Artful Dodge MTG Card


Artful Dodge - Dark Ascension
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Flashback
Released2012-02-03
Set symbol
Set nameDark Ascension
Set codeDKA
Number27
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byTomasz Jedruszek

Key Takeaways

  1. Artful Dodge allows for repeatable use, mimicking card advantage through its graveyard retrieval capability.
  2. Cost efficiency is key; its low mana requirement frees resources for other vital in-turn actions.
  3. Flashback at instant speed adds unexpected tactical depth, offering the advantage of timing and surprise.

Text of card

Target creature is unblockable this turn. Flashback (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

Those who know the alleys and sewers of the Erdwal can disappear like smoke.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Artful Dodge enables repeated use from the graveyard, offering a strategy to utilize cards effectively for multiple turns. This reuse can simulate card advantage by providing ongoing benefits without expending additional cards from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: With its low mana cost, Artful Dodge facilitates efficient use of mana resources. This allows players to execute more complex plays in a single turn, keeping mana open for other crucial spells or abilities.

Instant Speed: Although Artful Dodge is a sorcery, its flashback ability can be activated at instant speed. This versatile timing gives players the element of surprise, allowing them to make strategic decisions to outmaneuver opponents during the course of a match.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Artful Dodge card doesn’t necessitate a discard, but the flashback feature indirectly might. If you find yourself needing to use the flashback from the graveyard, this implies you’ve had another turn without drawing something potentially more vital, highlighting a resource-management dilemma for players.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires blue mana to be cast. While not overly restrictive, it does mean that it fits primarily into blue or multicolored decks, thus limiting its universality in a player’s arsenal.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its low initial cost, the need to pay the mana cost again to utilize its flashback can be seen as inefficient compared to other spells in the game. In a format where spell efficiency can be vital, the need to invest mana twice to get full value from Artful Dodge might be considered a drawback in fast-paced games.


Reasons to Include Artful Dodge in Your Collection

Versatility: Artful Dodge provides a straightforward way to guarantee that your most potent creatures can hit the opponent. With its low casting cost and flashback ability, it can be a game-changer in decks that focus on dealing combat damage, particularly those involving creatures with powerful triggered abilities.

Combo Potential: This card becomes an enabler for strategies that capitalize on successful combat hits. Whether you’re aiming to trigger heroic abilities, cipher spells, or simply deal significant damage with a creature that has an impactful effect when it deals damage to a player, Artful Dodge fits seamlessly into these plans.

Meta-Relevance: Given that creature-based strategies regularly appear in the meta, having a reliable way to push through defenses can be key. In a landscape filled with blockers, the ability to render your creatures unblockable can shift the tide of a game, making Artful Dodge a valuable inclusion for those looking to outmaneuver opponents focusing on board control.


How to beat

Artful Dodge is a crafty card in the MTG universe known for turning the tide of combat in a player’s favor. Delivering unblockable status to creatures for a mere one blue mana, it disrupts defensive strategies with ease. Its flashback ability only adds to its strategic depth, allowing a second act later on in the game.

To effectively counter Artful Dodge, control decks should keep instant-speed removal or counter spells at hand, waiting for the opportune moment to render the card useless. Additionally, cards that restrict a player from casting spells from the graveyard can also nullify the benefits of Artful Dodge’s flashback feature. It’s crucial to maintain a diverse range of answers and not rely solely on creature blocking tactics when facing such game-changing spells.

Players should not underestimate this seemingly simple spell; its power lies in creating unimpeded pathways for damage. By preparing versatile response options and adapting to a proactive playing style, you can anticipate and neutralize the advanced maneuvers that Artful Dodge can facilitate within Magic: The Gathering matches.


BurnMana Recommendations

The world of MTG is broad and ever-evolving, with each card like Artful Dodge offering players an opportunity to outsmart and outplay their opponents. Understanding the strengths and limitations of such cards is key to conquering the battlefield. As you deploy Artful Dodge’s tactical finesse to bypass enemy lines, or tailor your deck to defend against its deceptive maneuvers, remember that each spell casts a wider narrative in your deck’s saga. We encourage you to explore the depth of your strategic arsenal and invite you to join the collective of players seeking to refine their game. For insights and tips that will inform your quest for domination, tune into BurnMana, where the lore of MTG and the art of the game collide.


Cards like Artful Dodge

Artful Dodge is a spell known for its ability to make creatures unblockable in Magic: The Gathering. A prime comparison would be with Distortion Strike, which not only renders a creature unblockable for a turn but also grants it a bump in power. Distortion Strike, however, carries the rebound mechanic allowing for a repeated effect in the following turn. Artful Dodge lacks this feature but compensates with its flashback ability, offering a second chance to activate its effect from the graveyard.

Another card with a resemblance in strategy is Slip Through Space. This card also grants unblockability but adds a draw card effect. The draw effect provides immediate card advantage that Artful Dodge does not. However, both cards require only one blue mana to cast, making them highly efficient in tempo play. Furthermore, Slip Through Space has the distinct advantage of being a cantrip, an essential aspect in deck cycling and maintaining hand presence.

When considering evasion tactics in a deck, each of these cards offers unique advantages. Artful Dodge, with its flashback capacity, ensures that even after being used, it’s not gone for good, whereas alternatives like Distortion Strike and Slip Through Space offer their own perks such as power boosts and card draws. Hence, the choice largely depends on the deck’s synergistic needs and the player’s strategy.

Distortion Strike - MTG Card versions
Slip Through Space - MTG Card versions
Distortion Strike - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Slip Through Space - Oath of the Gatewatch (OGW)

Cards similar to Artful Dodge by color, type and mana cost

Drafna's Restoration - MTG Card versions
Reconstruction - MTG Card versions
Psychic Purge - MTG Card versions
Energy Tap - MTG Card versions
Mind Bomb - MTG Card versions
Recall - MTG Card versions
Portent - MTG Card versions
Taunt - MTG Card versions
Sorcerous Sight - MTG Card versions
Prosperity - MTG Card versions
Eye Spy - MTG Card versions
Sleight of Hand - MTG Card versions
Broken Dam - MTG Card versions
Index - MTG Card versions
Extract - MTG Card versions
Merfolk Secretkeeper // Venture Deeper - MTG Card versions
Preordain - MTG Card versions
Serum Visions - MTG Card versions
Ponder - MTG Card versions
Breakthrough - MTG Card versions
Drafna's Restoration - Treasure Chest (PZ2)
Reconstruction - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Psychic Purge - Masters Edition (ME1)
Energy Tap - Treasure Chest (PZ2)
Mind Bomb - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Recall - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Portent - The List (PLST)
Taunt - Portal (POR)
Sorcerous Sight - Portal (POR)
Prosperity - Commander 2013 (C13)
Eye Spy - Starter 1999 (S99)
Sleight of Hand - Wilds of Eldraine (WOE)
Broken Dam - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Index - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Extract - Odyssey (ODY)
Merfolk Secretkeeper // Venture Deeper - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Preordain - Tales of Middle-earth Commander (LTC)
Serum Visions - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Ponder - Doctor Who (WHO)
Breakthrough - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Artful Dodge MTG card by a specific set like Dark Ascension, 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 Artful Dodge and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Artful Dodge has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-03-19 A spell cast using flashback will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack in some other way.
2021-03-19 If a card with flashback is put into your graveyard during your turn, you can cast it if it’s legal to do so before any other player can take any actions.
2021-03-19 To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a flashback cost) you’re paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was.
2021-03-19 You can cast a spell using flashback even if it was somehow put into your graveyard without having been cast.
2021-03-19 You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions, including those based on the card’s type. For instance, you can cast a sorcery using flashback only when you could normally cast a sorcery.
2021-03-19Flashback
-ost]” means “You may cast this card from your graveyard by paying
-ost] rather than paying its mana cost” and “If the flashback cost was paid, exile this card instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack.”

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