Alchemist's Gambit MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Abilities Cleave

Key Takeaways

  1. Alchemist’s Gambit allows an extra turn, possibly leading to more cards played and greater board control.
  2. Instant speed casting provides strategic options and enhances game-play unpredictability.
  3. Meeting the cleave cost adds complexity, possibly requiring careful hand management.

Text of card

Cleave (You may cast this spell for its cleave cost. If you do, remove the words in square brackets.) Take an extra turn after this one. During that turn, damage can't be prevented.
-t the beginning of that turn's end step, you lose the game.] Exile Alchemist's Gambit.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Alchemist’s Gambit offers a unique angle for card advantage, allowing players to take an extra turn, potentially drawing an additional card and playing an extra land. It enhances your opportunities to pull ahead in the game.

Resource Acceleration: The ability to untap all your lands during that extra turn acts as a form of resource acceleration. You effectively double your mana availability for a turn, which can be pivotal for deploying more threats or setting up defenses.

Instant Speed: The versatility of casting Alchemist’s Gambit at instant speed adds a layer of strategy to your gameplay. You can opt to cast it during your opponent’s end step to keep them guessing, ensuring they remain cautious about overextending on their own turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Alchemist’s Gambit doesn’t require a discard outright, managing cards in hand to meet its cleave cost often leads to tough decisions on what to discard for broader strategy needs.

Specific Mana Cost: Alchemist’s Gambit comes with a stringent mana cost that includes triple red, potentially limiting its integration into multi-color decks without the right mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a base cost of three red and four generic mana, Alchemist’s Gambit demands a steep investment. For such cost, players may expect an immediate game-changing effect, whereas this card’s payoff is conditional and can sometimes be outperformed by lower-cost alternatives.


Reasons to Include Alchemist’s Gambit in Your Collection

Versatility: Alchemist’s Gambit offers flexible play options, fitting seamlessly into a variety of red-based decks. Whether you’re aiming to take extra turns or manipulate the course of the game, this card adapts to different strategies with ease.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combo setups, presenting a gateway to powerful plays that can lead to unexpected wins. When paired with permanents or spells that take advantage of extra turns, Alchemist’s Gambit can be the catalyst for a game-ending sequence.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where tempo is king, taking an additional turn can provide the edge needed to outpace opponents. As the battlefield evolves, having Alchemist’s Gambit in your arsenal keeps you a step ahead, making it a significant contender in various competitive scenes.


How to beat

Alchemist’s Gambit has become a card that many deck builders in Magic: The Gathering aim to include for its potential to take an extra turn. The key to overcoming an opponent’s Alchemist’s Gambit lies in having the right counterspells at your disposal. Cards like Negate or Mystical Dispute can effectively nullify the gambit before it affects the game. Swift decision making is crucial, as you’ll need to act in the window between the casting of the spell and its resolution.

Another strategy to beat Alchemist’s Gambit involves preemptive measures to control the board. Employing removal spells that handle the caster’s mana resources, such as Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin, can disrupt their game plan and delay or prevent the casting of Alchemist’s Gambit altogether. In this manner, maintaining a watchful eye over the opponent’s land development is imperative.

It’s also valuable to recognize the limitations of Alchemist’s Gambit, like its high mana cost and the fact that it allows the opponent to take an extra turn only if it’s not cast for its cleave cost. Leveraging this, a player could strategically deplete the opponent’s resources or pressure them so they cannot safely set up a situation to benefit from their extra turn. Understanding and interrupting the timing and resources needed for Alchemist’s Gambit can be the key to nullifying its advantage.


BurnMana Recommendations

Diving deeper into MTG’s strategic play, Alchemist’s Gambit stands as a spell of potential and high risk. Its power to bend the flow of turns in your favor is undeniable and learning to wield such a card effectively could put you ahead of the competition. If you’re passionate about crafting game-changing moments within your duels, understanding the nuances of cards like Alchemist’s Gambit is crucial. We invite dynamic deck builders and sharp-minded strategists to join us in exploring the depths of this card’s capabilities. Unlock the secrets to mastering your next match by elevating your collection and knowledge with us.


