Ajani, Sleeper Agent MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 9 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Planeswalker — Ajani
Abilities Compleated
Loyalty 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Exiles top cards of players’ libraries for card advantage and potential opponent disruption.
  2. Loyalty counter mechanics accelerate resources, allowing quicker play of threats and answers.
  3. Instant speed abilities of Ajani offer strategic depth and surprise elements in gameplay.

Text of card

Compleated ({Phyrexian Mana} can be paid with , , or 2 life. If life was paid, this planeswalker enters with two fewer loyalty counters.) +1: Reveal the top card of your library. If it's a creature or planeswalker card, put it into your hand. Otherwise, you may put it on the bottom of your library. −3: Distribute three +1/+1 counters among up to three target creatures. They gain vigilance until end of turn. −6: You get an emblem with "Whenever you cast a creature or planeswalker spell, target opponent gets two poison counters."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ajani, Sleeper Agent offers card advantage through its ability to exile the top card of each player’s library. You may then play these cards, giving you access to more resources and potentially disrupting your opponent’s plans. This benefit can tip the scales in a match, ensuring that you’re ahead in the exchange of valuable resources.

Resource Acceleration: One of the standout features of Ajani, Sleeper Agent is its potential for resource acceleration. By generating loyalty counters and leveraging its abilities, you can ramp up your resources efficiently. Such acceleration allows you to deploy your threats and answers more swiftly than your adversary, giving you a crucial edge in the course of the duel.

Instant Speed: The versatility of Ajani, Sleeper Agent is heightened with abilities that can be activated at instant speed. This flexibility permits you to respond to an opponent’s actions on their turn, maintaining the element of surprise and allowing for strategic depth in your gameplay. Quick reactions can be critical for turning the tide in a challenging match.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Engaging with Ajani, Sleeper Agent means you’re having to let go of other valuable cards from your hand. This could be particularly detrimental when you’re strategizing to maintain a strong hand presence.

Specific Mana Cost: This legendary planeswalker demands a precise combination of mana colors. Those not running a deck with the exact mana base may find it challenging to cast Ajani, Sleeper Agent when needed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that is steep relative to some of the other options available for board impact, this card might put players at a slower pace. Savvy players often look for lower cost cards that can be played earlier or offer more flexible utility throughout the game.


Reasons to Include Ajani, Sleeper Agent in Your Collection

Versatility: Ajani, Sleeper Agent introduces dynamic play options, seamlessly integrating into varied deck archetypes. Its unique abilities cater to aggressive, control, and mid-range strategies, making it a robust choice for a broad spectrum of MTG players.

Combo Potential: This card’s second ability, which creates Cat Soldier creature tokens with lifelink, synergizes well with strategies that capitalize on token generation or life gain. These interactions can amplify the effectiveness of other cards within your deck, enabling devastating combo plays.

Meta-Relevance: With ever-shifting metagames, having versatile and combo-friendly cards is crucial. Ajani, Sleeper Agent has been crafted to match well against a variety of popular decks, ensuring its relevance in diverse metagame scenarios and bolstering its value as an addition to your collection.


How to beat

Ajani, Sleeper Agent presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. This particular Planeswalker card disrupts the game with its versatile abilities, affecting both creature control and life totals. One effective tactic to surpass Ajani is to prioritize direct removal spells. Swift action is key; once Ajani hits the table, targeting it with efficient kill spells can prevent its loyalty abilities from gaining momentum.

Similarly, applying pressure with an aggressive creature strategy can keep an opponent on the defensive, limiting the opportunities for them to utilize Ajani’s powers. Counter spells also play a pivotal role, especially if you can neutralize Ajani upon casting. Moreover, by maintaining card advantage and strategic board presence, you create a two-fold frontline, combating both Ajani’s immediate impact and the long-term effects it may have on the game.

In essence, while Ajani, Sleeper Agent is certainly formidable, a combination of proactive measures and calculated risk can help players secure victory against this powerful Planeswalker. By staying one step ahead and keeping removal or counters in hand, you can help ensure that this sleeper agent does not awake to its full potential.


Cards like Ajani, Sleeper Agent

Ajani, Sleeper Agent carves a unique niche in the realm of planeswalker cards in Magic: The Gathering. It’s akin to the likes of Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord in its capability to directly influence creatures on the battlefield. However, Ajani, Sleeper Agent offers the added versatility of creating creature tokens and providing a means of life gain. This distinguishes it from Sorin’s more aggressive positioning focused on vampire synergy and a quicker path to ultimate abilities.

Another comparable card is Teferi, Time Raveler, which shares the trait of disrupting opponent strategies through its static ability. While Teferi focuses on controlling the tempo through its restrictions on casting times, Ajani leverages its loyalty abilities to impact the board state and sustain your resources over time. Gideon, Ally of Zendikar must also be mentioned for its ability to provide an army of creature tokens similarly to Ajani. Yet, it sacrifices Ajani’s life gain feature for a potential offensive rush strategy with its emblem ability.

Evaluating these well-known planeswalkers next to Ajani, Sleeper Agent reveals a competitive edge — Ajani’s blend of board presence, resource sustainment, and strategic versatility shows a well-rounded design for a variety of MTG decks.

Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord - MTG Card versions
Teferi, Time Raveler - MTG Card versions
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar - MTG Card versions
Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord - MTG Card versions
Teferi, Time Raveler - MTG Card versions
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Ajani, Sleeper Agent by color, type and mana cost

Calix, Destiny's Hand - MTG Card versions
Ajani, the Greathearted - MTG Card versions
Huatli, Radiant Champion - MTG Card versions
Calix, Destiny's Hand - MTG Card versions
Ajani, the Greathearted - MTG Card versions
Huatli, Radiant Champion - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ajani, Sleeper Agent MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Dominaria United, 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 Ajani, Sleeper Agent and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ajani, Sleeper Agent Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2022-09-09 and 2022-09-09. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 1034722015NormalBlackAdam Rex
22022-09-09Dominaria UnitedDMU 3752015NormalBorderlessAdam Rex
32022-09-09Dominaria UnitedDMU 3702015NormalBlackVictor Adame Minguez
42022-09-09Dominaria UnitedDMU 1922015NormalBlackMatt Stewart
52022-09-09Dominaria United PromosPDMU 192p2015NormalBlackMatt Stewart
62022-09-09Dominaria United Art SeriesADMU 422015Art seriesBorderless
72022-09-09Dominaria UnitedDMU 3712015NormalBlackVictor Adame Minguez
82022-09-09Dominaria UnitedDMU 3762015NormalBorderlessThomas M. Baxa
92022-09-09Dominaria United PromosPDMU 192s2015NormalBlackMatt Stewart

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ajani, Sleeper Agent has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2022-09-09 A hybrid Phyrexian mana symbol is counted the same way as a normal mana symbol when determining the mana value of a card. Specifically, Ajani’s mana value is always 4, even if you pay and 2 life to cast him.
2022-09-09 Compleated is a replacement effect, and it applies only to a permanent that is entering the battlefield with loyalty counters. Any other replacement effect that would apply to the number of loyalty counters it enters the battlefield with will apply as normal.
2022-09-09 Phyrexian is not a color nor a type of mana, and players cannot add Phyrexian mana. It’s just a symbol that gives you another way to pay for a spell or ability.
2022-09-09 The compleated ability looks only at whether a player chose to pay 2 life for a Phyrexian mana symbol as they were casting the spell. If a player paid life for some other reason while casting the spell, that will not reduce the number of loyalty counters the planeswalker enters the battlefield with.
Vigilance card art

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.