Trophy Mage MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Wizard
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Trophy Mage’s specific search power thins your deck, raising your odds of drawing into vital cards.
  2. This creature enables mana acceleration by fetching artifacts that aid in mana production or fixing.
  3. Fetching artifacts with instant-speed effects via Trophy Mage keeps your gameplay adaptable and responsive.

Text of card

When Trophy Mage enters the battlefield, you may search your library for an artifact card with mana value 3, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Trophy Mage comes with the distinct benefit of searching your library for an artifact card with a mana cost of exactly three. This not only thins your deck, enhancing your chances of drawing into more useful cards, but it also delivers the selected artifact directly to your hand, ready to be played.

Resource Acceleration: By fetching key artifacts that can produce mana or facilitate mana fixing, Trophy Mage can act as a pivotal tool for resource acceleration. The ability to consistently access pieces that complement your strategy can be the leverage needed to outpace your opponents.

Instant Speed: While Trophy Mage itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, the artifacts it retrieves can be those with instant-speed capabilities or ones that enhance your ability to interact during your opponent’s turn. This ensures that your gameplay remains versatile and reactive to the unfolding match.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Though the Trophy Mage comes with a specific card advantage, it does not impose a discard requirement on its controller. This makes it a stable choice for players wanting to maintain card count in hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Attached to this useful creature is a mana cost that requires a combination of generic and blue mana to cast. This specificity might integrate seamlessly in blue or blue-splashed decks, but can pose a challenge for those operating on a multicolor or colorless strategy where the blue mana source is less consistent.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, some players might scrutinize its effectiveness as a deck’s mana curve optimizer. As a utility creature, Trophy Mage might compete with more aggressively costed creatures or alternative three-mana spells that impact the board immediately or offer greater flexibility.


Reasons to Include Trophy Mage in Your Collection

Versatility: Trophy Mage provides unique flexibility for your deck by allowing you to search for an artifact card with a converted mana cost of three. This can lead to key interactions and enable a higher degree of control over your game’s outcome.

Combo Potential: With the ability to fetch any three-cost artifact, this creature can prime your deck for powerful combinations or potentially game-winning plays by ensuring you have the right component at the right time.

Meta-Relevance: Given the myriad of three-cost artifacts pivotal in various MTG strategies, Trophy Mage can be extremely relevant in tailoring your deck to combat popular archetypes and enhance your deck’s competitiveness in the current meta.


How to beat

Trophy Mage is a niche card that slots into many commander and combo decks in Magic: The Gathering. This blue creature has the unique ability to search your library for an artifact card with a converted mana cost of three and put it into your hand. While Trophy Mage itself doesn’t present a significant threat, the artifacts it can fetch may be game-changing. To effectively counter it, consider strategies that restrict your opponent’s ability to search their library or use artifacts.

Running cards like Aven Mindcensor to limit library searching or employing artifact destruction options such as By Force can directly interfere with the value Trophy Mage delivers. Another tactic is to utilize more subtle disruption, like Pithing Needle, which can be used to name and subsequently shut down the problematic artifacts before they can affect the game. If Trophy Mage is a known component in your opponent’s deck, keeping instant-speed removal at the ready ensures you can respond to any artifact threats fetched by Trophy Mage’s ability as soon as they hit the battlefield.

Ultimately, planning ahead and incorporating flexible answers in your deck are key moves to negate the strategic advantage Trophy Mage aims to provide in Magic: The Gathering.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the role of Trophy Mage in MTG can significantly sharpen your deck-building skills and in-game tactics. If you appreciate the intricacies of mana costs and desire a tool that guarantees access to crucial artifacts, it’s time to give this card a closer look. Whether it’s for fine-tuning your existing deck or crafting a new strategy entirely, Trophy Mage is a card that promises consistency and strategic depth. Ready for a deeper dive into maximizing your deck’s potential with Trophy Mage? Join us as we explore advanced strategies and synergies that can turn a simple card into a game-decider. Your next level of play awaits!


Cards like Trophy Mage

Trophy Mage offers a unique utility among creature cards in Magic: The Gathering, allowing players to search their library for an artifact card with a mana cost of exactly three and put it into their hand. Compared to cards like Trinket Mage and Treasure Mage, Trophy Mage fills a distinct niche. Trinket Mage searches for an artifact with a cost of one or less, suiting players looking for low-cost tools, whereas Treasure Mage scouts for higher-cost artifacts with a mana value of six or more, catering to those aiming to bring out the big guns.

Not to be overlooked, Fabricate is another option, which casts a wider net since it permits the search for an artifact card of any mana cost. Despite the broader search range offered by Fabricate, Trophy Mage’s advantage lies in its presence as a creature, providing a suitable 2/2 body on the battlefield besides its artifact-searching capability. Meanwhile, Fabricate is a sorcery, lacking the board presence associated with a creature like Trophy Mage.

Assessing the strategic value, Trophy Mage not only delivers in terms of card search specificity targeted at a pivotal artifact mana cost but also contributes to board presence, a compelling combination within the Magic: The Gathering card pool.

Trinket Mage - MTG Card versions
Treasure Mage - MTG Card versions
Fabricate - MTG Card versions
Trinket Mage - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Treasure Mage - Mirrodin Besieged Promos (PMBS)
Fabricate - Mirrodin (MRD)

Cards similar to Trophy Mage by color, type and mana cost

Wall of Water - MTG Card versions
Prodigal Sorcerer - MTG Card versions
Apprentice Wizard - MTG Card versions
Homarid - MTG Card versions
Daring Apprentice - MTG Card versions
Time Elemental - MTG Card versions
Reef Pirates - MTG Card versions
Rootwater Shaman - MTG Card versions
Wind Drake - MTG Card versions
Volrath's Shapeshifter - MTG Card versions
Stronghold Biologist - MTG Card versions
Quicksilver Wall - MTG Card versions
Wall of Air - MTG Card versions
Phantom Warrior - MTG Card versions
Wormfang Drake - MTG Card versions
Animating Faerie // Bring to Life - MTG Card versions
Ghost of Ramirez DePietro - MTG Card versions
Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar - MTG Card versions
Queen of Ice // Rage of Winter - MTG Card versions
Svyelun of Sea and Sky - MTG Card versions
Wall of Water - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Prodigal Sorcerer - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Apprentice Wizard - The Dark (DRK)
Homarid - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Daring Apprentice - Mirage (MIR)
Time Elemental - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Reef Pirates - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Rootwater Shaman - Tempest (TMP)
Wind Drake - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Volrath's Shapeshifter - Stronghold (STH)
Stronghold Biologist - Nemesis (NEM)
Quicksilver Wall - Prophecy (PCY)
Wall of Air - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Phantom Warrior - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
Wormfang Drake - Judgment (JUD)
Animating Faerie // Bring to Life - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Ghost of Ramirez DePietro - Commander Legends (CMR)
Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Queen of Ice // Rage of Winter - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Svyelun of Sea and Sky - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Trophy Mage MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Aether Revolt Promos, 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 Trophy Mage and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Trophy Mage Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2017-01-20 and 2020-11-12. Illustrated by Anna Steinbauer.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 630032015normalblackAnna Steinbauer
22017-01-20Aether Revolt PromosPAER 482015normalblackAnna Steinbauer
32017-01-20Aether RevoltAER 482015normalblackAnna Steinbauer
42020-11-12Kaladesh RemasteredKLR 712015normalblackAnna Steinbauer

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Trophy Mage has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2017-02-09 Trophy Mage’s ability finds an artifact card with converted mana cost exactly 3.

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