Monastery Loremaster MTG Card
2015-03-27 - Number 63
2019-11-07 - Number 436
2020-09-26 - Number DTK-63
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Djinn Wizard |
| Abilities | Megamorph |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
Megamorph (You may cast this card face down as a 2/2 creature for . Turn it face up any time for its megamorph cost and put a +1/+1 counter on it.) When Monastery Loremaster is turned face up, return target noncreature, nonland card from your graveyard to your hand.
Cards like Monastery Loremaster
Monastery Loremaster offers an intriguing dynamic to the retrieval mechanics within Magic: The Gathering’s vast array of cards. This card bears a resemblance to Archaeomancer, with both returning a spell from the graveyard to its owner’s hand upon entering the battlefield. However, Monastery Loremaster allows for a broader selection, retrieving any non-creature, non-land card, whereas Archaeomancer is restricted to instants and sorceries. It adds flexibility but at the cost of a higher mana investment.
In a more general comparison, Eternal Witness stands as another familiar card with a similar effect. It also returns any card from the graveyard to its owner’s hand, offering an even wider scope than Monastery Loremaster. Eternal Witness’s cheaper cost and inherent versatility make it a staple in decks that aim to recycle powerful cards. Conversely, Tamiyo’s Safekeeping is a unique spin on the concept, protecting a permanent from harm rather than resurrecting them post-demise.
Considering the different strengths, cost, and utility of similar cards, Monastery Loremaster holds its ground. Its broader retrieval scope compared to some alternatives adds a layer of strategic depth, ensuring its relevance in gameplay where versatility is paramount.
Cards similar to Monastery Loremaster by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Monastery Loremaster enables you to retrieve an instant or sorcery card from your graveyard, effectively expanding your hand and allowing you to reuse powerful spells.
Resource Acceleration: By allowing you to reuse mana-efficient or cost-reducing spells from the graveyard, Monastery Loremaster can be instrumental in speeding up your game strategy and outpacing your opponent.
Instant Speed: The ability to manifest the top card of your library at instant speed provides a strategic element of surprise, enabling you to introduce threats during your opponent’s turn and keep your game plan flexible.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Monastery Loremaster demands that you discard another card to leverage its effects. This can diminish your hand, leaving you with fewer options as the game progresses.
Specific Mana Cost: This card has a specific mana cost that includes blue, potentially restricting its integration into multicolored decks that might not focus on blue resources.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment needed to play Monastery Loremaster is considerable when compared to other cards that might offer a similar level of utility for less, possibly making it a less favorable choice during deck construction.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Monastery Loremaster fits seamlessly into a variety of deck archetypes thanks to its ability to retrieve important noncreature cards from the graveyard. This adaptability allows players to experiment with different synergies without compromising deck consistency.
Combo Potential: The card’s Megamorph feature opens up strategic plays where face-down dynamics can bluff opponents, while the turn face-up ability enriches combo interactions, particularly in strategies requiring specific instant or sorcery cards for execution.
Meta-Relevance: Its presence in your deck ensures you keep pace with evolving metagames, allowing you to recycle key spells that might be pivotal in outmaneuvering popular control or combo decks in the current competitive scene.
How to Beat
Monastery Loremaster is a versatile card in Magic: The Gathering that can pose challenges during a match. It is known for its capacity to bring a noncreature, nonland card back from the graveyard to your hand when it’s turned face up. To effectively counter this card, players need to focus on strategies that limit graveyard interactions or remove the Loremaster before its abilities can be activated.
Utilizing graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace or Tormod’s Crypt can neutralize the Loremaster’s advantage by exiling cards from the graveyard, rendering its ability moot. Additionally, employing instant-speed removal spells that can target the Loremaster while it’s still face down or before the player has the mana to flip it can prevent the card from ever utilizing its potential. Swift response times and keen awareness of graveyard-based strategies will give players the edge they need to overcome the resilience of Monastery Loremaster in a game of MTG.
In summary, handling Monastery Loremaster effectively requires preemptive actions, either by disrupting graveyard synergy or by being ready to remove it promptly from the battlefield. These strategies can help ensure that the Loremaster does not tip the scales in your opponent’s favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Monastery Loremaster MTG card by a specific set like Dragons of Tarkir and Mystery Booster, 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 Monastery Loremaster and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Monastery Loremaster Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2015-03-27 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Ryan Alexander Lee.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2015-03-27 | Dragons of Tarkir | DTK | 63 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ryan Alexander Lee | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 436 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ryan Alexander Lee | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | DTK-63 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ryan Alexander Lee |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Monastery Loremaster 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 Monastery Loremaster card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2015-02-25 | If a face-down creature with megamorph is turned face up some other way (for example, if you manifest a card with megamorph and then pay its mana cost to turn it face up), you won’t put a +1/+1 counter on it. |
| 2015-02-25 | Megamorph is a variant of the morph ability. You can find more information on morph on cards with morph from the Khans of Tarkir set. |
| 2015-02-25 | Turning a face-down creature with megamorph face up and putting a +1/+1 counter on it is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. |