Inalla, Archmage Ritualist MTG Card
2016-11-16 - Number 65737
2017-08-25 - Number 38
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Human Wizard |
| Abilities | Eminence |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 5 |
Text of card
Eminence — Whenever another nontoken Wizard enters the battlefield under your control, if Inalla, Archmage Ritualist is in the command zone or on the battlefield, you may pay . If you do, create a token that's a copy of that Wizard. The token gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step. Tap five untapped Wizards you control: Target player loses 7 life.
Cards like Inalla, Archmage Ritualist
Inalla, Archmage Ritualist brings unique capabilities to a wizard-focused deck in Magic: The Gathering. A comparison that naturally comes to mind is with Kess, Dissident Mage, who allows players to recast spells from their graveyard. While Kess emphasizes spell reusability, Inalla’s focus lies in leveraging every wizard’s casting to create a token copy, which can provide immediate benefits and potential combo interactions.
Another peer in the realm of wizard synergy is Azami, Lady of Scrolls, which turns wizards into card-drawing engines. Azami offers consistent card advantage, yet Inalla gains the edge with her token-copying ability that can be harnessed for both aggression and utility. Furthermore, Inalla’s Eminence ability allows for token creation even from the command zone, providing a persistent threat that must be managed by opponents.
Lastly, we have Niv-Mizzet, Parun, which is a powerful draw engine and deals damage based on spell casting or drawing. It stands slightly apart, with a different synergy focus compared to Inalla’s wizard-centric clone strategy. While Niv-Mizzet can be a game-ender on its own, Inalla’s flexibility in manipulating the battlefield with her army of wizards often leads to more strategic play patterns.
The conclusion sees Inalla, Archmage Ritualist ranking outstandingly well within MTG’s commanders that make use of wizard-type creatures, thanks to her unique token generating mechanic that opens up avenues for creative and potentially game-winning combinations.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Inalla, Archmage Ritualist excels at providing card advantage by creating copies of Wizards. This feature lets players significantly increase their on-board presence and options to respond to the ever-changing battlefield.
Resource Acceleration: Through her Eminence ability, Inalla allows mana investment to go further by creating token copies for just one extra mana, effectively ramping your board state and making synergistic plays more potent.
Instant Speed: Inalla’s ability to use her triggered ability at instant speed gives players the flexibility to react during critical game moments, making her an agile tool in any Wizard-centric strategy that values timing and adaptability.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One of the nuances of Inalla, Archmage Ritualist is her tendency to lean on cards in the graveyard for some synergistic effects. This can sometimes leave players in a quandary, having to decide which cards to discard, potentially reducing their hand advantage and impacting strategic flexibility.
Specific Mana Cost: Inalla’s casting cost is highly specific, requiring one blue, one black, one red, and two other mana, which can pose a challenge in mana-fixing. Decks without a consistent mana base may struggle to cast her on curve, limiting her early-game impact and reducing the speed at which you can start leveraging her abilities.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, Inalla falls on the higher end of the curve. While her Eminence ability can provide value without her being cast, once in play her cost can compete with other impactful spells in the same range. Players must weigh her benefits against other game-changing five-mana spells that could be more immediately impactful on the board state.
Reasons to Include Inalla, Archmage Ritualist in Your Collection
Versatility: Inalla, Archmage Ritualist is a multifaceted commander capable of leading a variety of deck themes in the Commander format. Her ability to leverage any Wizard entering the battlefield immediately carves out a significant strategic advantage, serving as a beneficial addition to decks that capitalize on casting creatures or activating tap abilities.
Combo Potential: This card offers enormous combo potential, especially in decks that exploit enter-the-battlefield effects or sacrifice mechanics. With Inalla’s Eminence ability, players can create a copy of every Wizard, which can be instrumental in setting up game-ending combos or overwhelming board states.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors interactive gameplay and dynamic board states, Inalla can give you an edge with her ability to add extra layers of threats each turn. Her presence can sway the tide in games that hinge on incremental advantages offered by repeated abilities or key synergies with Wizard-type creatures.
