Seasoned Tactician MTG Card


Seasoned Tactician - Alliances
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Advisor
Released1996-06-10
Set symbol
Set nameAlliances
Set codeALL
Power 1
Toughness 3
Number17
Frame1993
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byDan Frazier

Key Takeaways

  1. Seasoned Tactician excels in card advantage, ensuring players have ample strategy options on hand.
  2. This MTG card’s mana acceleration via creature tapping can decisively shift game tempo.
  3. Acting at instant speed, Seasoned Tactician grants players superior tactical flexibility.

Text of card

o3: Remove the top four cards of your library from the game to prevent all damage to you from one source.

"The benefits of peace far outweigh the pride of Generals." —King Darien of Kjeldor


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Seasoned Tactician enables you to manipulate the battlefield by drawing upon additional resources, whether by ensuring a steady flow of creature cards or by garnering extra options through card draw mechanics. This attribute helps you maintain a solid hand size, giving you more tools to craft your winning strategy.

Resource Acceleration: This card is particularly adept at ramping up your mana resources. It can tap unused creatures for mana, allowing you to cast more expensive spells earlier than usual. This resource acceleration is a critical advantage that can shift the pace of the game in your favor.

Instant Speed: The ability to act at instant speed provides a significant tactical edge. Seasoned Tactician offers abilities or benefits that can be utilized during either player’s turn. This flexibility ensures that you can adapt and respond to threats or opportunities immediately and keeps your opponents guessing.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside of the Seasoned Tactician card is the discard condition. Having to discard another card to activate its benefits can present a challenge, especially in tight situations when hand resources are already stretched thin.

Specific Mana Cost: The mana requirements can be restrictive. Seasoned Tactician’s cost necessitates a specific combination of mana, which may not be readily available in all game situations or may not fit seamlessly with the mana curve of many decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the Seasoned Tactician offers strategic advantages, its cost is on the higher end for its effects. Players might find themselves forgoing a play or are unable to cast it effectively in the early game. This can result in a slower gameplay, giving opponents the opportunity to establish a stronger board presence.


Reasons to Include Seasoned Tactician in Your Collection

Versatility: Seasoned Tactician offers a unique skill set that can adapt seamlessly into various deck builds. With its ability to manipulate the flow of the game, it’s a powerful ally in both aggressive and defensive strategies.

Combo Potential: Known for its synergy with soldier tokens and counters, Seasoned Tactician can serve as a linchpin in intricate combos, maximizing the impact of each unit on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: As the meta ebbs and flows, a card like Seasoned Tactician remains consistently valuable. Its ability to respond to different threats and enhance soldier-based strategies makes it a worthy contender in many match-ups.


How to beat

When facing a Seasoned Tactician on the battlefield, MTG players need to adopt a strategy that disrupts combo setups and overwhelms the resource management skill of this card. As someone experienced in the game knows, this card is about meticulous planning and incremental advantages, typically thriving in a long game where each decision and each counter is paramount. Keeping pressure on your opponent, therefore, is key.

Direct removal spells are your best friend against a Seasoned Tactician. Since this card is likely part of a bigger plan, removing it before its controlling player can get their mechanics online is crucial. Think along the lines of straightforward, low-cost spells that can eliminate a single threat without much fanfare. Time your spells right — delay may give your opponent the window they need to protect their Tactician with counter spells or hexproof abilities.

The bottom line is clear: be aggressive, stay ahead, and don’t let the Seasoned Tactician take command of the game. Use your removals wisely and maintain pressure to keep the upper hand. Attention to tempo and a proactive game plan will ensure that this MTG card won’t dictate the flow of battle against you.


Cards like Seasoned Tactician

Seasoned Tactician offers a unique strategic edge in MTG’s landscape of creature cards. Its abilities resemble those found in utility cards like Veteran Armorer. While the Armorer boosts the toughness of your other creatures, the Tactician allows for a more controlled defensive play through its tap ability, fostering a different tactical layer to the battlefield.

Mingling aspects of utility and defense, we can also compare Seasoned Tactician to cards like Stonybrook Schoolmaster. While the Schoolmaster focuses on creating additional creature tokens, the Tactician’s approach to controlling combat situations caters to a player’s need for versatility and protection without diluting their creature pool.

Moreover, Seasoned Tactician shares a kinship with the likes of Benalish Hero with their capacity to redirect the combat phase’s dynamics. However, the Tactician transcends the Hero’s capabilities by offering more than just banding, including the provision of a reliable way to stall opposing strategies.

Considering its skillful blend of defensive manipulation and combat control, Seasoned Tactician holds a distinguished position among similar MTG cards. It is a true testament to the depth and complexity that single cards can bring to the game, impacting strategic decisions and battlefield outcomes.

Veteran Armorer - MTG Card versions
Stonybrook Schoolmaster - MTG Card versions
Benalish Hero - MTG Card versions
Veteran Armorer - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Stonybrook Schoolmaster - Morningtide (MOR)
Benalish Hero - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Cards similar to Seasoned Tactician by color, type and mana cost

Argivian Blacksmith - MTG Card versions
Jamuraan Lion - MTG Card versions
Snow Hound - MTG Card versions
Elvish Healer - MTG Card versions
Femeref Knight - MTG Card versions
Border Guard - MTG Card versions
Stern Marshal - MTG Card versions
Soltari Crusader - MTG Card versions
Town Sentry - MTG Card versions
Benalish Knight - MTG Card versions
Regal Unicorn - MTG Card versions
Wild Griffin - MTG Card versions
Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions
Dogged Hunter - MTG Card versions
Sanctum Prelate - MTG Card versions
Diving Griffin - MTG Card versions
Faithful Squire // Kaiso, Memory of Loyalty - MTG Card versions
Kitsune Palliator - MTG Card versions
Freewind Equenaut - MTG Card versions
Sanctum Guardian - MTG Card versions
Argivian Blacksmith - Antiquities (ATQ)
Jamuraan Lion - Media Inserts (PMEI)
Snow Hound - Ice Age (ICE)
Elvish Healer - Ice Age (ICE)
Femeref Knight - Mirage (MIR)
Border Guard - Portal (POR)
Stern Marshal - Portal (POR)
Soltari Crusader - Tempest (TMP)
Town Sentry - Portal Second Age (P02)
Benalish Knight - Anthologies (ATH)
Regal Unicorn - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Wild Griffin - Starter 2000 (S00)
Pianna, Nomad Captain - Odyssey (ODY)
Dogged Hunter - Odyssey (ODY)
Sanctum Prelate - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Diving Griffin - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Faithful Squire // Kaiso, Memory of Loyalty - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Kitsune Palliator - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Freewind Equenaut - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Sanctum Guardian - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Seasoned Tactician MTG card by a specific set like Alliances, 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 Seasoned Tactician and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Seasoned Tactician has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks