Academy Researchers MTG Card
1998-10-12 - Number 58
2007-07-13 - Number 63
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Wizard |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
When Academy Researchers comes into play, you may choose an enchant creature card in your hand and put that enchantment into play on Academy Researchers.
Cards like Academy Researchers
Academy Researchers shine in the realm of Magic: The Gathering through its unique ability to instantly harness the power of Auras. Much like the card Auramancer, which retrieves an Aura card from the graveyard to your hand, Academy Researchers skips a step, allowing you to attach an Aura from your hand directly onto the battlefield. What sets the Researchers apart is the immediacy of impact, bypassing the mana cost and timing restrictions typically associated with casting Auras.
Another card that deserves comparison is the Kor Spiritdancer. This creature benefits each time an Aura is attached to it by drawing you a card, potentially providing a significant advantage in card economy. The Kor Spiritdancer, however, depends on the regular Aura casting process, while Academy Researchers facilitate an immediate and potentially tide-turning play. Then there’s the card Bruna, Light of Alabaster, which also showcases Aura synergy by allowing you to attach Auras from your hand or graveyard whenever it attacks or blocks, but it comes with a much higher mana cost and is naturally later to the game’s progression.
Taking into account these comparisons, Academy Researchers hold a distinctive position thanks to the strategic advantage of their enter-the-battlefield trigger, offering a swift and potentially game-altering benefit that stands out among MTG’s creatures with affinity for Auras.
Cards similar to Academy Researchers by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Academy Researchers have a unique ability that lets you attach an Aura card from your hand to it as soon as it enters the battlefield. This synergistic potential can effectively turn a single card play into two, maximizing your card economy.
Resource Acceleration: By facilitating immediate Aura attachment, Academy Researchers can accelerate your board presence. This skips the usual mana cost for attaching Auras, allowing for more efficient resource allocation.
Instant Speed: While Academy Researchers itself isn’t an instant, the advantage lies in its interaction with Auras that can be played at instant speed. Combining it with such Auras results in sudden, potentially game-changing plays that can catch an opponent off guard.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: As a card that synergizes with Auras, Academy Researchers can be a bit demanding on your card stock. Without a generous hand, the discard cost can sometimes mean sacrificing critical plays just to fulfill their potential, leaving you likely scrambling for resources later into the game.
Specific Mana Cost: Costing one colorless and two blue mana, Academy Researchers may not seamlessly slide into multicolored decks—especially those that are mana-hungry or operate on a tight mana curve. Their particular demand for blue mana can sometimes be a deck-building constraint, hindering the flexibility of your mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, including two that are color-specific, Academy Researchers can feel like a costly investment, particularly in fast-paced games where tempo is critical. In a format where speed often trumps creature utility, their cost efficiency can sometimes be questioned when compared to lower-cost creatures or spells that provide immediate impact or less conditional utility.
Reasons to Include Academy Researchers in Your Collection
Versatility: Academy Researchers offer a unique ability to attach an Aura from your hand directly onto the battlefield. This can be an effective technique across various deck types, particularly those that leverage enchantment synergies.
Combo Potential: With the right Auras in your deck, these Researchers become not just creatures but pivotal combo pieces. They can create powerful interactions and potentially game-ending combos, making them a lengthy investment.
Meta-Relevance: As the MTG landscape shifts, cards that can quickly establish a formidable board presence have enduring value. Academy Researchers can do just that, turning the tide of play toward your favor early in the game.
How to beat
Academy Researchers are a nuanced inclusion in many blue decks, offering players in Magic: The Gathering an immediate value by potentially attaching an aura from their hand without paying its mana cost. To effectively counteract this creature’s advantage, a player must be strategic. Removal spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can dispatch the Researchers before an aura is attached, thereby negating their ability. Another tactic is to have counterspell cards in hand, like Mana Leak or Counterspell, ready to disrupt the spell as the creature hits the battlefield.
Alternatively, leveraging instant-speed enchantment removal such as Naturalize or Disenchant can prove invaluable. By waiting for your opponent to cast Academy Researchers and an aura card, you can eliminate the aura, incurring a loss of card advantage for them. Besides, bounce spells like Unsummon can return Academy Researchers to the owner’s hand after the aura is attached, also leading to lost card advantage. Success against Academy Researchers often depends on timing, precision, and maintaining control over the battlefield.
In essence, while Academy Researchers can offer a significant boost to a player’s board, there are multiple avenues to negate their impact and keep your opponent on the back foot.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Academy Researchers MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga and Tenth Edition, 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 Academy Researchers and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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
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Printings
The Academy Researchers Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1998-10-12 and 2007-07-13. Illustrated by Stephen Daniele.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1998-10-12 | Urza's Saga | USG | 58 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Stephen Daniele | |
| 2 | 2007-07-13 | Tenth Edition | 10E | 63 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Stephen Daniele |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Academy Researchers has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Academy Researchers card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2007-07-15 | You can't put an Aura card from your hand onto the battlefield this way if that Aura can't legally enchant Academy Researchers. For example, you can't put an Aura with "enchant land" or "enchant green creature" onto the battlefield attached to Academy Researchers (unless Academy Researchers somehow turned into a land or a green creature before the ability resolved). |