Alibou, Ancient Witness MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Artifact Creature — Golem
Abilities Scry
Power 4
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Generates card advantage and scales damage based on artifact count, favoring artifact-rich strategies.
  2. Deck construction may be constrained by specific mana and artifact synergy requirements.
  3. Worthy inclusion in collections for its versatility, combo potential, and meta-relevance.

Text of card

Other artifact creatures you control have haste. Whenever one or more artifact creatures you control attack, Alibou, Ancient Witness deals X damage to any target and you scry X, where X is the number of tapped artifacts you control.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Alibou, Ancient Witness enables you to potentially draw additional cards based on the number of artifacts you control. This ability reinforces your hand by keeping it filled with options, offering an edge over opponents.

Resource Acceleration: Beyond its card-drawing capability, Alibou can turn your artifacts into a source of damage against opponents, effectively making each artifact a dual-threat on the board. This increases the utility of every artifact played, accelerating your game plan.

Instant Speed: While Alibou itself does not operate at instant speed, it synergizes well with cards that do. It can maximize the benefit of artifacts that have tap or instant-speed abilities, especially when it triggers during your combat phase, offering unexpected advantages and strategic depth to your plays.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Alibou, Ancient Witness doesn’t necessitate discarding cards, but it does require a degree of artifact synergy in your deck, meaning you might have to forego some slots for artifacts that might not always be optimal.

Specific Mana Cost: Deck-building flexibility is slightly hindered by Alibou’s precise mana requirements, demanding both red and white, which might not align with every artifact-centric strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For five mana, some players might find Alibou, Ancient Witness a bit too costly, especially considering the competitive alternatives that could potentially hit the battlefield sooner or offer more immediate impact.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Alibou, Ancient Witness shines in artifact-centric decks, where it can not only be a reliable source of damage but also a way to tap and untap your artifacts for various benefits.

Combo Potential: With its ability to deal damage based on the number of artifacts you control, it has the potential to end games quickly when combined with a critical mass of artifacts or infinite untap combos.

Meta-Relevance: Given that artifact strategies are evergreen in many MTG formats, Alibou can become a key player in metagames where artifacts play a major role, ensuring your deck stays competitive.


How to beat

Dealing with Alibou, Ancient Witness can be a strategic challenge in MTG. As a commander that synergizes with artifact strategies, its ability to deal indirect damage equates to its power to disrupt a game. Tackling this formidable card requires a nuanced approach. Maintaining control over the battlefield is key, as is being able to remove artifacts quickly and efficiently. Enchantment-based removal such as Seal of Cleansing or creature abilities like Thrashing Brontodon can effectively neutralize Alibou’s amplifying effect on artifact strategies.

Another tactic is to target Alibou directly with removal spells before its ability can trigger. Since it has no inherent protection, efficient spells like Path to Exile or Rapid Hybridization can swiftly handle the threat. These spells are low in cost, which enables you to manage your resources while keeping Alibou off the field. Additionally, preventing your opponent from establishing a wide board presence with numerous artifacts disrupts Alibou’s potential for cumulative damage and keeps you ahead in the game.

Ultimately, staying ahead of your opponent’s artifact build-up and having the right answers to Alibou, Ancient Witness can ensure your position remains strong throughout the duel. Effective resource management and choosing the right moments to act are the hallmarks of surmounting the challenge this ancient witness presents.


BurnMana Recommendations

Revamping your MTG collection means staying ahead of the game and Alibou, Ancient Witness is a linchpin in artifact-centric strategies. As you’ve seen, its ability to provide card advantage, accelerate resources, and integrate instant-speed synergies makes it a must-have. Ready to give your deck that competitive edge? Discover the full potential of this key card, understand when to play it, and optimize your artifact lineup to dominate the battlefield. Dive deeper into MTG deck-building artistry with us, streamline your approach, and turn the tides in your next match. Elevate your game today by exploring more with us.


Cards like Alibou, Ancient Witness

Alibou, Ancient Witness is a unique artifact-centric card in MTG that brings an innovative dynamic to artifact strategies. It stands in line with legendary creatures like Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient, which also amplifies the abilities of artifacts. Alibou, on the other hand, offers both a static ability to boost artifact creature attacks and an active ability to deal damage to each opponent based on artifact count, making it more versatile in multiplayer games.

Karn, Silver Golem is another card that interacts well with artifacts, turning them into creatures. While Karn offers utility by animating individual artifacts, Alibou encourages a broader artifact presence and rewards players for it. Similar to Alibou, Bosh, Iron Golem can harness the power of artifacts by using them as ammunition to inflict damage. However, Bosh requires sacrificing artifacts, whereas Alibou does not, allowing for sustained board presence and pressure.

Ultimately, Alibou, Ancient Witness claims its place in MTG as a linchpin in artifact decks, with its ability to simultaneously bolster your army and chip away at opponents’ life totals while leaving your resources intact. A strategic asset for any artifact aficionado.

Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient - MTG Card versions
Karn, Silver Golem - MTG Card versions
Bosh, Iron Golem - MTG Card versions
Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient - Magic 2015 (M15)
Karn, Silver Golem - Urza's Saga (USG)
Bosh, Iron Golem - Mirrodin (MRD)

Cards similar to Alibou, Ancient Witness by color, type and mana cost

Optimus Prime, Inspiring Leader - MTG Card versions
Scalesoul Gnome - MTG Card versions
Optimus Prime, Inspiring Leader - 2018 Heroes of the Realm (PH18)
Scalesoul Gnome - Alchemy: Ixalan (YLCI)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Alibou, Ancient Witness MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Commander 2021, 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 Alibou, Ancient Witness and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Alibou, Ancient Witness Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-04-23 and 2021-04-23. Illustrated by Matt Stewart.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 902862015normalblackMatt Stewart
22021-04-23Commander 2021C21 3342015normalblackMatt Stewart
32021-04-23Commander 2021C21 72015normalblackMatt Stewart

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Alibou, Ancient Witness has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-04-16 If Alibou leaves the battlefield, artifact creatures you control lose haste. If they haven’t been under your control since the turn began and don’t otherwise have haste, they can’t attack that turn. If they’ve already attacked, losing haste won’t remove them from combat and they’ll remain attackers.
2021-04-16 If you control no tapped artifacts when the triggered ability resolves (perhaps because they were destroyed or had vigilance), no damage will be dealt and you won’t scry.
2021-04-16 You choose a target as Alibou’s triggered ability is put on the stack. If that target isn’t legal as the triggered ability tries to resolve, it doesn’t resolve and you don’t scry.

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