Ardent Electromancer MTG Card

Boosts red decks by refunding mana and assisting in maintaining hand size for more strategic options. Offers swift mana surges in creature-heavy turns, potentially swinging the game in your favor. While sorcery speed, smart play can mimic instant effects, allowing multiple spell casts in one phase.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Wizard
Released	2020-09-25
Set symbol
Set name	Zendikar Rising
Set code	ZNR
Power	3
Toughness	2
Number	135
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Lie Setiawan

Text of card

When Ardent Electromancer enters the battlefield, add for each creature in your party. (Your party consists of up to one each of Cleric, Rogue, Warrior, and Wizard.)

"Trust me, we won't need torches."

Cards like Ardent Electromancer

Ardent Electromancer carves its niche within the red mana instant and sorcery spells in Magic: The Gathering. It shares a kinship with cards like Skirk Prospector, which also excels in generating extra mana, although Skirk Prospector requires the sacrifice of a creature to do so. Ardent Electromancer, by comparison, provides mana when it enters the battlefield, depending on the number of creatures that entered before it on the same turn.

Rift Bolt is another card that might be mentioned alongside Ardent Electromancer. Rift Bolt’s suspend mechanic allows you to pay a single red mana and then get a delayed bolt for three damage, essentially offering a future mana boost. While different from the immediate burst of mana that Ardent Electromancer provides, Rift Bolt still represents the theme of mana manipulation in red spellcraft.

When examining Ardent Electromancer’s place amongst its peers, its ability to generate mana can be explosively synergistic in the right deck, especially when combined with creatures that also have enter the battlefield triggers. Its distinction lies in powering out large turns, while similar cards offer varied approaches to the red mana acceleration strategy.

Cards similar to Ardent Electromancer by color, type and mana cost

Hobgoblin Bandit Lord - MTG Card versions

Mannichi, the Fevered Dream - MTG Card versions

Cunning Bandit // Azamuki, Treachery Incarnate - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Ardent Electromancer doesn’t let you draw directly, it provides extra value in red decks, known for their relentless speed. When played alongside creatures, its ability can essentially refund part of its casting cost, indirectly contributing to maintaining your hand size by enabling casting of additional spells.

Resource Acceleration: Ardent Electromancer specializes in resource acceleration in decks with multiple creatures. Casting it post-combat or after a creature-heavy turn can provide a sudden surge of red mana, potentially turning the tides by allowing further plays that can lead to a dominant board state.

Instant Speed: Though Ardent Electromancer operates at sorcery speed, the quick mana boost it offers post-summoning can be much like an instantaneous effect, allowing you to cast further spells in the same phase. Skillful players can harness this to great effect, by turning the momentum with unexpected additional plays.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One potential downside of the Ardent Electromancer is that it necessitates having other creatures in hand to derive maximum benefit. Without additional creatures to play the same turn, you may not fully capitalize on the mana-generating ability of the card, which can put you at a disadvantage, especially if your hand is low on creatures.

Specific Mana Cost: The Electromancer requires a specific mana combination to cast – two colorless and one red. This can be restrictive as it necessitates a commitment to red mana in your deck build, making it less versatile in multi-color decks that might not prioritize red mana or have it readily available.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost of three, including one red, the Ardent Electromancer might feel a bit costly for its 3/2 body and effect. There are other cards in the Magic the Gathering arena that either have a lower cost or provide a stronger immediate impact on the game for a similar mana investment. This aspect may make the Electromancer a less appealing choice in competitive play where every mana point needs to count towards a strategic advantage.

Reasons to Include Ardent Electromancer in Your Collection

Versatility: Ardent Electromancer can find a home in various red-based decks, particularly those that can harness the benefit of its mana-generating ability upon entry. This can lead to powerful plays in aggressive strategies or enable casting multiple spells in one turn.

Combo Potential: Its ability to add red mana for each creature that preceded it on the battlefield can be exploited in decks that aim to swarm the field. This synergizes with decks emphasizing ‘go-wide’ strategies, where Ardent Electromancer can serve as a catalyst for explosive turns.

Meta-Relevance: In a fast-paced environment where tempo plays a pivotal role, this card can support a swift offensive strategy. As the format ebbs and flows, its relevance can spike, particularly in metas favoring red or certain archetypes like red deck wins or prowess-based builds.

How to beat Ardent Electromancer

Ardent Electromancer is a red creature that thrives in decks seeking to capitalize on casting multiple spells in one turn. A key strategy in overcoming this card involves preventing your opponent from establishing a wide board presence. Since Ardent Electromancer generates additional red mana for each other creature you’ve cast this turn, keeping the board clear of multiple creatures can significantly dampen its impact.

Effective removal spells are your best friend here. Spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can disrupt your opponent’s plans before they benefit from the Electromancer’s mana boost. Moreover, counterspells such as Counterspell itself or Mana Leak can prevent the Electromancer from hitting the battlefield in the first place, making it crucial to keep mana open for these responses. Also, considering the Electromancer’s modest stats, creatures with higher toughness can easily block and remove it without much hassle, rendering it much less of a threat.

When playing against decks featuring Ardent Electromancer, focus on control and removal strategies to limit your opponent’s opportunities to utilize its mana-generating ability. In doing so, the threat posed by this particular MTG card diminishes, allowing you to maintain the upper hand in the match.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ardent Electromancer MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar Rising, 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 Ardent Electromancer and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ardent Electromancer has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2020-09-25	An ability referring to the number of creatures in your party gets a number from zero to four. Such abilities never ask which creatures are in your party, and you never have to designate specific creatures as being in your party. You can’t choose to exclude creatures from this count to lower the number.
2020-09-25	Ardent Electromancer’s ability uses the stack and players may respond to it. It isn’t a mana ability because the event that causes it to trigger isn’t a mana ability.
2020-09-25	If a creature has more than one party creature type, and there are multiple ways to count that creature that could result in a different number of creatures in your party, the highest such number is used. For example, if you control a Cleric and a Cleric Wizard, the number of creatures in your party is two. You can’t choose to have it be just one by counting the Cleric Wizard first as a Cleric.
2020-09-25	If an ability of a creature counts the number of creatures in your party, that number is counted as the ability resolves. If that creature is still on the battlefield when the ability resolves, it’ll be counted if appropriate.
2020-09-25	To determine “the number of creatures in your party,” check whether you control a Cleric, whether you control a Rogue, whether you control a Warrior, and whether you control a Wizard. The number is the total number of those checks to which you answered yes. Each creature you control can be counted for only one of those checks.