Cards like Alchemist's Gambit

Alchemist’s Gambit is an intriguing card that offers players a taste of extra turns in Magic: The Gathering, similar to eminent spells like Time Warp. However, Alchemist’s Gambit comes with a twist – it provides an additional turn but with the caveat of losing the game at the end of that turn, unless it’s cycled. This cycling mechanic avoids the game loss but requires an additional mana investment, offering strategic depth.

Time Warp, by contrast, offers a straightforward extra turn with no added risk, but at a higher cost and without the potential to be cycled for flexibility. Another card worth mentioning is Chance for Glory; it grants an additional turn and indestructibility at the price of imminent defeat similar to Alchemist’s Gambit, yet without the cycling option. Final Fortune also enters the fray, with an even lower cost but the same high stakes of Alchemist’s Gambit, demanding immediate victory or resulting in game loss.

In essence, Alchemist’s Gambit demands tactical finesse, balancing the reward of an extra turn against significant risks. It holds its place in the pantheon of extra turn cards in Magic: The Gathering, offering a dynamic gambit for the bold strategist.

Time Warp - MTG Card versions
Chance for Glory - MTG Card versions
Final Fortune - MTG Card versions
Time Warp - Tempest (TMP)
Chance for Glory - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)
Final Fortune - Mirage (MIR)

Cards similar to Alchemist's Gambit by color, type and mana cost

Squee's Revenge - MTG Card versions
Invoke the Firemind - MTG Card versions
Stitch in Time - MTG Card versions
Beacon Bolt - MTG Card versions
Role Reversal - MTG Card versions
Invade the City - MTG Card versions
Stitch in Time // Stitch in Time - MTG Card versions
Gandalf's Sanction - MTG Card versions
Squee's Revenge - The List (PLST)
Invoke the Firemind - GRN Guild Kit (GK1)
Stitch in Time - Ravnica Remastered (RVR)
Beacon Bolt - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)
Role Reversal - War of the Spark Promos (PWAR)
Invade the City - The List (PLST)
Stitch in Time // Stitch in Time - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Gandalf's Sanction - The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth (LTR)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Alchemist's Gambit MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Innistrad: Crimson Vow, 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 Alchemist's Gambit and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Alchemist's Gambit Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-11-19 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Zoltan Boros.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 953752015normalblackZoltan Boros
22021-11-19Innistrad: Crimson VowVOW 1402015normalblackZoltan Boros
32021-11-19Innistrad: Crimson VowVOW 3742015normalblackZoltan Boros
42022-01-28Innistrad: Double FeatureDBL 4072015normalblackZoltan Boros

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Alchemist's Gambit has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-11-19 A cleave cost is an alternative cost that's paid instead of the spell's mana cost. Casting a spell for its cleave cost doesn't change the spell's mana value.
2021-11-19 Exiling Alchemist's Gambit happens as part of its resolution. If the spell is countered, it will go to the graveyard as normal.
2021-11-19 If an effect allows you to “cast a spell without paying its mana cost,” you can't cast that spell for its cleave cost.
2021-11-19 If multiple “extra turn” effects resolve in the same turn, the most recently created turn will be taken first.
2021-11-19 If you cast a spell for its cleave cost, that spell doesn't have any of the text in square brackets while it's on the stack.
2021-11-19 If you somehow skip the extra turn Alchemist's Gambit gives you or skip that turn's end step, the delayed triggered ability never triggers. (If you cast Alchemist's Gambit by paying its cleave cost, the delayed triggered ability is never created at all.)
2021-11-19 You can't cast a spell for both its cleave cost and another alternative cost. For example, if an effect gives an Alchemist's Retrieval in your graveyard a flashback cost of , you can't cast it from your graveyard for its cleave cost.

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