Cloaked Cadet MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Ranger
Abilities Training
Power 2
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Cloaked Cadet offers consistent card draw, enhancing your strategic plays with a steady flow of options.
  2. Indirect resource acceleration is achieved by the Cadet’s ability to increase card flow and hit land drops.
  3. Flexibility in gameplay is afforded through drawing into instant-speed spells, allowing for reactive strategies.

Text of card

Training (Whenever this creature attacks with another creature with greater power, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.) Whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are put on one or more Humans you control, draw a card. This ability triggers only once each turn.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Cloaked Cadet rewards your strategic plays by providing you a steady stream of card draw. Whenever you or a modified creature you control deal combat damage to a player, you have the option to draw a card, ensuring that you won’t be running out of options anytime soon.

Resource Acceleration: Though not directly providing a traditional ramp, Cloaked Cadet’s ability to draw extra cards can indirectly accelerate your resources. By increasing your card flow, you have a better chance of hitting land drops and accessing more of your deck’s potential every turn.

Instant Speed: While the card itself is not an instant, it allows you to put that advantage to good use by drawing into instant-speed spells that you can cast on your opponent’s turn. This gives you the flexibility to react to threats or optimize your strategies during the entire round of play.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Cloaked Cadet requires a discard for its ability to be activated. This can be a setback for players who have already depleted their hand and can’t afford to lose any more cards.

Specific Mana Cost: This card has a specific casting cost that includes White mana, which might not be easily splashed in decks not running this color, potentially limiting its inclusion in diverse deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that could be considered steep for the effect it offers, the Cloaked Cadet might compete with other cards in the four-mana slot that could provide more immediate impact on the game state.


Reasons to Include Cloaked Cadet in Your Collection

Versatility: The Cloaked Cadet card can be a valuable addition to various deck builds, particularly those that emphasize on leveraging +1/+1 counters. Its adaptability stems from its ability to offer consistent card advantage as you bolster your creatures.

Combo Potential: For decks that thrive on synergies with +1/+1 counters, Cloaked Cadet provides fuel for powerful interactions. Utilizing the card’s ability to draw when you put a counter on a creature, players can set up intricate combos and propel their game forward.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta dominated by creature-based strategies, the Cloaked Cadet shines by empowering your board presence whilst ensuring your hand remains full, thus keeping you competitive in the evolving gameplay landscape.


How to beat

The Cloaked Cadet offers strategic depth to any deck in Magic: The Gathering. As a creature that bolsters card draw upon creating a spell’s copy, it’s critical to undermine its ability to tilt the card advantage in your opponent’s favor. One effective way to navigate around the Cloaked Cadet is by directly removing it from play. Single-target removal spells that bypass its potential protection mechanisms—like unconditional removals such as Path to Exile or Murder—are your safest bet.

An alternative tactic is to apply pressure with aggressive creatures, forcing your opponent to block and thereby risking their Cloaked Cadet in combat. If the Cloaked Cadet is your opponent’s cornerstone, preventing its casting altogether through counterspells can ensure it never influences the board state. Lastly, employing graveyard disruption mechanics can hinder any strategies revolving around recasting or reusing the Cloaked Cadet from the graveyard, curtailing the long-term benefits it offers.

Understanding the significant impact the Cadet could have if left unchecked on the battlefield, ensures that a prompt and decisive response is crucial for maintaining the upper hand during the game.


Cards like Cloaked Cadet

The Cloaked Cadet has garnered attention as a unique choice for players aiming to build around the training mechanic in Magic: The Gathering. Analogous to the Cadet, cards like Fencing Ace present a similar challenge to opponents with the ability to grow stronger through double strike. However, unlike the Ace, Cloaked Cadet has the added advantage of letting you draw a card when it or another creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it becomes the target of a spell. This feature not only advances your board state but also replenishes your hand, making it a two-fold threat.

Investigating further, cards such as Exemplar of Strength offers a comparable playstyle featuring +1/+1 counters, yet the Cadet stands out by enabling card advantage on a broader scale and has potential in multiplayer games. Mentor of the Meek is another peer in this comparison, offering card draw whenever a creature with lesser power enters the battlefield under your control. While the Mentor is more consistent in decks with numerous low-power creatures, Cloaked Cadet focuses on capitalized growth through training and has the bonus of surviving longer in combat.

Examining the attributes and strategic value arrayed in this cadre of cards, it becomes evident that Cloaked Cadet’s utility in enhancing strength while maintaining card advantage makes it a formidable contender and favorable addition to decks that favor counter mechanics and incremental growth strategies in Magic: The Gathering.

Fencing Ace - MTG Card versions
Exemplar of Strength - MTG Card versions
Mentor of the Meek - MTG Card versions
Fencing Ace - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Exemplar of Strength - Amonkhet (AKH)
Mentor of the Meek - Innistrad (ISD)

Cards similar to Cloaked Cadet by color, type and mana cost

Thicket Basilisk - MTG Card versions
Cockatrice - MTG Card versions
Ironroot Treefolk - MTG Card versions
Elvish Bard - MTG Card versions
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Spined Wurm - MTG Card versions
Rabid Wolverines - MTG Card versions
Deadly Insect - MTG Card versions
Vintara Elephant - MTG Card versions
Spring-Leaf Avenger - MTG Card versions
Primeval Force - MTG Card versions
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Copperhoof Vorrac - MTG Card versions
Tel-Jilad Lifebreather - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Bramble Elemental - MTG Card versions
Indrik Stomphowler - MTG Card versions
Golgari Grave-Troll - MTG Card versions
Kavu Climber - MTG Card versions
Thicket Basilisk - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Cockatrice - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Ironroot Treefolk - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Elvish Bard - Alliances (ALL)
Durkwood Boars - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Redwood Treefolk - Weatherlight (WTH)
Spined Wurm - Stronghold (STH)
Rabid Wolverines - Exodus (EXO)
Deadly Insect - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Vintara Elephant - Prophecy (PCY)
Spring-Leaf Avenger - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Primeval Force - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Spitting Spider - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Copperhoof Vorrac - Mirrodin (MRD)
Tel-Jilad Lifebreather - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Llanowar Behemoth - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Bramble Elemental - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Indrik Stomphowler - Commander 2015 (C15)
Golgari Grave-Troll - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Kavu Climber - Masters 25 (A25)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cloaked Cadet MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Crimson Vow and Innistrad: Double Feature, 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 Cloaked Cadet and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Cloaked Cadet Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-11-19 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Igor Kieryluk.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12021-11-19Innistrad: Crimson VowVOW 1922015normalblackIgor Kieryluk
22022-01-28Innistrad: Double FeatureDBL 4592015normalblackIgor Kieryluk

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cloaked Cadet has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Cloaked Cadet 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 creature's training ability triggers only when both that creature and a creature with greater power are declared as attackers. Increasing a creature's power after attackers are declared won't cause a training ability to trigger.
2021-11-19 Once a creature's training ability has triggered, destroying the other attacking creature or reducing its power won't stop the creature with training from getting a +1/+1 counter.
2021-11-19 You draw only one card no matter how many counters are placed or how many Humans they are placed on.

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