a peek at the next two cards of your library, putting one into your hand and the other into your graveyard which could be an essential selection for your strategy.

Resource Acceleration: It may not directly produce mana or treasure tokens, but this nifty apprentice fuels graveyard synergies that are pivotal for setting up more powerful plays in later turns.

Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, Overwhelmed Apprentice’s ability to mill an opponent for two cards upon entering the battlefield can disrupt instant-speed actions and strategies, giving you a leg-up in controlling the flow of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Overwhelmed Apprentice demands that you toss another card from your hand into the graveyard to glean its benefits. This can be detrimental during the game’s critical junctures where every card in hand counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Binding you to blue mana, the apprentice’s spellcasting prerequisites could be restrictive. Decks that are not heavily vested in the blue archetype may find including this creature cumbersome.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At two mana points, Overwhelmed Apprentice sits on the edge, especially when weighed against other creatures in the same casting range that might provide a greater immediate influence on the battlefield or utility for the mana expended.


Reasons to Include Overwhelmed Apprentice in Your Collection

Versatility: Overwhelmed Apprentice is a utility player in many deck types, seamlessly integrating into strategies that profit from milling opponents or utilizing spellcast triggers. Its ability to impact the board immediately upon being played makes it a handy tool for both early game setups and late-game tactics.

Combo Potential: This card’s milling effect coupled with its scrying ability paves the way for various combo setups, perfectly setting up the next draw or aligning key pieces for future plays. Additionally, it can serve as an enabler in decks that thrive on graveyard synergy or spells that react to library manipulation.

Meta-Relevance: As metagames often fluctuate with different archetypes, Overwhelmed Apprentice holds its merit by potentially disrupting opponent strategies that rely on carefully curated libraries. In environments heavy with combo or graveyard-based decks, the Apprentice can be a strategic asset, providing both information and disruption.


How to beat

Overwhelmed Apprentice is a nifty creature card that delves into deck manipulation within the Magic: The Gathering universe. Upon entering the battlefield, you can force an opponent to put the top two cards of their library into their graveyard which is a valuable asset in mill decks. What’s more, it allows for a peek at your own library’s top two cards, giving you the option to rearrange them—efficient for setting up future draws.

Countering this effect, particularly in a match where a graveyard strategy isn’t in your favor, calls for swiftness. Prioritize removal spells to dispatch this Apprentice before its ability becomes a recurring nuisance. Cards like Shock or Fatal Push work perfectly due to their low mana cost and instant speed. Alternatively, when deck structure permits, lean on the robust prowess of graveyard-recursion cards such as Kaya’s Guile, allowing you to not only exile Overwhelmed Apprentice’s effect from the game but also provide a safety net against further mill attempts.

Overall, key is to remain proactive with your response to the Overwhelmed Apprentice. Quick removal or strategic graveyard interaction will ensure this pesky mage doesn’t tip the scales against you in your Magic: The Gathering confrontations.


BurnMana Recommendations

With an array of strategic factors, Overwhelmed Apprentice can be a clever addition to craft a more nuanced MTG gameplay strategy. As you delve into deck building with a keener eye on mill mechanics and library manipulation, consider how the Apprentice aligns with your overall tactics and the contours of your collection. Its pros and cons offer a substantial journey into the art of MTG, beyond the battlefield. Curious about refining your blue deck or looking to thwart your opponents’ strategies with surgical precision? Delve into our comprehensive insights on Overwhelmed Apprentice and other pivotal MTG cards to bolster your deck’s potential and outwit your adversaries in every duel.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Overwhelmed Apprentice MTG card by a specific set like Throne of Eldraine and Jumpstart 2022, 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 Overwhelmed Apprentice and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Overwhelmed Apprentice Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-10-04 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Jason Rainville.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-10-04Throne of EldraineELD 602015NormalBlackJason Rainville
22022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 3332015NormalBlackJason Rainville

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Overwhelmed Apprentice has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Overwhelmed Apprentice card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2019-10-04 You scry 2 once after each opponent has moved the top cards of their library. You don't scry 2 for each opponent.