How to beat Inalla, Archmage Ritualist
In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, facing Inalla, Archmage Ritualist can be a nuanced challenge. This legendary creature brings a blend of versatility and power, particularly in games where wizards and combo strategies dominate. To effectively counter Inalla, it’s vital to disrupt her ability to exploit enter-the-battlefield triggers and copy wizard spells. Removal spells that can target Inalla before her controller gets the opportunity to utilize her Eminence ability are essential.
Graveyard disruption is also a sound strategy to combat Inalla’s tactics. Since many decks revolve around accessing the graveyard to recycle wizard spells, cards that exile or shuffle graveyard contents back into the library can cripple such strategies. Additionally, countermagic is effective at preventing the most critical spells from resolving, while also mitigating the impact of wizard copies that Inalla might generate. It’s about timing and knowing when to play your hand, keeping those key counterspells ready for the pivotal moments of the game.
Overall, preparing your deck with a good mix of instant-speed interaction, graveyard control, and strategic patience will improve your odds against Inalla, Archmage Ritualist, maintaining the upper hand in your Magic: The Gathering matchups.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Inalla, Archmage Ritualist MTG card by a specific set like Treasure Chest and Commander 2017, 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 Inalla, Archmage Ritualist and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Inalla, Archmage Ritualist Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-11-16 and 2017-08-25. Illustrated by Yongjae Choi.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-11-16 | Treasure Chest | PZ2 | 65737 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Yongjae Choi | |
| 2 | 2017-08-25 | Commander 2017 | C17 | 38 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Yongjae Choi |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Inalla, Archmage Ritualist has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Restricted |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Inalla, Archmage Ritualist card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-08-25 | Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when the token enters the battlefield. Any “As -his creature] enters the battlefield” or “ -his creature] enters the battlefield with” abilities of the copied creature will also work. |
| 2017-08-25 | If Inalla enters the battlefield at the same time as other Wizards you control, its ability will trigger for each of those other Wizards. |
| 2017-08-25 | If a copied creature is legendary, any triggered abilities it has will trigger if appropriate before the “legend rule” causes one of those legendary creatures to be put into its owner’s graveyard. Those abilities will be put on the stack after the “legend rule” is applied. |
| 2017-08-25 | If the copied creature had in its mana cost, X is 0. |
| 2017-08-25 | If the copied creature was copying something else, the token enters the battlefield as whatever that permanent was copying. |
| 2017-08-25 | If the creature that caused Inalla’s ability to trigger has already left the battlefield by the time the ability resolves, you can still pay . If you do, you’ll create a token with the copiable values of the characteristics of that creature as it last existed on the battlefield. |
| 2017-08-25 | Notably, if your commander is on the battlefield and its eminence ability triggers, but it’s put into the command zone before that ability resolves, that ability won’t do anything as it resolves. This is because an object that changes zones is considered a new object. |
| 2017-08-25 | The token copies exactly what was printed on the creature and nothing else (unless that creature was copying something else; see below). It doesn’t copy whether that creature was tapped or untapped, whether it had any counters on it or Auras and/or Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that changed its power, toughness, types, color, and so on. |
| 2017-08-25 | Three eminence abilities are triggered abilities. That creature must be on the battlefield or in the command zone as the trigger event occurs and also as the triggered ability resolves. If the creature is in an appropriate zone as the trigger event occurs but leaves that zone, the ability won’t do anything as it resolves. |
| 2017-08-25 | To activate Inalla’s last ability, you may tap any untapped Wizards you control, including ones you haven’t controlled continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn, such as Inalla itself. (Note that tapping the creature doesn’t use -he tap symbol].) |
| 2017-08-25 | You can pay only once each time Inalla’s first ability resolves. You can’t pay more to get more than one token. |