Academy Raider MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Warrior
Abilities	Intimidate
Released	2013-07-19
Set symbol
Set name	Magic 2014
Set code	M14
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	124
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Karl Kopinski

Key Takeaways

Looting with Academy Raider refines your strategy and improves deck consistency by discarding unwanted cards.
Its red mana requirement narrows deck compatibility to mainly red-focused strategies in MTG.
High mana cost for its stats, yet the discard effect can outweigh the cost in the right setup.

Text of card

Intimidate (This creature can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or creatures that share a color with it.) Whenever Academy Raider deals combat damage to a player, you may discard a card. If you do, draw a card.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Academy Raider’s ability to loot—that is, to draw a card and then discard a card—enables subtle card advantage. This helps to sift through the deck and locate key pieces while discarding less pertinent cards or setting up graveyard strategies.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly increasing mana resources, the looting ability of Academy Raider can effectively accelerate your resource availability by ensuring smoother draws and access to the right mana or spells when needed.

Instant Speed: While Academy Raider itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its looting mechanic is triggered upon combat damage which can unexpectedly filter your hand each turn, keeping opponents on their toes and constantly adjusting to your evolving strategies.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of the Academy Raider card is its inherent discard requirement. Each time the card attacks, you must discard a card. This creates a potential pitfall for players, particularly when hand size is running low and every card counts. Properly managing this effect is crucial to prevent unintended depletion of valuable resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Academy Raider’s specific mana cost necessitates a dedicated source of red mana. This can restrict the card’s inclusion to decks heavily featuring red, potentially excluding it from more varied or multicolored strategies that can’t reliably produce the necessary red mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana for a 1/1 creature, Academy Raider may not be the most mana-efficient option available. While its ability to force a discard upon attacking can be beneficial, other cards in the MTG universe may provide more bang for your mana buck, offering better stats or additional abilities at a similar cost.

Reasons to Include Academy Raider in Your Collection

Versatility: While initially unassuming, Academy Raider offers a persistent threat in games. It can always be a reliable card to slot into red decks that prioritize consistent damage and a means to cycle through cards in hand.

Combo Potential: When paired with cards that benefit from or enable discard strategies, Academy Raider becomes a key piece in intricate combos. It can help churn through a deck to find necessary components or feed graveyard synergies.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame that’s heavy on control, the Intimidate ability of Academy Raider can be surprisingly relevant, sneaking through defenses and ensuring its loot ability can be used to maintain hand quality against attrition-based strategies.

How to beat

Confronting Academy Raider on the battleground of Magic the Gathering requires a strategic approach. This particular creature card, with its Intellect ability enabling you to loot (draw a card, then discard a card) each time it deals combat damage, can be a thorn in an opponent’s side if left unchecked. To triumph over Academy Raider, a firm understanding of its mechanics and the use of timely removal spells are the keys to success.

Utilizing spot removal such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile can effectively neutralize the threat before it starts pilfering through your deck. Efficient blockers also impair the Raider’s ability to hit home and trigger its looting ability. Cards like Wall of Omens offer not only a robust defense but also provide you card advantage. Another tactic involves preemptively controlling the battlefield with sweepers like Wrath of God, preventing the Raider from ever getting a foothold. Through smart deck construction and reactive gameplay, ensuring the Academy Raider’s impact is minimized is well within reach for the savvy player.

It’s essential to remember that the key to victory in Magic the Gathering often lies in disrupting your opponent’s strategy while reinforcing your own, which sees the likes of Academy Raider as mere stepping stones on your path to mastery.

Cards like Academy Raider

Academy Raider is another character in the vast universe of creature cards in MTG that provides a mix of offense and utility. Its ability to force a card discard upon dealing combat damage sets it in league with the likes of Ravenous Rats, though the Raider offers repeated use, albeit conditionally on combat success. Unlike the Rats, the Raider requires setup and encouragement to consistently affect your opponent’s hand.

Comparatively, the Raider aligns closely with cards like Nezumi Shortfang, which also disrupts the opponent’s hand but offers a different kind of flexibility through its flipping ability. However, Academy Raider is set apart by its built-in evasion in the form of Intimidate, presenting an additional challenge for opponents lacking in red or artifact creatures to block it.

The advantage of Academy Raider over some of its kinfolk lies in its versatility and pressure it can apply in the right deck. While it doesn’t have the instant impact of some discard creatures, its place in a strategy that rewards continuous combat engagement and disruption can be notably beneficial. Thus, it finds its niche in aggressive strategies that aim to whittle down opponents’ resources over time.

Cards similar to Academy Raider by color, type and mana cost

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Balduvian Barbarians - MTG Card versions

Stinkdrinker Daredevil - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Academy Raider MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2014, 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 Academy Raider and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Academy Raider has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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