Centaur Omenreader MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Snow Creature — Centaur Shaman |
| Released | 2007-05-04 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Future Sight |
| Set code | FUT |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 143 |
| Frame | future |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Justin Sweet |
Text of card
As long as Centaur Omenreader is tapped, creature spells you play cost less to play.
The wisdom of the omenreaders is legendary. Creatures travel for miles through icy peril to seek their counsel.
Cards like Centaur Omenreader
Centaur Omenreader is an intriguing creature in Magic: The Gathering that offers a unique cost-reduction ability. It stands in line with a handful of MTG cards that also look to make your spells cheaper to cast. An immediate comparison is to the card Heartless Summoning, which provides a reduction in creature casting costs. While Centaur Omenreader requires the card to be tapped to activate its ability, Heartless Summoning offers a consistent cost reduction albeit with a downside of weakening your creatures.
Much like the Omenreader, the creature Stonybrook Banneret can make casting certain spells less taxing on your mana resources. However, it specifically targets Merfolk and Wizard spells, thus giving it a niche over Centaur Omenreader in decks that capitalize on those creature types. Another card, Cloud Key, is more flexible and impacts the casting cost of spells of a chosen type, but it doesn’t possess the dynamic nature of being a creature that can influence board presence while facilitating your mana economy.
In summarizing their advantages, Centaur Omenreader’s unique capability to lower costs while doubling as an on-field presence makes it a noteworthy selection for decks that aim to cast large spells efficiently.
Cards similar to Centaur Omenreader by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Centaur Omenreader has the potential to generate a significant advantage by reducing the cost of creature spells. With clever play, you can optimize your turns to cast creatures at a reduced rate, effectively getting more value from your hand.
Resource Acceleration: By lowering creature costs, this card can accelerate your board presence dramatically. Deploying more creatures swiftly can lead to a formidable board state that’s hard for opponents to handle.
Instant Speed: While Centaur Omenreader itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its ability to unlock cost-reduced creatures means you can pair it with flash creatures or instant-speed enablers to surprise opponents, effectively making it a versatile tool in reactive decks.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Centaur Omenreader requires a setup to tap it without attacking, which can be cumbersome without the right deck configuration. This pre-requisite of needing the card tapped for its cost-reduction ability can be seen as a discard of tempo and board presence.
Specific Mana Cost: At a required cost including both green and generic mana, this limits its playability strictly to green-inclusive decks, reducing flexibility for players who are managing multicolored mana bases or playing outside of green.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, which is significant in faster-paced games, the Centaur Omenreader comes in at a stage where players would be expecting to cast high-impact spells rather than setting up for future cost reductions.
Reasons to Include Centaur Omenreader in Your Collection
Versatility: Centaur Omenreader offers a unique cost-reduction ability as long as it’s tapped, which can benefit a variety of green-based decks. Its flexibility allows it to be included in ramp strategies, facilitating the casting of high-cost spells earlier in the game.
Combo Potential: The card thrives in decks that can reliably tap it without relying on attacking, unlocking potential for combo plays. Pair it with cards that generate additional combat phases or include it in decks with tap/untap themes to maximize the cost-reduction benefit.
Meta-Relevance: With a constantly evolving metagame, Centaur Omenreader can be a tactical addition against control decks that pass with untapped creatures. It lets you deploy threats at a lower cost, maintaining pressure and resilience against removal-heavy strategies.
How to beat
Centaur Omenreader presents a tricky challenge with its cost reduction ability for creatures when tapped. It’s a unique effect that mirrors cards like Heartless Summoning in its ability to make creatures more affordable. The Omenreader requires strategic timing since tapping it isn’t as straightforward as paying a generic mana cost.
To counteract the Centaur Omenreader’s influence, consider utilizing removal spells that work at instant speed, allowing you to react during your opponent’s turn or before they utilize the tap effect. Removal spells like Path to Exile or Fatal Push can efficiently handle the Omenreader before its ability impacts the board significantly. Alternatively, tapping into control elements such as counter spells or cards that manipulate or freeze opponent’s creatures, like Frost Lynx, can prevent the cost reduction ability from taking effect.
Also, remember that the Centaur Omenreader’s ability hinges on it being tapped. Employing cards that force it to untap can neutralize the cost reduction temporarily. In short, by disrupting the Omenreader’s tap status or removing it swiftly from the field, you can mitigate its advantage and maintain control over the game pace.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Centaur Omenreader MTG card by a specific set like Future Sight, 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 Centaur Omenreader 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
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Centaur Omenreader has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |