Blade Juggler MTG Card
2019-01-25 - Number 63
2024-01-12 - Number 67
2024-02-23 - Number 106
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Rogue |
| Abilities | Spectacle |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
Spectacle (You may cast this spell for its spectacle cost rather than its mana cost if an opponent lost life this turn.) When Blade Juggler enters the battlefield, it deals 1 damage to you and you draw a card.
Cards like Blade Juggler
Blade Juggler finds its niche in Magic: The Gathering as a creature with a flavorful card drawing ability. This card bears a resemblance to creatures like Dusk Legion Zealot, as both enter the battlefield with the added value of drawing a card. The key difference is that Blade Juggler’s spectacle cost allows you to cast it at a discounted rate, provided an opponent lost life this turn. Furthermore, the Juggler boasts a larger body, potentially offering a more considerable presence on the battlefield.
Another parallel can be drawn with Elvish Visionary, a staple in decks that favor creatures entering the battlefield effects. Like the Zealot, the Visionary allows for card draw upon entry, albeit without the life loss. However, it is smaller than Blade Juggler and lacks the potentially reduced casting cost. Additionally, Phyrexian Rager serves as a compatriot in this comparison by offering card draw and life loss upon its arrival, but it lacks the spectacle mechanic’s tactical advantage.
Considering these comparisons, Blade Juggler presents a unique blend of aggressive potential and card advantage, securing a spot in decks that capitalize on dealing early damage and reaping the rewards of its spectacle cost.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Blade Juggler presents an opportunity to draw a card upon entering the battlefield, offering players a chance to replace the card used and potentially pull ahead in the resource game.
Resource Acceleration: The spectacle cost of Blade Juggler allows for a reduced mana cost under certain conditions, effectively accelerating your resource usage and enabling you to deploy other threats or answers more rapidly.
Instant Speed: While not at instant speed itself, the flexibility of Blade Juggler’s casting cost interacts favorably in a deck with instant speed removal or damage spells. This enables the spectacle condition to be met more easily, keeping you poised and resourceful in the ebb and flow of the match.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Blade Juggler requires a player to have suffered a loss that turn to trigger its spectacle cost. This can often require careful planning or unwanted sacrifices, especially if you are aiming to play it early on at its reduced cost.
Specific Mana Cost: This creature card demands a specific combination of mana, including both Black and Generic. This condition ties it down to decks that can bear the color weight, potentially restricting its versatility in a multi-colored meta.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: If you’re unable to meet the spectacle requirement, the full mana cost of five can be a hindrance. When evaluating its abilities and stat line, players may find the cost a bit steep, particularly in fast-paced games where every mana point is crucial.
Reasons to Include Blade Juggler in Your Collection
Versatility: Blade Juggler is a highly versatile card as it finds a place in various deck archetypes. Needing creatures to enable its spectacle cost means it can slide into aggro decks looking for late-game draw or midrange decks that appreciate its solid body and card advantage.
Combo Potential: This card works well in combos utilizing card draw or when you need to ensure a steady flow of new cards into your hand. Its spectacle mechanic can also be abused in decks that regularly deal damage and want to capitalize on a cheaper draw.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where games extend beyond the early turns, Blade Juggler shines by providing card draw which can be critical for maintaining resources against control decks or when grinding out value in longer matches.
How to beat
Blade Juggler presents itself as a sturdy option for card advantage in the Magic: The Gathering arena. Reminiscent of creatures like Phyrexian Rager, Blade Juggler offers a body on the board with the bonus of drawing a card. But the critical difference between them lies in Blade Juggler’s spectacle cost—allowing a savvy player to deploy it for less mana should an opponent have lost life this turn. This aspect could turn the tides, especially in aggressive strategies that aim to reduce the opponent’s life total quickly.
Mastering the challenge Blade Juggler poses requires understanding the tempo of the game. Early removal spells such as Shock or Fatal Push can preemptively manage the Juggler before it hits the table, ensuring the spectacle cost doesn’t come into play. In longer games, cards with the ability to exile, like Path to Exile, prevent any potential recursion shenanigans, significantly hindering the card advantage Blade Juggler strives to provide its controller.
For players going head-to-head against Blade Juggler, it boils down to timing and the efficient allocation of removal resources. Keeping it off the board, or swiftly dealing with it upon arrival, ensures the juggler’s knives won’t be adding any extra cards to your opponent’s hand—maintaining parity on the battlefield and card advantage in your favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Blade Juggler MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica Allegiance and Ravnica Remastered, 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 Blade Juggler and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Blade Juggler Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2019-01-25 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by Dmitry Burmak.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019-01-25 | Ravnica Allegiance | RNA | 63 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dmitry Burmak | |
| 2 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 67 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dmitry Burmak | |
| 3 | 2024-02-23 | Ravnica: Clue Edition | CLU | 106 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dmitry Burmak |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Blade Juggler 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 Blade Juggler 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 | A card’s spectacle cost is the same no matter how much life your opponents lost or how many opponents lost life. |
| 2019-01-25 | Damage dealt to a player causes that player to lose that much life. |
| 2019-01-25 | In a multiplayer game, if an opponent loses life and later that turn leaves the game, you can cast a spell for its spectacle cost. (If a player leaves the game during their turn, that turn continues without an active player.) |
| 2019-01-25 | Spectacle doesn’t change when you can cast the card. For example, you can’t cast a sorcery with spectacle during an opponent’s turn unless another effect allows you to do so, even if that player has lost life this turn. |
| 2019-01-25 | To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you’re paying (such as a spectacle cost), add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was. |