Aspirant's Ascent MTG Card

Grants card selection through scry, shaping your draw to better suit upcoming turns. Accelerates mana usage, allowing for more impactful plays sooner in the game. Playable at instant speed for greater flexibility and response to opponents.

Aspirant's Ascent - Phyrexia: All Will Be One

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2023-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Phyrexia: All Will Be One
Set code	ONE
Number	40
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Eli Minaya

Text of card

Until end of turn, target creature gets +1/+3 and gains flying and toxic 1. (Players dealt combat damage by that creature also get a poison counter.)

For the aspirants of the Progress Engine, being launched into the sphere's upper reaches is a great honor. Some are even granted wings beforehand.

Cards like Aspirant's Ascent

Aspirant’s Ascent plays a unique role in the roster of auras in Magic: The Gathering. It draws a close comparison to cards like Gryff’s Boon, which also offers a flying ability to the enchanted creature. However, Aspirant’s Ascent adds versatility with its scry feature, allowing players to organize the top cards of their library. Gryff’s Boon lacks this utility, focusing solely on the power boost and flying.

Examining another parallel, we find Cartouche of Knowledge. This card not only grants flying but also provides an additional card to the player’s hand upon entry. While the Cartouche boosts card advantage, Aspirant’s Ascent maintains the edge with its flexibility during gameplay due to the scry mechanic.

When we digest the functions of these enchantments, Aspirant’s Ascent stands out as a solid choice for players seeking to bolster a creature’s combat capabilities while simultaneously gaining strategic insight into their forthcoming draws. This gives players not just immediate board impact, but also plan-ahead advantages, elevating it within its category.

Cartouche of Knowledge - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Aspirant's Ascent by color, type and mana cost

Blue Elemental Blast - MTG Card versions

Enchantment Alteration - MTG Card versions

Whispers of the Muse - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Aspirant's Ascent. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

Name	Format	Archetype	Event
Bant Poison	Standard	Bant Poison	CM Games Morristown Standard RCQ
Bant Toxic	Standard	Bant Poison	BLACK - FRI - 11AM - Chicago 75K Standard Open
Bant Aggro	Standard	Bant Poison	Geek Central RCQ Round 6
Decklist	Free form		81#CS
Simic Toxic	Standard	Simic Heroic	STANDARD - BIG MAGIC WEEKEND 2023 (05.11.23)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Aspirant’s Ascent can provide a substantial edge in the heat of battle by offering the potential to scry and thus filter the cards you draw. This can efficiently help set up your next moves and ensure you’re drawing into the action you need most.

Resource Acceleration: One of the standout features of Aspirant’s Ascent is its potential to ramp up your mana resources. By granting you a cost reduction for your spells, it paves the way for more significant plays earlier in the game, propelling you ahead of the curve and providing a tactical advantage.

Instant Speed: The ability to play Aspirant’s Ascent at instant speed gives you the flexibility to adapt to the evolving game state. React to your opponent’s threats on their turn, or simply hold up mana for optimal timing, making it a versatile tool in any strategic scenario.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Aspirant’s Ascent asks you to discard a card upon casting, which can be a setback when your hand is already stretched thin by other demands or when each card holds crucial strategic value.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a precise combination of mana types to cast, necessitating a commitment to both red and white mana sources in your deck, thereby potentially limiting deck-building flexibility and color versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Weighing in at three mana, including one red and one white, its casting cost is on the higher side for its category. Other options in the game may provide similar or enhanced effects at a lower mana investment, maximizing deck efficiency.

Reasons to Include Aspirant’s Ascent in Your Collection

Versatility: Aspirant’s Ascent is a flexible card that you can slot into various deck archetypes. Its ability to empower creatures not only aids in combat but can also be consequential in achieving certain strategy thresholds or activating abilities that depend on creature strength.

Combo Potential: This card shines when paired with creatures that have tap abilities or other effects that scale with power. The possibility of creating synergies with cards that care about boosted stats enhances its role in combo-centric builds.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the ebb and flow of the metagame, Aspirant’s Ascent offers a swift advantage by potentially turning a simple creature into a significant threat. In a meta where speed is key, the agility provided by this enchantment can be pivotal in outpacing opponents.

How to Beat

Aspirant’s Ascent can pose a significant challenge in MTG matches with its power-boosting abilities. To effectively counter it, consider using instant-speed removal spells that can disrupt your opponent’s strategy before the ability resolves. Spells such as Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile provide a clean and efficient solution, allowing you to deal with the buffed creature and mitigate the impending threat.

Additionally, countermagic is an excellent way to handle Aspirant’s Ascent. Holding up mana for a counterspell like Negate or Dovin’s Veto ensures that you can prevent your opponent’s spell from ever hitting the board. This preemptive approach can be much more effective than dealing with the potential consequences post-resolution.

Beyond individual card choices, strategic deck-building that includes versatile answers and maintaining card advantage can give you the upper hand. Remember, the key to overcoming cards like Aspirant’s Ascent lies in readiness and adaptability, ensuring you’re always one step ahead of your adversary’s plays.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Aspirant's Ascent MTG card by a specific set like Phyrexia: All Will Be One, 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 Aspirant's Ascent and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Aspirant's Ascent has restrictions

Format	Legality
Standard	Legal
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Future	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2023-02-04	A player with ten or more poison counters loses the game. This is a state-based action and doesn't use the stack. In other words, it happens immediately and players can't respond to it, just like a player losing the game due to having 0 or less life.
2023-02-04	Any other effects of that damage, such as life gain from lifelink, still apply.
2023-02-04	Conversely, replacement effects that apply to the number of counters put on a player can modify the counters placed this way. For example, Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider's last two abilities can apply to counters placed this way.
2023-02-04	Damage dealt by a creature with toxic grants the same number of counters regardless of how much damage is dealt. Notably, if a replacement effect modifies the damage in some way (such as that of Gratuitous Violence), the number of counters given remains unchanged.
2023-02-04	Giving an attacking creature flying after it has become blocked will not cause it to become unblocked, even if the blocking creature can't normally block creatures with flying.
2023-02-04	If a creature with toxic deals combat damage to a creature or planeswalker, or if it deals noncombat damage, toxic has no effect and no player gets poison counters.
2023-02-04	Multiple instances of toxic are cumulative. For example, if a creature has toxic 2 and gains toxic 1 due to another effect, combat damage that creature deals to a player will cause that player to get 3 poison counters.
2023-02-04	Toxic doesn't change the amount of combat damage a creature deals. For example, if a 2/2 creature with toxic 1 deals combat damage to a player, that creature will deal 2 damage. The results of that damage are the player loses 2 life and gets a poison counter.