Cephalid Pathmage MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Cephalid Wizard
Released	2003-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Legions
Set code	LGN
Power	1
Toughness	2
Number	31
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Alex Horley-Orlandelli

Key Takeaways

Enables unblockable attacks, ensuring creatures’ combat abilities trigger without impediment.
Fits best in blue decks, turning key creatures into temporary unblockable threats.
Requires careful hand management, as its ability hinges on card discarding.

Text of card

Cephalid Pathmage is unblockable. , Sacrifice Cephalid Pathmage: Target creature is unblockable this turn.

Pathmages can open doors that aren't even there.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cephalid Pathmage shines in decks that prioritize strategic draws and searching for key pieces. With its ability to make itself unblockable as long as you have another card in hand, you can consistently ensure that effects tied to dealing combat damage to a player occur. This promotes card advantage by allowing you to connect with your opponents and activate draw effects or other abilities tied to dealing damage without interruption.

Resource Acceleration: This card can work as a resource accelerator in combo decks or synergize with cards that benefit from creatures dealing combat damage. By facilitating consistent hits, Cephalid Pathmage helps you access those triggers that often lead to ramping up your resources or even playing additional land per turn, depending on the synergy within your deck.

Instant Speed: While Cephalid Pathmage’s abilities are not at instant speed itself, it complements cards with such capabilities perfectly. By ensuring your high-value instant speed spells with triggers on combat damage to a player will meet their mark, the Pathmage is a key piece in enabling and protecting your instant speed interactions during the combat phase.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Cephalid Pathmage necessitates discarding a card to activate its ability. This might deplete your hand, especially when the timing isn’t right and you’re clinging on to key cards you’d prefer not to lose.

Specific Mana Cost: Cast with both blue mana and generic mana, this creature fits primarily in blue-inclined decks. If your deck doesn’t consistently produce blue mana, it might be tough to summon the Pathmage when needed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a 1/2 creature, a casting cost of three mana may be steep, considering there are more mana-efficient creatures available that could be played sooner or have a larger impact on the game upon hitting the board.

Reasons to Include Cephalid Pathmage in Your Collection

Versatility: Cephalid Pathmage serves as a tactical tool in various decks that focus on creature strategies. Its ability to make your creatures unblockable ensures that your heavy hitters can sneak past potential blockers and secure crucial damage.

Combo Potential: The card enables synergies with creatures that have enter-the-battlefield effects or need to deal combat damage to activate abilities. It also works well with cards that benefit from dealing damage to players, such as those with lifelink or card draw effects.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Cephalid Pathmage has significant value. It breaks stalemates and lets you bypass the ever-present wall of defensive creatures to strike directly at your opponents.

How to beat Cephalid Pathmage

Cephalid Pathmage is a unique blue creature from Magic: The Gathering, offering players the ability to make a chosen creature unblockable for a turn. This presents a strategic challenge, as it can be used to sneak through critical damage or trigger important abilities. In order to effectively counter the Cephalid Pathmage, incorporating removal spells in your deck is key. Spells such as Path to Exile or Murder are straightforward answers, removing the Pathmage from the battlefield before its ability can be activated.

Another tactic is to limit the number of targets for the Pathmage’s ability. This can be achieved by controlling the number of creatures your opponent manages to keep on the board. Board wipes such as Wrath of God can reset the playing field, while spot removal keeps potential targets at bay. Lastly, countering the activation of the Pathmage’s ability itself is also effective. Counterspells like Counterspell or Mana Leak allow you to directly address the threat as it arises, nullifying the advantage your opponent seeks to gain.

Ultimately, the trick to overcoming Cephalid Pathmage lies in preparation and choice of removal or control cards within your deck. Timing these resources will disrupt your opponent’s plans and maintain your stronghold in the game.

Cards like Cephalid Pathmage

In the realm of unblockable creatures within Magic: The Gathering, Cephalid Pathmage stands as a noteworthy card. Its kinship with cards like Tandem Lookout is undeniable; both are blue and provide utility beyond mere combat damage. While Tandem Lookout offers card draw upon dealing damage, Cephalid Pathmage brings a different tactic to the table with its ability to make creatures unblockable, an especially strategic move in decks focused on getting key creatures through enemy defenses.

Looking at Mist-Cloaked Herald, we observe a simpler approach: innate unblockability without the need for activation. This merfolk rogue can slip through defenses effortlessly from the get-go, albeit without the capacity to extend this advantage to other creatures. In contrast, Cephalid Pathmage requires a small investment of mana to activate but can turn any creature into an elusive threat for a turn, broadening its tactical application in matches.

Comparative evaluation suggests that while Cephalid Pathmage may not be the most aggressive option, the card’s value lies in tactical flexibility, making it a fit for decks that capitalize on direct creature effects and require precise plays to outmaneuver the opposition in a game of Magic: The Gathering.

Cards similar to Cephalid Pathmage by color, type and mana cost

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Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cephalid Pathmage MTG card by a specific set like Legions, 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 Cephalid Pathmage and other MTG cards: