Vedalken Blademaster MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Vedalken Soldier
Abilities	Prowess
Released	2016-09-30
Set symbol
Set name	Kaladesh
Set code	KLD
Power	2
Toughness	3
Number	68
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Lake Hurwitz

Key Takeaways

Vedalken Blademaster provides a cycling option for card advantage and pressuring opponents early on.
Mana specificity and high-cost trade-offs must be weighed against its potential in-game benefits.
Its prowess and meta relevance make it a versatile threat in spell-heavy MTG decks.

Text of card

Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)

Vedalken have six thin, agile fingers on each hand, giving them unparalleled dexterity.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Vedalken Blademaster’s ability to offer cycling allows players the flexibility to either keep a threat on the board or trade it off for a new card when they’re searching for specific answers or simply need to improve their hand.

Resource Acceleration: As a relatively low-cost creature, this card can quickly hit the battlefield and begin applying pressure, which, in turn, accelerates your board presence and can potentially draw out removals from opponents, preserving your higher-value cards.

Instant Speed: While Vedalken Blademaster itself does not operate at instant speed, its synergy with other cards that do can create unexpectedly powerful combinations during either player’s turn, enhancing the surprise and tactical depth of your gameplay.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Vedalken Blademaster often means that you must part with another card in your hand, which can deplete your hand quickly, especially if you’re struggling to maintain card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature card demands a very particular mana setup, which could potentially limit its integration into multi-colored decks that might struggle to meet the blue mana requirement consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring a significant amount of mana for its abilities, Vedalken Blademaster can be seen as a costly investment. When you consider the tempo of the game, there are alternatives that may provide more immediate or flexible benefits for the same, or even lower, mana investment.

Reasons to Include Vedalken Blademaster in Your Collection

Versatility: Vedalken Blademaster is a dynamic addition to any deck that prizes speed and evasion. Its prowess ability allows it to get stronger whenever you cast a noncreature spell, making it a suitable fit for strategies that include a high volume of instants and sorceries.

Combo Potential: In a deck focused around spellcasting, Vedalken Blademaster becomes an increasingly threatening presence. Each spell not only buffs the Blademaster but can also synergize with cards that benefit from casting multiple spells in a single turn or from having powerful creatures on the board.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, creatures with prowess like Vedalken Blademaster maintain relevance by capitalizing on the fast-paced nature of many competitive formats. It’s an effective tool against slower, developing decks, forcing opponents to deal with it swiftly or face a quickly escalating threat.

How to beat

Vedalken Blademaster is a unique creature card that, when it enters the battefield, brings a level of agility to your opponent’s deck. Its prowess lies in the prowess ability, which boosts its power each time a noncreature spell is cast, making it a mutable threat on the board.

To counter the Vedalken Blademaster effectively, consider strategies that neutralize the prowess trigger. Spot removal spells are a straightforward method—cards like Doom Blade or Murder can dispose of it before its power escalates. Alternatively, cards that prevent your opponent from casting spells during your turn, such as Teferi, Time Raveler or Eidolon of Rhetoric, can inhibit the creature’s growth and keep it in check. Board wipes are also a viable solution; a well-timed Wrath of God or Damnation can reset the game state, clearing the Blademaster along with other potential threats.

Overall, the key to surpassing Vedalken Blademaster lies in disrupting the spell synergy and removing the creature before it becomes too significant a threat. Employing removal or preventing additional spells from being cast during crucial turns will ensure that the Blademaster doesn’t gain the upper hand.

Cards like Vedalken Blademaster

Vedalken Blademaster is a card that effortlessly weaves into the fabric of MTG’s expansive universe of elusive creatures. Its prowess in buffing its power and toughness with each non-creature spell you cast makes it akin to creatures like Wee Dragonauts, which gains a similar temporary boost. Yet, what sets Vedalken Blademaster apart is its lack of flying, a trait that Wee Dragonauts uses to soar over ground-based defenses.

Another card to consider is the Kiln Fiend, a potent creature that dwarfs the Vedalken Blademaster’s power increase with an impressive +3 power boost for each instant or sorcery played. However, Kiln Fiend’s lack of inherent evasion or protection makes it a riskier pick compared to the sturdy and reliable Vedalken Blademaster that steadily grows in strength.

On balance, Vedalken Blademaster holds its ground firmly in MTG’s lineup of spell-triggered creature cards. While it might not have the extraordinary single-turn blowout potential of Kiln Fiend or the aerial advantage of Wee Dragonauts, its consistent stat growth coupled with potential synergy in artifact-centric or spell-heavy decks ensures its place as a steadfast contender.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Vedalken Blademaster MTG card by a specific set like Kaladesh, 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 Vedalken Blademaster and other MTG cards: