Windgrace Acolyte MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Cat Warrior
Abilities Flying,Mill
Power 3
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Windgrace Acolyte provides self-mill and potential card draw for strategic hand replenishment.
  2. The card encourages graveyard strategies with self-mill but demands precise resource management.
  3. Versatility in both offensive and defensive roles makes Windgrace Acolyte a worthy collection addition.

Text of card

Flying When Windgrace Acolyte enters the battlefield, put the top three cards of your library into your graveyard and you gain 3 life.

Acolytes of the lost Lord Windgrace fight to keep Urborg relics out of Cabal hands.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: When Windgrace Acolyte enters the battlefield, its ability lets you mill three cards and potentially draw a card, keeping your hand filled with options.

Resource Acceleration: By putting land cards into your graveyard from your library, Windgrace Acolyte may indirectly support strategies that profit from land cards in the graveyard, hastening your game plan.

Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, Windgrace Acolyte can still be a key part of decks that operate at instant speed. Cards that reanimate creatures from the graveyard, for instance, can bring it into play on an opponent’s turn, catching them off guard and maximizing strategic opportunities.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Windgrace Acolyte’s ability requires a player to delve into their graveyard upon entering the battlefield. This can potentially reduce the resources available for future graveyard strategies or other mechanics that rely on a well-stocked graveyard, placing a hidden cost on its seemingly beneficial effect.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that specifically requires black and green, this card restricts deck building flexibility. It’s not easily slotted into decks without a significant base of these colors which may deter players running diverse mana bases or those preferring to keep their options open for splashing additional colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at a mana value of five for a 3/2 creature, Windgrace Acolyte could be considered inefficient when compared to other cards at the same cost. Players may find that other cards in this range could provide more impactful board presence or game-altering effects. Consequently, calculating its cost-to-advantage ratio might leave players opting for alternatives that promise a greater payoff for their mana investment.


Reasons to Include Windgrace Acolyte in Your Collection

Versatility: This card is a solid addition to graveyard-focused decks, particularly those playing with black mana. Its ability to put cards into your graveyard can be a boon for strategies built around recursion or creature synergies. Moreover, as a flying creature, Windgrace Acolyte provides both offensive pressure and defensive capabilities.

Combo Potential: In combination with cards that favor high-graveyard volume, Windgrace Acolyte can be a key piece. Whether you’re looking to reanimate powerful creatures or enable delve for a reduced casting cost, this Acolyte could be the enabler your deck needs to execute its strategy efficiently.

Meta-Relevance: Given that Windgrace Acolyte can act as a self-mill engine while providing life gain, it slots nicely into the current meta that may lean towards aggressive strategies. The life gained from its entering the battlefield ability helps buffer against early aggression while also stocking your graveyard for future plays.


How to beat

Confronting a Windgrace Acolyte on the battlefield requires strategic finesse tailored for its unique capabilities. As a card whose strengths lie in providing card advantages through self-mill and life gain, decking the Acolyte demands a careful approach. It stands out among other creatures at its mana value due to its ability to potentially alter the state of play by setting up graveyard synergies. This positions it as a card which can impact matches by favoring long-term strategies over immediate board presence.

To trump the Acolyte’s utility, counterspells like Negate or Essence Scatter prove effective, averting the Acolyte’s entry altogether. For games that have advanced beyond early control, graveyard hate cards such as Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze can nullify the self-mill advantage the Acolyte aims to provide. The key is to preemptively mitigate the benefits it bestows or to tackle the graveyard tactics it enables. Targeted removal, while routinely effective, should be timed to minimize the life gain and card filtering Windgrace Acolyte might have already accomplished on its descent into play.

In summary, staying adaptive to the conditions the Acolyte presents is vital. A well-timed counterplay can neutralize the advantages it offers, keeping you unfettered on your path to victory.


Cards like Windgrace Acolyte

Windgrace Acolyte is an alluring creature card that fans of Magic: The Gathering may find quite intriguing when looking at graveyard-utilizing strategies. It shares some similarities with other creature cards like Balustrade Spy. Both serve to manipulate the top cards of a player’s library but Windgrace Acolyte offers the added benefit of life gain through its lifelink ability. This not only impacts the state of your deck but also your life total, which can be crucial in longer games.

Mothdust Changeling is another card that jumps out as similar due to its creature type – both are primarily intended for decks that capitalize on creature synergy. However, Mothdust Changeling grants an immediate effect with its tap ability, unlike the Acolyte which demands a more strategic, longer-term play with its graveyard interaction. Meanwhile, Stinkweed Imp may draw a more direct comparison when it comes to dredge decks, boasting dredge 5. Though Stinkweed Imp doesn’t have the same immediate board impact upon entering, its recurring nature allows players to repeatedly exploit its dredge feature.

Assessing these cards, one can appreciate the unique position of Windgrace Acolyte in Magic: The Gathering. It offers a multifaceted approach to gameplay, affecting the library, graveyard, and life total, making it a noteworthy option for deck builders exploring black midrange or reanimator strategies.

Balustrade Spy - MTG Card versions
Mothdust Changeling - MTG Card versions
Stinkweed Imp - MTG Card versions
Balustrade Spy - Gatecrash (GTC)
Mothdust Changeling - Morningtide (MOR)
Stinkweed Imp - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)

Cards similar to Windgrace Acolyte by color, type and mana cost

Skyshroud Vampire - MTG Card versions
Entropic Specter - MTG Card versions
Predatory Nightstalker - MTG Card versions
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Stone Catapult - MTG Card versions
Sengir Vampire - MTG Card versions
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Earwig Squad - MTG Card versions
Indulgent Tormentor - MTG Card versions
Sootfeather Flock - MTG Card versions
Zombie Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Gluttonous Zombie - MTG Card versions
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Wei Elite Companions - MTG Card versions
Halo Hunter - MTG Card versions
Malakir Bloodwitch - MTG Card versions
Caustic Crawler - MTG Card versions
Shriekmaw - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Vampire - Tempest (TMP)
Entropic Specter - Exodus (EXO)
Predatory Nightstalker - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Fallen Angel - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Stone Catapult - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Sengir Vampire - Arena Beginner Set (ANB)
Hollow Dogs - Beatdown Box Set (BTD)
Grotesque Hybrid - Torment (TOR)
Earwig Squad - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Indulgent Tormentor - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Sootfeather Flock - Legions (LGN)
Zombie Cutthroat - Scourge (SCG)
Gluttonous Zombie - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Vermiculos - Mirrodin (MRD)
Woebearer - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Wei Elite Companions - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Halo Hunter - Zendikar (ZEN)
Malakir Bloodwitch - Zendikar (ZEN)
Caustic Crawler - Worldwake (WWK)
Shriekmaw - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Windgrace Acolyte MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria 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 Windgrace Acolyte and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Windgrace Acolyte Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2018-04-27 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Bayard Wu.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-04-27DominariaDOM 1122015normalblackBayard Wu
22019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 8272015normalblackBayard Wu
32020-09-26The ListPLST DOM-1122015normalblackBayard Wu

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Windgrace Acolyte has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

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