Biomancer's Familiar MTG Card


Cost reduction of Biomancer’s Familiar facilitates more ability uses and strategic edge in gameplay. A resource accelerator, the Familiar enables a faster and more formidable board state with less mana. Its synergy with instant speed abilities allows impactful surprise tactics during any turn phase.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Mutant
Power 2
Toughness 2

Text of card

Activated abilities of creatures you control cost less to activate. This effect can't reduce the mana in that cost to less than one mana. : The next time target creature adapts this turn, it adapts as though it had no +1/+1 counters on it.


Cards like Biomancer's Familiar

Exploring the synergistic world of Magic: The Gathering, Biomancer’s Familiar stands out for its unique ability to reduce the activated ability costs of your creatures and planeswalkers. This can be likened to Training Grounds, a card that similarly curtails activation costs, yet is restricted to only creature abilities. Training Grounds boasts a lower mana cost, positioning it favorably for earlier gameplay invocations.

Heartstone is another peer in this pool of ability enhancers, offering a reduced activation cost to all creatures, not just ones controlled by its owner. Although it is a more democratic option, Biomancer’s Familiar’s additional functionality of tapping to adapt a creature without a +1/+1 counter provides a clear strategic edge.

In summary, while each card carries its distinctive advantages, Biomancer’s Familiar presents players with a blend of cost-efficient activation alongside the potential for creature growth. This versatility ensures it remains a compelling choice for players looking to optimize their creature-based strategies within Magic: The Gathering.

Training Grounds - MTG Card versions
Heartstone - MTG Card versions
Training Grounds - MTG Card versions
Heartstone - MTG Card versions

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Vedalken Heretic - MTG Card versions
Nimbus Swimmer - MTG Card versions
Zameck Guildmage - MTG Card versions
Skyrider Elf - MTG Card versions
Plaxmanta - MTG Card versions
Merfolk Mistbinder - MTG Card versions
Hydroid Krasis - MTG Card versions
Ice-Fang Coatl - MTG Card versions
Verazol, the Split Current - MTG Card versions
River Hoopoe - MTG Card versions
Maraleaf Pixie - MTG Card versions
Quandrix Apprentice - MTG Card versions
Lonis, Cryptozoologist - MTG Card versions
Shambleshark - MTG Card versions
Suspicious Stowaway // Seafaring Werewolf - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Biomancer’s Familiar provides strategic benefit by reducing the activation cost of abilities, potentially allowing you to leverage more abilities each turn. This cost reduction can free up mana to cast additional spells or activate more abilities, effectively giving you an edge in card utility.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly a source of mana, the Familiar can indirectly accelerate your resources by making activated abilities of creatures you control cost two less. This means your high-impact creatures can do more without taxing your mana pool, translating to a more formidable board state faster.

Instant Speed: Although Biomancer’s Familiar itself isn’t an instant, its ability to cheapen other abilities can lead to surprise tactics at instant speed. When combined with creatures that have abilities you can activate anytime, this can create sudden shifts in the game, catching opponents off-guard and allowing you to interact on their turn or in response to their actions.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For those harnessing the power of Biomancer’s Familiar, be mindful of the setup required. The card doesn’t directly ask for discard, but activating abilities repeatedly might deplete your hand faster than anticipated, especially if you fail to draw enough creatures to make effective use of its cost-reduction capability.

Specific Mana Cost: The activation of this card’s ability strictly requires both green and blue mana. This mana specificity means that your deck must be tailored towards a Simic, or at least a multi-color strategy to utilize Biomancer’s Familiar, potentially limiting its versatility across the wide spectrum of MTG decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of two mana – one green and one blue – Biomancer’s Familiar certainly offers an interesting ability reduction mechanic. However, its comparative value might be questioned when weighed against other two-drop creatures in the current meta that could potentially offer immediate impact or more robust stats.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Biomancer’s Familiar is a dynamic addition to decks utilizing activated abilities, as it reduces the cost to activate them, opening up a diverse array of strategic possibilities in game play.

Combo Potential: The card shines in synergistic setups, where its ability to discount activated abilities can help unleash powerful combinations or enable multi-step turns that could overwhelm opponents.

Meta-Relevance: With an ever-shifting competitive scene, Biomancer’s Familiar maintains relevancy as it can modify the cost of key activated abilities from creatures or planeswalkers that are frequent players in current decks.


How to beat

Biomancer’s Familiar is a key component in many Magic the Gathering decks that focus on adapt and activated ability strategies. Reducing the cost of adapt ensures that creatures under your control can become potent threats faster and more efficiently. To effectively counter the advantages presented by Biomancer’s Familiar, it’s critical to disrupt these strategies early in the game.

One approach is to remove Biomancer’s Familiar from the board before the opponent can fully utilize its cost-reduction effect. Direct removal spells such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile can dispatch the Familiar before it becomes a larger threat. Another tactic is to utilize counter spells when Biomancer’s Familiar is cast to prevent it from entering the battlefield altogether. Counterspell or Mana Leak are typical choices that can keep the Familiar at bay. Additionally, incorporating board wipes like Wrath of God or Damnation can reset the playing field, negating the accumulated advantages your opponent has gained.

Overall, a strategy combining timely removal, counters, and board control can effectively neutralize the benefits Biomancer’s Familiar brings to the table, ensuring the creature’s abilities do not overwhelm the match in favor of your opponent.


BurnMana Recommendations

Biomancer’s Familiar is a potent tool for MTG players who thrive on strategy and adaptability. Its ability to reduce the cost of activated abilities can be a game-changer, making it a valuable card in your arsenal. However, employing this card effectively requires understanding both its strengths and limitations. Our detailed exploration provides insights into leveraging Biomancer’s Familiar for advantage while also countering it effectively when faced as opposition. Optimize your Simic or multi-color decks and outpace opponents with our expert guidance. Dive deeper with us to harness the full potential of Biomancer’s Familiar in your MTG endeavors.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Biomancer's Familiar MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica Allegiance Promos and Ravnica Allegiance, 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 Biomancer's Familiar and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Biomancer's Familiar Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-01-25 and 2019-01-25. Illustrated by Izzy.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-01-25Ravnica Allegiance PromosPRNA 158s2015NormalBlackIzzy
22019-01-25Ravnica AllegianceRNA 1582015NormalBlackIzzy

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Biomancer's Familiar has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2019-01-25 Activated abilities contain a colon. They’re generally written “
-ost:
-ffect].” Some keyword abilities are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text. Triggered abilities (starting with “when,” “whenever,” or “at”) are unaffected by the cost reduction ability of Biomancer’s Familiar.
2019-01-25 An ability that has only one generic mana and some amount of other mana symbols in its activation cost will have its cost reduced by .
2019-01-25 Biomancer’s Familiar affects only abilities of creatures you control on the battlefield. The costs of activated abilities of creature cards that work in other zones (such as cycling) won’t be reduced.
2019-01-25 The last ability of Biomancer’s Familiar doesn’t add or remove any counters. It just lets the creature adapt despite already having +1/+1 counters on it.