A-Baleful Beholder MTG Card

A-Baleful Beholder can disrupt an opponent’s strategy while advancing your board position. Instant speed allows flexibility, adapting to in-game threats adeptly. Forcing card discards may disadvantage the player but can be strategically used.

A-Baleful Beholder - Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Beholder
Released	2022-07-07
Set symbol
Set name	Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate
Set code	HBG
Power	7
Toughness	5
Number	A-143
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Lars Grant-West

Text of card

When Baleful Beholder enters the battlefield, choose one — • Antimagic Cone — Each opponent sacrifices an enchantment. • Fear Ray — Creatures you control gain menace until end of turn. (A creature with menace can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)

Cards like A-Baleful Beholder

In the world of Magic: The Gathering, A-Baleful Beholder stands out for its influence on the battlefield. Its resemblance to cards like Frost Titan is noticeable due to their commonality in the way they lock down opponents’ assets. Unlike Frost Titan, which can incapacitate a single target when entering the play or attacking, A-Baleful Beholder allows you to choose between two disruptive effects impacting multiple targets or your opponent’s ability to cast spells, making it a versatile threat.

Icy Manipulator is also a comparable card that can hinder an opponent’s game by forcing their permanents to tap without untapping during the next untap phase. However, A-Baleful Beholder includes this control aspect as part of its broader capacity to affect the game directly. Furthermore, it acts as a creature itself, thereby providing a physical presence that Icy Manipulator lacks.

In summary, A-Baleful Beholder offers utility and versatility on the battlefield that, when measured against similar cards, positions it as a strategic tool effective for stalling opponents and controlling the pace of the game, solidifying its place in Magic: The Gathering player’s decks as a multipurpose menace.

Cards similar to A-Baleful Beholder by color, type and mana cost

Chittering Harvester - MTG Card versions

Crossway Troublemakers - MTG Card versions

Geth, Lord of the Vault - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: A-Baleful Beholder offers the strategic benefit of potentially removing an opponent’s threatening permanent while simultaneously giving you a glimpse at your top deck, setting you up nicely for future plays.

Resource Acceleration: By potentially discarding an opponent’s artifact, this card hampers their resource management, possibly delaying their strategy and giving you the upper hand in the race for supremacy on the board.

Instant Speed: Flexibility is key in MTG, and A-Baleful Beholder’s instant speed allows you to adeptly respond to threats as they emerge during the game, whether that’s interrupting an adversary’s combo or making a pivotal move at the end of their turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: A Baleful Beholder requires a player to discard a card when it enters the battlefield. Especially when you are strategizing to maintain card advantage, this kind of forced discard can put you at a significant disadvantage. For players who rely on every card in their hand to respond to the evolving game, such a requirement can disrupt their game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting this creature demands both generic and specific mana, including black. While black mana is a staple in many decks, A Baleful Beholder remains a tricky fit for multicolored decks that may not consistently generate the necessary black mana. This specificity may force deck builders to adjust their mana base or forego including this card in their decks altogether.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a comparatively substantial mana cost, the investment to summon A Baleful Beholder might be deemed a bit steep given its power and toughness parameters. It’s crucial for players to weigh whether the mana could be better allocated to other creatures or spells that offer more value for the same or lower cost.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: A-Baleful Beholder is a flexible card that can be slotted into various deck archetypes. Its ability to affect both creatures and non-creature spells makes it a valuable utility card that can adapt to multiple board states.

Combo Potential: This Beholder’s capability to dictate spell costs or creature attacks can be leveraged in combos, disrupting your opponents’ strategies while you build toward your win condition.

Meta-Relevance: As the MTG environment fluctuates with new sets and strategies, A-Baleful Beholder can maintain its relevance by countering prevalent deck types, especially those reliant on specific spells or combat tactics.

How to beat

A-Baleful Beholder presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its gaze ability that can shape the game’s outcome. To effectively deal with this card, players should consider cards that render abilities useless, such as pithing needle or sorcery-speed removals to ensure it’s taken out before activating its dreaded ability. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant are also valuable, as they can directly target and destroy the artifacts or enchantments brought by the Beholder’s gaze – negating any significant advantage granted to your opponent.

Maintaining board presence with creatures that can withstand the Beholder’s impact helps too. By applying constant pressure, you force the opponent to make unfavorable blocks or trades. Remember, instant removals like Murder or Fatal Push are less effective as the Beholder’s impact is immediate upon casting; hence, prioritize using spells that could counteract it before it hits the battlefield, such as Counterspell or Negate.

Overall, strategizing against A-Baleful Beholder requires a mix of foresight and swift action. By leveraging the appropriate spells and maintaining a resilient board, one can minimize the Beholder’s potential and maintain control of the game’s flow.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase A-Baleful Beholder MTG card by a specific set like Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate, 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 A-Baleful Beholder and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where A-Baleful Beholder has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal