Elminster's Simulacrum MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Elminster’s Simulacrum is a wizard’s dream for maintaining card flow, offering the chance to copy potentially any creature spell you cast during a turn, effectively doubling your board presence without dipping further into your hand resources.

Resource Acceleration: With the ability to mimic the effects of other creatures, Elminster’s Simulacrum can lead to unexpected ramp ups, tapping into abilities of creatures that generate mana and accelerating your resource pool without needing additional cards.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of Elminster’s Simulacrum shines at instant speed, creating a dynamic play environment where you can adapt at a moment’s notice to an evolving battlefield. This keeps opponents guessing while providing you with the opportunity to maximize your turns.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Elminster’s Simulacrum necessitates players to discard a card, which could be a sizable setback when your hand is already running low on cards. This requirement can impede strategies that rely on maintaining a robust hand size for optimised plays, especially in late-game scenarios where each card’s value is paramount.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Elminster’s Simulacrum is particularly color-weighted, requiring a strict combination of mana types. This may not synergize well with multi-colored decks where the mana base isn’t heavily skewed towards the specific colors needed, potentially leading to situations where casting the spell on curve is not possible.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a mana value that’s on the higher side for its effects, Elminster’s Simulacrum faces stiff competition from other cards within the same cost bracket. Players might find alternative cards that offer similar or better value without the additional drawback of having to discard, allowing them to maintain card advantage and board presence more efficiently.

Reasons to Include Elminster’s Simulacrum in Your Collection

Versatility: Elminster’s Simulacrum can seamlessly slide into various deck archetypes with its flexible color identity and cost. Its ability to adopt multiple roles on the battlefield makes it a solid pick for both offensive and defensive strategies.

Combo Potential: With its unique attributes, this card holds the power to synergize with numerous strategies, enabling spell cast triggers, interacting with permanents that pay heed to creatures entering the battlefield, or even as a puzzle piece in intricate combo chains.

Meta-Relevance: In an evolving competitive scene where adaptability is key, the value of having a card like Elminster’s Simulacrum in your arsenal cannot be overstated. Its relevance shifts with the tides of the game, providing answers and opportunities to outmaneuver your opponents no matter the prevailing strategies.

How to beat

Elminster’s Simulacrum presents MTG players with a unique challenge, showcasing an ability to copy instant or sorcery spells. Its power lies not only in its capacity to wield your opponent’s spells against them but also to strategically plan around spells in your own graveyard. Overcoming this card requires a tactful approach that often involves graveyard manipulation. Strategies such as employing cards like Scavenger Grounds or Bojuka Bog that can exile cards from graveyards can significantly weaken the Simulacrum’s potential. Additionally, counterplay via countermagic like Negate or Dovin’s Veto can prevent the Simulacrum from ever getting the chance to mimic spells.

Keeping the board clear of artifacts with removal spells like Abrade or Shatterstorm also ensures that Elminster’s Simulacrum doesn’t make a grand appearance. Should the artifact creature land on the board, instant speed removal spells should be held in reserve to respond to its activation, keeping the threats at bay. By anticipating its arrival or reacting swiftly with clear-cut measures, players can minimize the threat it poses and maintain control over the game.

BurnMana Recommendations

With Elminster’s Simulacrum capable of doubling your board presence and ramping up mana, its benefits for your deck are manifold. However, mindful play is essential to mitigate its downsides, like the stringent mana requirements or the need to discard. In MTG, success often hinges on versatile and synergistic cards, and Elminster’s Simulacrum merits consideration for its potential to fortify various strategies. Facing off against this card? Graveyard manipulation and instant removal are key. Delve deeper into strategic deckbuilding and counterplay by joining our community, where more insights await to enhance your MTG expertise.