A-Cosmos Elixir MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Artifact |
| Abilities | Scry |
| Released | 2021-02-05 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Kaldheim |
| Set code | KHM |
| Number | A-237 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Volkan Baǵa |
Key Takeaways
- The elixir provides card advantage through draws when life thresholds are met, enhancing player options.
- It enables life gain strategies, benefiting decks that harness life as a resource for various effects.
- Despite advantages, it requires careful balance due to its discard effect, specific mana need, and higher cost.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase A-Cosmos Elixir MTG card by a specific set like Kaldheim, 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-Cosmos Elixir and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Text of card
At the beginning of your end step, draw a card if your life total is greater than your starting life total. Otherwise, you gain 2 life and scry 1.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: A Cosmos Elixir taps into the essential strategy of pulling ahead by granting consistent card draws once your life total reaches a certain threshold. This effect can turn the tide by shoring up your hand turn after turn, keeping you well-stocked with options.
Resource Acceleration: While A Cosmos Elixir itself doesn’t directly produce mana, the life gain aspect can be pivotal in decks that convert life into resources. What’s more, a healthier life total gives you more leeway to use life as a resource for other powerful effects in your deck without jeopardizing your position.
Instant Speed: Although A Cosmos Elixir operates at sorcery speed, being a permanent allows you to potentially leverage instant-speed interactions on your opponents’ turns. Having A Cosmos Elixir on the field can sometimes afford you the freedom to pass the turn with mana open, bluffing interaction while building advantage seamlessly.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Even though A-Cosmos Elixir promises a boon of life, it comes with the steep price of requiring a card to be discarded whenever its triggered ability is used. This can pose a formidable setback when your hand is already dwindling, forcing you to give up crucial plays for future turns.
Specific Mana Cost: Harnessing the power of A-Cosmos Elixir isn’t without its constraints. It demands a rigid mana setup, including at least one mana of a specific type, which could potentially clash with the mana curve of your deck, making it less flexible and harder to cast on curve, especially in the early game when mana resources are limited.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the promise of incremental life gain is alluring, A-Cosmos Elixir comes with a mana value that might not compare favorably against other cards in the same slot. Many decks seek to maximize efficiency by deploying threats or setting defenses with a lower investment, which makes the cost of including this particular elixir a considerable one to weigh.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: A-Cosmos Elixir offers a dynamic edge to a variety of decks, specifically those seeking life gain and card advantage. Its ability to potentially draw you an extra card every turn makes it a multi-faceted tool against an assortment of opponents.
Combo Potential: This artifact shines when paired with cards that care about life gain or card draw. It can act as an engine in life-centric decks or synergize with draw-related strategies, effectively becoming a cornerstone for powerful interactions and combos.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where incremental advantages often lead to victory, A-Cosmos Elixir holds its ground. Its relevance grows in environments where games are drawn out, giving you the upper hand with consistent life padding and card access to outlast your competition.
How to beat
A-Cosmos Elixir has made its mark in MTG as a unique life-gain artifact, offering a consistent way to buffer your life total and eventually draw cards. To effectively counter this artifact, it’s crucial to disrupt the engine before it stabilizes your opponent’s position. Artifact removal spells like Abrade, Disenchant, and Naturalize are direct and cost-effective ways to deal with it. Alternatively, applying pressure with a fast-paced, aggressive strategy can also outpace the life gained from the Elixir.
Understanding the timings of your opponent’s plays is essential. Deploying threats or removal before the beginning of their upkeep prevents the life gain and potential card draw from the Elixir. Efficient resource management, maintaining card advantage, and an aggressive board presence are key components when playing against decks utilizing this artifact. Keep their life total within range and prioritize maintaining a clock on the opponent’s health to keep the advantage on your battlefield.
In summary, focusing on removing A-Cosmos Elixir promptly or outpacing its life-gain with an offensive game plan are effective strategies to neutralize its impact. With proper deck building that includes artifact interaction or swifter win conditions, you can elevate your game against decks that rely on the incremental gains of this powerful MTG card.
Cards like A-Cosmos Elixir
A-Cosmos Elixir from Magic: The Gathering stands out in the realm of life gain and card advantage artifacts. Its closest counterparts include Well of Lost Dreams and Alhammarret’s Archive. Well of Lost Dreams shares the life gain to card draw correlation, allowing players to pay and draw cards whenever life is gained. Although it provides a direct exchange from life gain to card advantage, it does not guarantee the steady life increase that A-Cosmos Elixir affords each turn.
Alhammarret’s Archive elevates the potency of life gain and draw effects by doubling the results. However, it lacks the consistent, built-in card draw mechanic A-Cosmos Elixir offers. The Elixir’s ability to draw a card if your life total is greater than your starting total at your end step is a reliable trigger, separate from the life gain events during the turn, granting players an automatic benefit every round when conditions are met.
Ultimately, A-Cosmos Elixir provides a unique blend of steady life increment and card acquisition, marking it as a valuable asset for decks focusing on durability and incremental advantage. It ensures a lasting presence in games, particularly in formats where life gain strategies are prevalent.
Cards similar to A-Cosmos Elixir by color, type and mana cost
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where A-Cosmos Elixir has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Brawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |