Midnight Pathlighter MTG Card
2021-07-23 - Number 52
2021-07-23 - Number 322
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Human Wizard |
| Abilities | Venture into the dungeon |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
Creatures you control can't be blocked except by legendary creatures. Whenever one or more creatures you control deal combat damage to a player, venture into the dungeon. (Enter the first room or advance to the next room.)
Cards like Midnight Pathlighter
Midnight Pathlighter has a unique spot in the pantheon of Magic: The Gathering creatures, much akin to the role that Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive plays. Both creatures offer an evasion ability for others, with Tetsuko making certain creatures unblockable. However, Midnight Pathlighter takes it a step further by enhancing creatures with abilities, granting them an additional layer of protection from being blocked.
Brazen Borrower also springs to mind with its own ability to elude defenders, albeit more selectively, catering only to itself with flying. In contrast, Midnight Pathlighter, though it does not fly, spreads its benefits to a broader spectrum of your creatures, particularly when they’re empowered with abilities. This community effect can often be a tipping point during gameplay.
While not as popular, Odric, Lunarch Marshal shares similar territory by extending keywords across the board—an exceptional synergy with Midnight Pathlighter’s ability granting mechanism. However, Odric’s influence is only felt as long as you have a diverse keyword presence on the board, which makes the Pathlighter’s ability to affect evasion more consistently beneficial.
Midnight Pathlighter, by buffing creatures across the board with an evasion mechanic, can often offer a more consistent advantage. It encourages a strategy where creatures become harder to block, allowing for increased damage and tactical superiority.
Cards similar to Midnight Pathlighter by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Midnight Pathlighter ensures certain creature spells of yours have a clear path to the battlefield, circumventing potential counters from opponents that can reduce the number of creatures actually in play, effectively providing a card advantage.
Resource Acceleration: This card’s unique ability to give your creatures that can’t be blocked except by legendary creatures not only increases your combat effectiveness but can also be synergistic with abilities that trigger upon dealing combat damage, potentially enhancing overall mana production or resource gain.
Instant Speed: Although Midnight Pathlighter itself does not operate at instant speed, its powerful effect on the game state incentivizes players to cast other creatures at instant speed if those creatures have flash. This can create complex board states and challenges for your opponent to navigate around, particularly during their turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Unlike some utility creatures, Midnight Pathlighter demands being played on curve for the maximum benefit. Not having it on the battlefield early can make it a less impactful draw later in the game when you may have to discard it for a more situationally suitable card.
Specific Mana Cost: Midnight Pathlighter’s cost requires both white and blue mana, which naturally restricts its inclusion to decks that can reliably produce both types of mana. This can be a limiting factor for deck-building, particularly for those preferring a single-color strategy or a different color pairing.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, including a white and a blue, it’s marginally expensive for its base stats. In environments where tempo plays a critical role, the cost of fielding Midnight Pathlighter could put players at a disadvantage against decks that put cheaper creatures into play more quickly or utilize more impactful spells at the same cost.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Midnight Pathlighter demonstrates its adaptability through its capacity to enhance creatures that couldn’t otherwise be blocked. It can easily be incorporated into decks that focus on triggering evasion abilities or strategies that prioritize attacking with multiple creatures.
Combo Potential: This card opens up numerous avenues for synergies, specifically in commander decks that aim to capitalize on creature-based tactics. When combined with other cards that benefit from unblockable creatures or additional combat phases, its potential grows exponentially.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based strategies prevail, Midnight Pathlighter can serve as a tactical advantage by allowing your key creatures to evade blockers. This can make it an essential piece against decks that rely heavily on traditional means of creature interaction.
How to beat
Midnight Pathlighter enhances the strategy for those wielding it in MTG by offering Creatures that can’t be blocked except by legendary creatures. This card tips the balance of play by making the majority of your army virtually unblockable. Yet, every card has its Achilles’ heel, and understanding the nuances of your deck can turn the tide. Having an array of removal spells is critical—terminate the Pathfinder before its effect can be fully utilized. Counter spells also serve as a preemptive strike to keep it off the battlefield entirely.
In games against decks featuring the Midnight Pathlighter, ensure you have ample legendary creatures to block those emboldened by its ability. This means including legends in your deck construction could prove beneficial against such strategies. Alternatively, look to universal solutions designed to deal with any creature, legendary or not, bolstering your defenses and limiting your opponent’s offensive capabilities. Flexibility and preparedness in your approach can nullify the advantages granted by a card like Midnight Pathlighter, allowing you to control the game and emerge victorious.
Ultimately, while Midnight Pathlighter can give an edge to creature-based decks, a versatile array of removal, versatile creatures, and strategic planning will help ensure that this enchanting nocturnal guide doesn’t lead your opponent to victory.
BurnMana Recommendations
Mastering the intricacies of MTG involves much more than just building a deck; it’s about understanding the full potential of each card. Midnight Pathlighter offers distinct advantages in gameplay, effectively turning your creatures into elusive threats on the battlefield. Evaluating its pros and cons, you’re now more equipped to decide its role in your strategies. If the synergistic powers and combo potential of Midnight Pathlighter intrigue you, it’s time to delve deeper. Enhance your game by exploring new deck-building techniques and card interactions with us. Uncover the secrets to optimizing Midnight Pathlighter and triumph over your opponents.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Midnight Pathlighter MTG card by a specific set like Forgotten Realms Commander and Forgotten Realms Commander, 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 Midnight Pathlighter and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Midnight Pathlighter Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2021-07-23 and 2021-07-23. Illustrated by PINDURSKI.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-07-23 | Forgotten Realms Commander | AFC | 52 | 2015 | Normal | Black | PINDURSKI | |
| 2 | 2021-07-23 | Forgotten Realms Commander | AFC | 322 | 2015 | Normal | Black | PINDURSKI |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Midnight Pathlighter has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Midnight Pathlighter card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-07-23 | A player may only have one dungeon in the command zone at a time. |
| 2021-07-23 | Choosing the dungeon or room to venture into is part of resolving the venture into the dungeon keyword action. Once that choice is made, players may not respond until after the appropriate room ability has triggered. |
| 2021-07-23 | Dungeon cards are not part of a player's deck or sideboard. In both constructed and limited formats, players can use any dungeon card when they venture into the dungeon. |
| 2021-07-23 | Dungeons are removed from the game as a state-based action. |
| 2021-07-23 | If you somehow venture into the dungeon while a room's ability is on the stack, you will continue on in the dungeon. If you're already in the last room, complete that dungeon and start a new one. |
| 2021-07-23 | Moving into a dungeon room will cause its room ability to trigger. |
| 2021-07-23 | Once you resolve the last room ability of a dungeon, that dungeon is now completed and is removed from the game. |
| 2021-07-23 | The player venturing into the dungeon chooses which dungeon they will venture into. They may choose a dungeon that they have already completed this game. |
| 2021-07-23 | To venture into the dungeon, a player moves their venture marker into the next room of the dungeon they are currently in. If they aren't currently in a dungeon, that player instead chooses a dungeon card from outside the game, puts it into the command zone, and moves their venture marker onto the first room. |
| 2021-07-23 | Unblocked creatures with double strike deal damage twice, which will cause Midnight Pathlighter's last ability to trigger twice. |
| 2021-07-23 | You can only move forward (well, downward) in a dungeon, never backwards or sideways. |