Crimson Mage MTG Card

Magic 2012 (M12)
2011-07-15 - Number 129

Masters 25 (A25)
2018-03-16 - Number 127

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Shaman
Power	2
Toughness	1

Key Takeaways

Crimson Mage enhances board presence and strategy with its ability to synergize with other red creatures.
Its tap-to-damage feature offers a steady means of pressuring opponents and triggering abilities.
While requiring a card discard, Crimson Mage’s versatility and meta-relevance make it a worthwhile card.

Text of card

: Target creature you control gains haste until end of turn. (It can attack and this turn.)

"We wield the fires of rage. War is our blood and destruction our birthright." —Crimson creed

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Crimson Mage allows for proactive board presence, effectively increasing options for strategic plays and enabling potential synergies with other cards that benefit from having a red creature on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: The ability of the Crimson Mage to tap and deal damage provides a form of repeatable resource acceleration. This can be particularly useful for chipping away at the opponent’s life total or triggering abilities that activate upon dealing damage.

Instant Speed: While the mage itself does not function at instant speed, its activated ability can be used at the end of your opponent’s turn, allowing for strategic flexibility and the element of surprise, which is valuable in planning your next move.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Crimson Mage requires you to make a tough decision at times, asking you to discard a card. This cost comes into play when you need to maintain a hand with sufficient options. During late-game scenarios, when each card in hand could be critical for your strategy, discarding might turn into a costly setback.

Specific Mana Cost: Locked behind a specific red mana cost, the Crimson Mage mandates a solid red mana base. This can potentially strain deck building, particularly in multicolored decks that must carefully balance their mana sources. Players running three or more colors may find it challenging to accommodate this card without compromising their mana consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that might be seen as high for its body and effects, the Crimson Mage can be a less attractive option when considering other creatures or spells at similar cost points. Considering the efficiency of such spells, Crimson Mage might not always be the best use of your four mana—especially when needing to balance the demands of both advancing your board state and maintaining card advantage.

Reasons to Include Crimson Mage in Your Collection

Versatility: Crimson Mage’s ability to grant haste to other creatures makes it a flexible addition to a variety of red-based decks. Its low mana cost allows for quick plays, offering immediate impact on the board.

Combo Potential: The haste-enabling feature can be leveraged to create powerful combos with creatures that benefit from attacking early. This can catch opponents off guard and lead to unexpectedly swift victories.

Meta-Relevance: In a fast-paced environment where early aggression can dictate the pace of the game, Crimson Mage holds its ground by enabling high-speed plays, applying pressure, and keeping up with the tempo of aggressive decks in the meta.

How to beat

Crimson Mage is an intriguing creature card known for its ability to grant haste to other creatures you control. To effectively counter this red-aligned spellcaster, one strategic approach is to employ removal spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile, which can swiftly eliminate the mage before its ability becomes a threat. Creatures with haste can surprise you and disrupt your game plan, so managing the board by keeping the mage at bay is crucial.

Beyond direct removal, enchantment-based strategies can also be effective. Utilizing cards like Pacifism or the more versatile Detention Sphere can neutralize Crimson Mage without resorting to destruction. This not only blocks its activated ability but also limits the opponent’s offensive capabilities. Control decks benefit greatly from these options, as they prevent sudden bursts of aggression that haste-enabled creatures present.

In sum, while Crimson Mage can be formidable with the right deck synergy, its impact is mitigable with a combination of tactical spot removal and delaying enchantments. By anticipating this potential threat and having answers ready, you can maintain the upper hand and diminish the burst speed of your opponent’s strategy.

Cards like Crimson Mage

When delving into the trove of red creature spells in Magic: The Gathering, Crimson Mage stands out with its simplicity and tactical advantage of granting players haste to any creature for a turn. This card is often compared to Bloodlust Inciter, which also offers the ability to give another creature haste. However, Crimson Mage requires the investment of one red mana for its ability, while Bloodlust Inciter’s ability can be activated without a mana cost, making it a more economical choice in terms of mana efficiency.

Looking at another peer, the Goblin Motivator mirrors this haste-granting ability at no cost but presents a smaller frame of just 1/1. Whereas Fervent Charge may not be creature-based, it provides a broader impact by automatically giving haste to each creature as they enter the battlefield, yet this comparison is a bit skewed considering Fervent Charge’s higher place in the mana curve, potentially affecting its usability during the early game.

In summation, amidst the spectrum of haste enablers available, Crimson Mage offers a balance between cost and utility. While alternatives might save on mana or provide haste unconditionally, the positional flexibility and modest mana investment make Crimson Mage a competitive and accessible option for many MTG gameplay strategies.

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

Goblin Elite Infantry - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Crimson Mage MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2012 and Masters 25, 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 Crimson Mage and other MTG cards: