Faceless Agent MTG Card


Faceless Agent - Jumpstart: Historic Horizons
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Shapeshifter
Abilities Changeling,Seek
Released2021-08-26
Set symbol
Set nameJumpstart: Historic Horizons
Set codeJ21
Power 2
Toughness 2
Number1
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byNicholas Gregory

Key Takeaways

  1. Faceless Agent excels in card advantage by tutoring a creature type directly to your hand.
  2. Resource acceleration is key with Faceless Agent, enhancing tribal deck strategies.
  3. Adaptability is its forte, fitting into various instant speed strategies in MTG.

Text of card

Changeling When Faceless Agent enters the battlefield, seek a creature card of the most prevalent creature type in your library.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Faceless Agent capitalizes on card advantage by delivering a crucial creature type right into your hand. This ensures that you can maintain a strong board presence and keep the pressure on your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: In tribal decks, Faceless Agent acts as a resource accelerator, enabling you to find that key tribal member to synergize with others on the field. This can speed up your game plan and overwhelm opponents much faster.

Instant Speed: Although the Faceless Agent itself does not operate at instant speed, its changeling ability lets it slot into strategies that benefit from instant speed tricks. It’s like having an all-creature type tool at your disposal whenever you need to adapt to the changing pace of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Faceless Agent card comes with a prerequisite that you discard another card to play it. This can be particularly challenging when hand size is already diminished, putting the player in a tough spot to either lose a potentially useful card or delay playing the Faceless Agent.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that demands one colorless and two blue mana, Faceless Agent limits deck inclusivity. Its reliance on blue mana means that it is not easily slotted into multicolor decks that may not prioritize blue mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the Faceless Agent might offer some unique advantages for a player, its three-mana cost can be fairly steep. Considering that alternative creatures or spells might provide similar or better value for less mana investment, this makes the card less appealing for decks that need to maximize efficiency in their mana curve.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Faceless Agent can be seamlessly incorporated into numerous deck archetypes, particularly those that capitalize on the power of tribal synergies.

Combo Potential: As a changeling, this card has the unique ability to activate tribal effects and can be a key piece in executing complex combos built around creature types.

Meta-Relevance: Within the shifting landscape of the current meta, Faceless Agent holds strategic importance, especially in decks looking to exploit the prevalence of tribal-based mechanics.


How to Beat

The Faceless Agent plays a unique role in Magic: The Gathering, adding an element of chance while also providing much-needed utility for tribal decks. This shapeshifter, beloved for its chameleon-like trait, adheres to every creature type, making it a versatile addition to any tribal-themed deck.

Despite its adaptability, overcoming the Faceless Agent requires a straightforward approach. Spot removal spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can dispatch the Faceless Agent efficiently, bypassing its tribal synergies. Board clear effects such as Wrath of God or Damnation also prove useful, clearing the way regardless of the Agent’s chosen type at the time. In more case-specific scenarios, utilizing cards that negate the Agent’s enter-the-battlefield trigger, like Hushbringer or Torpor Orb, will nullify its ability to pull another tribal member from your library.

Ultimately, the key to defeating the Faceless Agent lies in timeliness and proper counter-strategies. Control decks with an arsenal of situational spells can easily manage the tempo and prevent the Agent from tipping the scales in favor of your opponent’s tribal assembly.


Cards like Faceless Agent

In the wide array of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering, Faceless Agent makes a unique impression with its universal appeal. It bears resemblance to cards like Unsettled Mariner, which also possesses tribal synergies. Faceless Agent stands out with its changeling ability, allowing it to fit seamlessly into any tribal deck theme. In contrast, Unsettled Mariner is specific to Shapeshifter and other chosen types upon casting.

Another card worth noting is Masked Vandal. Like Faceless Agent, it’s a changeling, yet it diverges with its focus on artifact and enchantment removal when it enters the battlefield. Furthermore, Reflecting Pool Conjuror shares the changeling trait, but Faceless Agent’s edge comes from its ability to contribute to a tribal deck’s critical mass while offering card draw, enhancing both the board state and hand.

Weighing its flexibility and card advantage, Faceless Agent holds a distinct position. Other cards might cater to niche roles, but the Agent’s versatility and ability to draw a card upon entering the battlefield make it a notable contributor to tribal strategies in Magic: The Gathering. Its dual benefit of blending in and adding to the pilot’s options renders it a solid choice for decks exploiting tribal synergies.

Unsettled Mariner - MTG Card versions
Masked Vandal - MTG Card versions
Unsettled Mariner - Modern Horizons (MH1)
Masked Vandal - Kaldheim (KHM)

Cards similar to Faceless Agent by color, type and mana cost

Matter Reshaper - MTG Card versions
Cryptolith Fragment // Aurora of Emrakul - MTG Card versions
Eternal Scourge - MTG Card versions
Farfinder - MTG Card versions
Skittering Cicada - MTG Card versions
Matter Reshaper - Commander Masters (CMM)
Cryptolith Fragment // Aurora of Emrakul - Shadows over Innistrad Remastered (SIR)
Eternal Scourge - Shadows over Innistrad Remastered (SIR)
Farfinder - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)
Skittering Cicada - Commander Masters (CMM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Faceless Agent MTG card by a specific set like Jumpstart: Historic Horizons, 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 Faceless Agent and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Faceless Agent has restrictions

FormatLegality
GladiatorLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
TimelessLegal

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