Stern Mentor MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Wizard |
| Abilities | Mill,Soulbond |
| Released | 2012-05-04 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Avacyn Restored |
| Set code | AVR |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 77 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Igor Kieryluk |
Key Takeaways
- Stern Mentor strengthens board presence leading to potential card advantage and battlefield dominance.
- The synergy with high-power creatures enhances combo potential, key for mill strategies.
- Its meta relevance makes Stern Mentor a strategic counter to graveyard-based tactics.
Text of card
Soulbond (You may pair this creature with another unpaired creature when either enters the battlefield. They remain paired for as long as you control both of them.) As long as Stern Mentor is paired with another creature, each of those creatures has ": Target player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: With the ability to pair up and embolden your creatures’ prowess, Stern Mentor offers strategic depth by fostering potential card advantage through superior board presence.
Resource Acceleration: The soulbond ability of Stern Mentor can accelerate your in-game resources by boosting the effectiveness of your creatures, leading to more efficient plays and potential dominance over the battlefield.
Instant Speed: Stern Mentor may not operate at instant speed, but its lasting impact on paired creatures allows for a persistent threat that your opponents must address, effectively providing value that persists beyond a single turn cycle.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Stern Mentor’s soulbond ability, while potent, demands that both it and another creature remain on the battlefield. This is a precarious setup as disrupting either creature can nullify your investment, potentially causing you to discard cards without reaping the intended value.
Specific Mana Cost: Costing two blue mana and two generic mana, Stern Mentor requires a commitment to blue mana sources within your deck. This can challenge the deck’s flexibility, making it harder to cast spells of other colors or activate color-intensive abilities of other cards.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a total of four mana to summon, Stern Mentor might arrive too late in games where tempo is crucial. Considering other cards with lower mana costs can provide equally impactful effects or even offer immediate value upon hitting the field, Stern Mentor’s cost efficiency is relatively lower.
Reasons to Include Stern Mentor in Your Collection
Versatility: Stern Mentor offers a solid option for decks that tap into the power of Soulbond, allowing you to pair it with any other creature for greater tactical advantage. Its ability to grant paired creatures the skill to tap and mill opponents makes it a versatile fit in control or mill-focused decks.
Combo Potential: This card shines in combos, notably when paired with high-power creatures or those with untap abilities. The potential to repeatedly mill an opponent’s deck can be a game-changer, and therefore, it’s wise to consider Stern Mentor for synergy-heavy and mill-centered strategies.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where graveyard-based strategies are prevalent, Stern Mentor can become a counterplay champion. Its consistent ability to fill the opponent’s graveyard can disrupt their game plan and provides strategic value. On top of that, if mill decks rise in popularity, having Stern Mentor in your arsenal ensures you’re keeping up with the competitive curve.
How to beat Stern Mentor
Stern Mentor brings an intriguing dynamic to MTG gameplay with its soulbond ability that allows it to pair with another creature and grant both the ability to tap and force an opponent to put the top two cards of their library into their graveyard. Successfully countering this can be pivotal in a match.
To effectively overcome Stern Mentor, it’s essential to disrupt the soulbond synergy. Employ removal spells to quickly deal with the Mentor before it pairs or eliminate the paired creature to strip the Mentor of its power. Additionally, instant-speed interaction can break the pairing at a crucial moment, neutralizing the threat. Creature countermeasures such as hexproof or shroud can also prevent Stern Mentor from locking onto its target and beginning the mill process.
In summary, addressing Stern Mentor immediately through targeted removal, disrupting the soulbond, or utilizing creatures with hexproof or shroud are efficient strategies. A game that is attentive to these tactics will minimize the impact of Stern Mentor, ensuring that your deck remains robust against mill strategies.
Cards like Stern Mentor
Stern Mentor adds a layer of strategic depth to decks focusing on utilizing the graveyard in Magic: The Gathering. Much like its counterpart, the card Tandem Lookout, which also links creatures to gain additional abilities, Stern Mentor leverages the soulbond mechanic. Upon pairing, Stern Mentor grants the paired creature the ability to tap and mill cards from an opponent’s library.
Comparing this with other soulbond cards, such as Wingcrafter, which gives both creatures flying, Stern Mentor stands out because it directly interacts with an opponent’s potential resources. Another relevant card is Deadeye Navigator, a potent entity in soulbond decks that permits creatures to flicker in and out of the battlefield. Although Deadeye Navigator doesn’t mill, the flexibility it offers in protecting and reusing enter-the-battlefield effects is unmatched. Just as Stern Mentor can repeatedly hinder an opponent’s strategy through milling, Deadeye Navigator provides a different kind of recurring value.
All things considered, Stern Mentor makes its mark within soulbond-enabled cards in MTG. The ability to disturb opponents by strategically thinning their libraries gives it a unique edge, especially in formats where graveyard manipulation is key.
Cards similar to Stern Mentor by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Stern Mentor MTG card by a specific set like Avacyn Restored, 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 Stern Mentor and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Stern Mentor has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |