Illustrious Historian MTG Card

Illustrious Historian provides deck cycling and sustains momentum through token draw abilities. Low-cost and speedy deployment enhance mana curves, improving board control and spell casting. Graveyard ability activation at instant speed boosts flexibility, allowing strategic token generation.

Illustrious Historian - Strixhaven: School of Mages

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Shaman
Released	2021-04-23
Set symbol
Set name	Strixhaven: School of Mages
Set code	STX
Power	2
Toughness	1
Number	109
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Brian Valeza

Text of card

, Exile Illustrious Historian from your graveyard: Create a tapped 3/2 red and white Spirit creature token.

The most distinguished Lorehold professors are eligible to receive extended tenure, even beyond the limits of their own mortality.

Cards like Illustrious Historian

Illustrious Historian finds its place among MTG’s intriguing red creatures, bringing unique tricks to a player’s arsenal. It bears resemblance to other low-cost creatures such as Skirk Prospector, which also offers mana generation through sacrificing a creature. Unlike Skirk Prospector, Illustrious Historian provides a different advantage by creating a 1/1 red Spirit creature token that can be an offensive play or a chump blocker in a pinch.

Another card that echoes the Historian’s qualities is Goblin Arsonist for its ability to deal damage when it dies, though without the token generation. Illustrious Historian stands out by allowing strategic plays later in the game, with its unearth ability offering a second chance at the battlefield. This contrasts with cards like Reckless Imp, which also unearth, however, they can’t block and have higher mana costs for the unearth ability.

Comparing these mechanics illustrates how Illustrious Historian can be both an asset in early game for its immediate effects and a strategic tool for later turns. Balancing mana costs, potential for damage, and board presence, Illustrious Historian integrates seamlessly into red aggro and midrange decks, solidifying its reputation in the MTG creature card lineup.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Illustrious Historian offers players the potential to cycle through their decks efficiently. By leveraging the Historian’s capability to exile itself from the graveyard and create a token that draws a card upon exile, savvy players can sustain their strategic momentum and prevent stalling.

Resource Acceleration: Able to be played for a low cost, Illustrious Historian can rapidly hit the field, significantly enhancing your mana curve. Additionally, the utilization of its token-generating ability enhances resource availability, offering players a means to catalyze board presence or facilitate higher-cost spells sooner than expected.

Instant Speed: While the Illustrious Historian itself may not be an instant, the activation of its graveyard ability can be done at instant speed. This ensures that players can best decide the most opportune moment to generate the token, either strategically during an opponent’s turn or in direct response to an impending threat, thus maintaining robust tactical flexibility.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Illustrious Historian comes with the strategic decision of what card to discard. This can be particularly troublesome if you have a hand full of essential plays, making the cost of casting him more painful than just the mana spent.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost requires both red and generic mana, which could be restrictive. Players running multicolored decks might find themselves mana-locked at critical moments, unable to summon the Historian when most needed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the Historian offers certain benefits, his mana cost might weigh him down compared to other options in the game. Players may consider alternative cards with lower mana costs or those that provide similar benefits without the discard requirement.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Illustrious Historian stands out for its ability to support various playstyles in MTG. It can serve as an early blocker or an aggressive option due to its reasonable power and toughness. Moreover, its secondary ability to exile itself from the graveyard for a temporary token can strategically offer utility even from beyond the battlefield.

Combo Potential: This card shines by enabling graveyard strategies and fits seamlessly into decks that capitalize on sacrificing creatures. The summoning of Spirit creature tokens not only provides a recurring presence on the board but also opens avenues for synergies with spells and abilities that thrive on creature deaths or token generation.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state that highly values creatures and graveyard interaction, Illustrious Historian demonstrates its worth. Its adaptability makes it a sound inclusion against an array of decks, being particularly effective in a meta with plentiful removal spells, making each creature card in your graveyard a potential threat.

How to beat

The Illustrious Historian is a versatile card in MTG, boasting an ability that allows players to exile it from their graveyard and create a 3/2 red and white Soldier creature token with haste. This can be a game-changing move, especially in matches where board control is critical. The key to beating this card lies in preemptively managing graveyard interactions. Cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void can shut down the Historian’s token-generating ability by keeping it out of the graveyard entirely.

Another potent strategy is swift removal. Utilize instant-speed removal spells to deal with the creature token as soon as it hits the battlefield. This will minimize the impact of the Historian’s later stages and maintain pressure on your opponent. Moreover, efficient creature management, such as sweepers like Wrath of God or board control with Echoing Decay, can also help keep the board clear of tokens.

Ultimately, countering the Illustrious Historian’s token generation and controlling graveyards are clear paths to success. Adapt your deck to include a blend of removal, graveyard hate, and board control elements to help tilt the scales in your favor against this potent MTG card.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Illustrious Historian MTG card by a specific set like Strixhaven: School of Mages, 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 Illustrious Historian and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Illustrious Historian has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Timeless	Legal