Witherbloom Apprentice MTG Card


Witherbloom Apprentice grants incremental advantage through life gain and pinging as you cast spells. Instant spells cast on opponents’ turns trigger Magecraft, adding tactical flexibility to your game. Despite its strong synergy, the card’s specific mana needs may limit deck-building flexibility.
Witherbloom Apprentice - Strixhaven: School of Mages
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Druid
Abilities Magecraft
Released2021-04-23
Set symbol
Set nameStrixhaven: School of Mages
Set codeSTX
Power 2
Toughness 2
Number247
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byJosh Hass

Text of card

Magecraft — Whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

"All we are—every feeling, every action—powered by a single, delicate little organ. Life is so terrifyingly, beautifully fragile."


Cards like Witherbloom Apprentice

Witherbloom Apprentice finds its niche in the life-gain and life-drain domain of Magic: The Gathering, its mechanics echoing cards such as Blood Artist or Zulaport Cutthroat that capitalize on creatures dying. However, Witherbloom Apprentice pushes the envelope by triggering its ability whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell, not just when creatures meet their demise. This creative variation means that it can fit into strategies focused not only on sacrifice but also on spell-slinging.

Comparing it to Dina, Soul Steeper, another life-centric card, Witherbloom Apprentice can potentially trigger more frequently during a game, since instants and sorceries are often plentiful. Dina, on the other hand, has a lower casting cost and a built-in sacrifice mechanic that could be beneficial in dedicated creature-heavy builds. The Apprentice also mildly resembles Exquisite Blood in its potential for combo play but with a more attainable casting cost and easier integration into varied deck types.

In sum, Witherbloom Apprentice fits snugly into decks that thrive on casting a multitude of spells, offering consistent life-swapping effects that can whittle down opponents over time, making it a key card for any spell-driven life manipulation strategy.

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Decks using this card

MTG decks using Witherbloom Apprentice. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
ReanimatorReanimator LegacyReanimatorLegacy League 2024-03-05
BRGBRG LegacyLegacy Challenge 64 2024-04-14
Jund ControlJund Control Legacy2023 / 2023 Happy New Year at Home Legacy
Nic FitNic Fit LegacyNic FitLegacy League 2024-01-14
Golgari ScamGolgari Scam LegacyGolgari ScamLegacy Showcase Challenge 2024-01-21
Golgari DepthsGolgari Depths LegacySultai DepthsSouth Wales Legacy Showcase
MaverickMaverick LegacyMaverickLegacy League 2024-01-10
Sultai ScamSultai Scam LegacySultai ScamLegacy Super Qualifier 2023-12-28
BGBG LegacyLegacy Challenge 64 2024-02-04
UBGUBG LegacyLegacy Preliminary 2024-01-03

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Witherbloom Apprentice synergizes with spells to help you repeatedly gain life and ping opponents, providing a form of incremental card advantage over time. This can tip the scale in drawn-out matches where sustaining resources is key.

Resource Acceleration: Thanks to its Magecraft ability, the Apprentice can be a part of strategies that ramp up your resource production. As you cast more spells, you get more value, which feeds back into casting even more spells, effectively accelerating your resource output.

Instant Speed: While Witherbloom Apprentice itself isn’t an instant, it benefits from instant-speed spells you cast on your opponent’s turn, triggering its Magecraft ability. This allows for flexibility and surprise tactics, impacting the board without waiting for your own turn to roll around.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Witherbloom Apprentice obliges you to part with crucial hand cards to activate its Magecraft ability, which can backfire during a drawn-out match or when your hand is already suffering from a shortage of options.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a combination of black and green mana which makes it a less flexible option for decks not dedicated to the Witherbloom college or a similar mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost that might strain your mana pool in the early game, Witherbloom Apprentice’s impact may not align with its mana investment when compared to other two-drop creatures that immediately influence the board upon entering.


Reasons to Include Witherbloom Apprentice in Your Collection

Versatility: Witherbloom Apprentice is adaptable to numerous deck builds, especially those capitalizing on life gain or loss mechanics. Its inclusion can strengthen synergistic plays within a Witherbloom-themed deck or any build focusing on these strategies.

Combo Potential: The Apprentice works well with magecraft triggers and spells, offering a repeating source of life drain in combination-oriented decks. This utility makes it a persistent threat in games, especially with instant or sorcery spells fueling its ability.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where drain and gain strategies are effective, Witherbloom Apprentice proves to be an essential card. It aligns well with current gameplay trends that prioritize incremental advantages and impact, making it a card worth considering for competitive play.


How to beat

Witherbloom Apprentice can be a persistent threat in Magic: The Gathering, especially in decks built around the Magecraft mechanic. This card might not seem overwhelming on its own, but it can accumulate value over time by chipping away at opponents’ life totals while buffing your own. The key to countering Witherbloom Apprentice lies in interrupting this synergy.

Removal spells are your best friends against this pesky Apprentice. Since it’s a creature with modest toughness, most common removal spells like Shock or Heartless Act will do the job efficiently, curtailing its potential for long-term value generation. It’s also crucial to maintain pressure, forcing the opponent to use their mana defensively instead of casting spells that synergize with Magecraft. This ensures the Apprentice never gains a foothold on the board to begin with. By staying proactive in your approach and utilizing your removal resources wisely, Witherbloom Apprentice can be kept in check, safeguarding your life total and maintaining the balance of the game.

In sum, while Witherbloom Apprentice requires a strategic approach to defeat, it can be managed effectively with the right set of spells and a bit of foresight.


BurnMana Recommendations

As we delve into the nuances of Witherbloom Apprentice, it’s evident that this card offers potential for significant impact within specific decks. With its ability to gain incremental advantages through spellcasting, this apprentice is a valuable asset in drawn-out matches and spellslinger strategies. If you’re looking to add resilience to your deck or exploit the Magecraft mechanic to its fullest, Witherbloom Apprentice is your go-to card. Whether it’s for fine-tuning an existing build or orchestrating new combos, we encourage you to explore its potential and tailor your deck to harness its power. Curious about optimizing your deck further? Step into the world of strategic deck-building with us and discover the myriad ways you can reign supreme on the battlefield.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Witherbloom Apprentice MTG card by a specific set like Strixhaven: School of Mages, 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 Witherbloom Apprentice and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Witherbloom 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 Witherbloom Apprentice card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2021-04-16 Each magecraft ability has a different effect, although they all have the same trigger condition, whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell.
2021-04-16 For example, if you control Archmage Emeritus and cast an instant or sorcery spell, Archmage Emeritus’s magecraft ability will trigger and you will draw a card.
2021-04-16 If an effect creates a copy of an instant or sorcery spell, this will also cause the magecraft ability to trigger.
2021-04-16 If an effect creates multiple copies of an instant or sorcery spell, magecraft abilities trigger once for each copy created by the effect.
2021-04-16 Some effects instruct you to copy an instant or sorcery card in a zone other than the stack. These copies do not cause magecraft abilities to trigger. However, most effects that do this also allow you to cast the copy, and casting the copy will cause magecraft abilities to trigger.