Haldan, Avid Arcanist MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Mythic
Type	Legendary Creature — Human Wizard
Abilities	Partner,Partner with
Released	2020-04-17
Set symbol
Set name	Commander 2020
Set code	C20
Power	1
Toughness	4
Number	2
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Manuel Castañón

Key Takeaways

Amplifies card advantage by allowing play with noncreature cards from exile, increasing available gameplay options.
Pairing with partners like Pako rapidly accumulates exiled cards, significantly speeding up resource gain.
Flexibility during gameplay is heightened with potential instant speed spells from exile, offering a responsive strategy.

Text of card

Partner with Pako, Arcane Retriever (When this creature enters the battlefield, target player may put Pako into their hand from their library, then shuffle.) You may play noncreature cards from exile with fetch counters on them if you exiled them, and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast those spells.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Haldan, Avid Arcanist enables players to play with noncreature cards they’ve exiled, essentially expanding their hand and options available each turn. This ability to use cards from exile provides a consistent source of card advantage, as players utilize resources beyond their normal draw.

Resource Acceleration: By pairing Haldan with a partner such as Pako, Arcane Retriever, players can quickly amass a pile of exiled cards. This duo turns each of Pako’s attacks into potential card advantage and mana-free plays, greatly accelerating the resources at a player’s disposal. This synergy transforms every combat phase into a resource acceleration opportunity.

Instant Speed: Although Haldan himself doesn’t operate at instant speed, the cards exiled with his help can include instant spells which provide tremendous flexibility. This allows players to adapt on the fly and make decisions with a wealth of options at instant speed, maintaining a dynamic and responsive playstyle.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Haldan, Avid Arcanist demands that you pitch another card to glean the benefits, a drawback that can be felt keenly when your hand is dwindling and every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost for Haldan requires a precise mix of colors, which could be cumbersome for players not running a deck tailored to accommodate such specifics.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At three mana including one blue and two others, Haldan’s cost to cast comes in on the steeper side when compared to other options within its archetype, potentially slowing down your game plan.

Reasons to Include Haldan, Avid Arcanist in Your Collection

Versatility: Haldan, Avid Arcanist opens up a realm of possibilities for deck builders. Its ability to grant you access to all cards exiled with your commanders allows for an inventive play style and fits well with strategies aiming to exploit exiled cards.

Combo Potential: Haldan pairs incredibly well with a range of partners, notably with Pako, Arcane Retriever. This dynamic duo synergizes to exile a swath of cards that you can play, setting up for potent combos that can turn the tide of the game.

Meta-Relevance: As the game environment shifts, Haldan remains a relevant choice. It challenges conventional deck builds and offers a unique edge against opponents with its ability to utilize exiled cards, making it a cunning addition to any collector’s arsenal looking to stay ahead in ever-changing metagames.

How to beat

Haldan, Avid Arcanist poses a unique challenge on the battlefield with his ability to enable playing noncreature cards from exile. To counteract Haldan’s strengths, disrupting the partnership with Pako, Arcane Retriever is essential, as the latter fetches the cards for Haldan’s ability. Targeted removal spells can effectively deal with Haldan or Pako as soon as they hit the field, preventing the duo from establishing their synergy. Graveyard hate cards also serve as a hindrance to Haldan’s potential by limiting the access to exiled cards.

Players should keep pressure on opponents wielding Haldan by maintaining a swift pace and being aggressive in their plays. This forces the Haldan user to respond defensively rather than setting up their desired exile combos. Additionally, deny them card advantages by using counter spells to thwart key spells that would allow them to exile their own deck’s cards. In summary, a strategy focused on removal, graveyard control, and steady aggression can dismantle the magic that Haldan, Avid Arcanist brings to the table in Magic: The Gathering.

Cards like Haldan, Avid Arcanist

Haldan, Avid Arcanist offers Magic: The Gathering players a unique twist on card advantage. Resembling other partner commanders such as Thrasios, Triton Hero, Haldan allows you to play with noncreature cards without the need for them to be in your hand—but with a catch. While Thrasios provides you direct draw and land advantages, Haldan demands a more strategic approach with allowed use of exiled cards.

Likewise, Golos, Tireless Pilgrim gives you similar access to additional cards, albeit from the top of your library rather than exile. However, Haldan’s requirement to have cards exiled with an ice counter, using its partner, Pako, Arcane Retriever, means it’s conditional yet can be very powerful over time. Conversely, you can play the cards Golos pulls immediately, but his ability has a notable mana cost attached.

Comparing with other synergy-based commanders, such as Kess, Dissident Mage which allows you to cast spells from your graveyard for a turn, Haldan requires ongoing management of Pako’s activity to maximise value. Each commander provides a distinct synergy approach, but Haldan’s meld with Pako opens up an interactive playstyle that’s both engaging and challenging.

Thrasios, Triton Hero - MTG Card versions

Golos, Tireless Pilgrim - MTG Card versions

Kess, Dissident Mage - MTG Card versions

Pako, Arcane Retriever - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Haldan, Avid Arcanist MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2020, 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 Haldan, Avid Arcanist and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Haldan, Avid Arcanist has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2020-04-17	A creature card that you exiled with a fetch counter on it may be cast as a noncreature spell if a rule or effect (such as that of adventurer cards) allows you to do so.
2020-04-17	A creature with a “partner with” ability can’t partner with any creature other than its designated partner. Losing a partner ability during the game doesn’t cause either to cease to be your commander.
2020-04-17	Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards of your deck are shuffled to become your library.
2020-04-17	Haldan doesn’t change when you can play the exiled cards. For example, if you exile a sorcery card, you can cast it only during your main phase when the stack is empty. If you exile a land card, you can play it only during your main phase and only if you have an available land play remaining.
2020-04-17	Haldan’s ability applies only while it’s on the battlefield. You’ll be able to play cards you exiled with fetch counters before Haldan entered the battlefield, and if Haldan leaves, you won’t be able to play cards that were exiled with fetch counters until Haldan returns.
2020-04-17	If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can only include cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders’ combined color identities. If Haldan and Pako are your commanders, your deck may contain cards with blue, red, and/or green in their color identity, but not cards with white or black.
2020-04-17	In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well. If you leave the game, any spells or permanents you control that Pako fetched are exiled.
2020-04-17	Note that the target player searches their library (which may be affected by effects such as that of Stranglehold) and that the card they find is revealed, even though these words aren’t included in the ability’s reminder text.
2020-04-17	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 damage from one of them, not from both of them combined. Command Beacon’s effect puts one into your hand from the command zone, not both.
2020-04-17	The second ability represented by the “partner with -ame]” keyword modifies the rules for deck construction in the Commander variant and has no function outside of that variant. If a legendary creature card with “partner with -ame]” is designated as your commander, the named legendary creature card can also be designated as your commander.
2020-04-17	The triggered ability of the “partner with” keyword still triggers in a Commander game. If your other commander has somehow ended up in your library, you can find it. You can also target another player who might have that card in their library.
2020-04-17	You exile cards and put +1/+1 counters on Pako all while Pako’s last ability is resolving. Nothing can happen between the two, and no player may choose to take actions.
2020-04-17	“Partner with -ame]” represents two abilities. The first is a triggered ability: “When this permanent enters the battlefield, target player may search their library for a card named -ame], reveal it, put it into their hand, then shuffle their library.”