Candlekeep Sage MTG Card


Provides consistent card filtering, potentially turning unused cards into new draws from your library. Can accelerate resources, helping you maintain game control by hitting land drops or having enough spells. Its flexibility offers a strategic edge, being usable during an opponent’s turn for quasi-instant speed reactions.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeLegendary Enchantment — Background

Text of card

Commander creatures you own have "When this creature enters or leaves the battlefield, draw a card."

You love the smell of dusty tomes, the flicker of candles during late-night reading, and the old texts that bring to life the scholars who have come before.


Cards like Candlekeep Sage

Candlekeep Sage takes its place among creatures that provide a draw ability in MTG. It shares some common ground with cards like Sea Gate Oracle, as both have the capability to peruse the top cards of your library and draw one. Candlekeep Sage does so with an artifact sacrificial twist, whereas Sea Gate Oracle does not demand any sacrifices.

Another relative in this family would be Wall of Omens. This creature, like the Candlekeep Sage, allows a draw when it enters the battlefield. But while Candlekeep Sage requires a continuous resource investment to utilize its ability, Wall of Omens offers its draw benefit outright, without further costs. They also differ in terms of utility; one provides a steady defense while the other sets up potential card advantage over time.

Assessing the Candlekeep Sage reveals its strategic depth, as it can transform redundant artifacts into new card opportunities. This recycling mechanic is unique and not frequently seen, setting it apart from other creature-based draw options. In the grand library of MTG, Candlekeep Sage enriches gameplay with its ability to turn artifacts into knowledge, capturing the essence of wise resourcefulness on the battlefield.

Sea Gate Oracle - MTG Card versions
Wall of Omens - MTG Card versions
Sea Gate Oracle - MTG Card versions
Wall of Omens - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Candlekeep Sage by color, type and mana cost

Feedback - MTG Card versions
In the Eye of Chaos - MTG Card versions
Undertow - MTG Card versions
Mana Vortex - MTG Card versions
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Mesmeric Trance - MTG Card versions
Soul Barrier - MTG Card versions
Puppet Master - MTG Card versions
Teferi's Realm - MTG Card versions
Propaganda - MTG Card versions
Intruder Alarm - MTG Card versions
Equilibrium - MTG Card versions
Mana Breach - MTG Card versions
Checks and Balances - MTG Card versions
Douse - MTG Card versions
Veiled Crocodile - MTG Card versions
Charisma - MTG Card versions
Rhystic Study - MTG Card versions
Traveler's Cloak - MTG Card versions
Feedback - MTG Card versions
In the Eye of Chaos - MTG Card versions
Undertow - MTG Card versions
Mana Vortex - MTG Card versions
Energy Flux - MTG Card versions
Gaseous Form - MTG Card versions
Mesmeric Trance - MTG Card versions
Soul Barrier - MTG Card versions
Puppet Master - MTG Card versions
Teferi's Realm - MTG Card versions
Propaganda - MTG Card versions
Intruder Alarm - MTG Card versions
Equilibrium - MTG Card versions
Mana Breach - MTG Card versions
Checks and Balances - MTG Card versions
Douse - MTG Card versions
Veiled Crocodile - MTG Card versions
Charisma - MTG Card versions
Rhystic Study - MTG Card versions
Traveler's Cloak - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Candlekeep Sage provides a consistent source of card filtering, with the potential to turn less relevant cards into new opportunities from your library, a key advantage in any MTG matchup.

Resource Acceleration: By allowing you to tap a Wizard to draw a card, this innovative card can accelerate your resources, ensuring you hit your land drops or have enough spells to maintain control of the game’s rhythm.

Instant Speed: The card’s ability may not be an instant, but it can be used in response to an opponent’s end step or during their turn, offering flexibility similar to instant speed interactions while skirting around sorcery-speed restrictions.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Candlekeep Sage requires players to discard a card in order to activate its ability. This can be particularly taxing when a player’s hand is nearly empty or if the remaining cards are crucial for upcoming plays, potentially putting them in a disadvantageous position.

Specific Mana Cost: Boasting a color identity in blue, Candlekeep Sage necessitates the presence of blue mana to be played. This requirement makes it less flexible, limiting its inclusion to primarily blue or multicolored decks that can accommodate the blue mana expenditure.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Candlekeep Sage comes with a plurality of mana costs that may be seen as burdensome when compared to other utility creatures in the same mana range. Given its casting cost and effect, players may find alternative creatures or spells that provide more immediate board presence or value for the mana invested.


Reasons to Include Candlekeep Sage in Your Collection

Versatility: Candlekeep Sage offers a unique twist to any deck. Its ability to draw a card when mana of a specific color is spent makes it a potentially valuable addition across multiple deck archetypes, enhancing your strategic depth and card flow.

Combo Potential: With each spell cast, Candlekeep Sage can be an engine that propels a combo forward. Decks focusing on casting numerous spells or those that manipulate the stack can find Candlekeep Sage’s ability a critical piece of their winning puzzle.

Meta-Relevance: Candlekeep Sage sits comfortably in gaming environments where knowledge and card advantage rule the battlefield. As meta-game fluctuates, a card that can adapt by funneling resources into critical turns maintains its relevance, giving players an edge in both casual and competitive play.


How to beat Candlekeep Sage

The Candlekeep Sage card presents a unique set of challenges in the game of Magic: The Gathering. This creature offers card advantage by letting the player draw a card whenever they cast a legendary spell. It’s an advantage that can snowball over time, making it a card worthy of attention in decks that capitalize on legendary spells.

To effectively counter Candlekeep Sage, one strategy could include removing it as soon as possible to prevent the accumulation of card advantage. Spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile are excellent tools for handling creatures at a low cost. Additionally, incorporating counterspells such as Negate or Dovin’s Veto can intercept legendary spells, negating the draw effect and preserving your position.

Another approach is to limit the number of legendary spells the opponent can play. Tools such as Thoughtseize or Duress allows you to disrupt the opponent’s hand directly, removing the key spells that trigger the Sage’s ability. Finally, playing a faster aggro deck can outpace the value generated by Candlekeep Sage, putting pressure on the opponent before the card draw becomes relevant. Keeping these strategies in mind can help maintain an edge against decks utilizing the Candlekeep Sage.


BurnMana Recommendations

Our exploration of Candlekeep Sage underscores its ability to enrich your MTG play with nuanced card filtering. This card shines in environments where accumulating knowledge equates to power on the battlefield. While Candlekeep Sage demands a thoughtful approach to resource management, it can pivot a game in your favor. Remember, while some cards amplify sheer force, this sage is about strategic foresight and the artful conversion of artifacts into insights. For those ready to harness the subtleties of Candlekeep Sage and elevate their deck’s tactical prowess, we delve deeper into strategies and builds. Join our community to enhance your MTG experience.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Candlekeep Sage MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate and Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, 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 Candlekeep Sage and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Candlekeep Sage Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2022-06-10 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by Kim Sokol.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 602015NormalBlackKim Sokol
22022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 4822015NormalBlackKim Sokol

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Candlekeep Sage has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2022-06-10 An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders.
2022-06-10 Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards (or 58 cards in a Commander Draft game) of your deck are shuffled to become your library.
2022-06-10 Choose a Background is a variant of the partner ability. You may have two commanders if one of them is a legendary creature with the choose a background ability and the other is a legendary Background enchantment. Backgrounds and cards with choose a Background do not interact with cards which have any other partner ability.
2022-06-10 If a card refers to a commander creature you own, a Background won't usually be counted or included for that effect. If another spell or ability causes your Background to become a creature, however, it will be included. Any effect that refers to your commander or a commander you own or control without specifying creature will apply to a Background that is your commander, as appropriate.
2022-06-10 If something refers to your commander while you have two commanders, it refers to one of them of your choice. If you are instructed to perform an action on your commander (e.g. put it from the command zone into your hand due to Command Beacon), you choose one of your commanders at the time the effect happens.
2022-06-10 If you control a Background that grants an ability to commander creatures you own, and you own more than one commander creature, each of them will have that ability.
2022-06-10 If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can include only cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders’ combined color identities.
2022-06-10 If your commander loses the choose a Background ability or stops being a Background during the game, as appropriate, it is still your commander.
2022-06-10 Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won’t have to pay an additional the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 combat damage from any one of them, not from both of them combined (although your Background won’t usually be a creature anyway).
2022-06-10 You can choose two commanders that are the same color or colors.