Pilgrim of the Ages MTG Card

Ensures mana stability by fetching Plains, facilitating plays of high-cost cards ahead of the curve. Adds late-game value by returning from the graveyard to the hand, offering repetitive blocking. Optimally used in mono-white or white-heavy decks to leverage its mana-smoothing ability.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Spirit
Power 2
Toughness 1

Text of card

When Pilgrim of the Ages enters the battlefield, you may search your library for a basic Plains card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle. : Return Pilgrim of the Ages from your graveyard to your hand.

Cards like Pilgrim of the Ages

Pilgrim of the Ages is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering, finding its niche among mana-fixing and deck-thinning cards. It shares similarities with cards like Solemn Simulacrum, which allows a player to search their library for a basic land when it enters the battlefield or dies. Although Solemn Simulacrum offers more versatility by putting the land onto the battlefield, Pilgrim of the Ages provides consistent mana accessibility with its Plains retrieval ability, particularly beneficial in mono-white decks or two-color variations where mana consistency is key.

Another card that echoes this theme of land retrieval is Omen of the Dead. While Omen of the Dead doesn’t directly fetch land cards, it excels in recurring creatures from the graveyard to hand, which Pilgrim of the Ages can capitalize on given its Plains-returning ability. This creates a synergistic loop, maintaining land drops and ensuring smooth gameplay. Moreover, Pilgrim of the Ages stands out with its Foretell feature, allowing for a strategic and cost-efficient play later in the game.

Evaluating Pilgrim of the Ages alongside its counterparts, it’s evident that it offers a reliable and repeatable method for mana stabilization, making it a valued component in various deck builds within Magic: The Gathering.

Solemn Simulacrum - MTG Card versions
Omen of the Dead - MTG Card versions
Solemn Simulacrum - MTG Card versions
Omen of the Dead - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Pilgrim of the Ages lets you secure a land card when it enters the battlefield, helping you to avoid missing land drops. It also offers added value later in the game where you can effectively draw a card by returning it from your graveyard to your hand.

Resource Acceleration: Having access to more lands ensures you can play higher-cost cards earlier. Pilgrim of the Ages facilitates this by consistently fetching Plains from your deck, which is especially beneficial in mono-white or white-heavy decks.

Instant Speed: Although Pilgrim of the Ages itself does not operate at instant speed, it complements a strategy that includes instant speed interaction. By ensuring land drops with this creature, you keep your mana open to react with instants during your opponent’s turn while still developing your own board.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Pilgrim of the Ages doesn’t directly require a discard, but it does encourage planning around graveyard mechanics to optimize its ability to return to your hand. This can be suboptimal in a deck that doesn’t capitalize on such interactions or when your graveyard is a target for opponents’ exile effects.

Specific Mana Cost: While not overly prohibitive, Pilgrim of the Ages requires a specific white mana in its casting cost. This necessity can sometimes pose a challenge in multicolored decks that struggle with mana consistency or when facing mana disruption strategies from opponents.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Though it’s a common creature, Pilgrim of the Ages demands three mana, which can be a stretch for aggressive or low-curve strategies. Considering its plain stat line, other cards might provide more immediate board presence or utility for the same, or less, mana investment in competitive gameplay.

Reasons to Include Pilgrim of the Ages in Your Collection

Versatility: Pilgrim of the Ages is a dynamic option for your collection due to its ability to securely stabilize your mana early game and to assure land drops. Its enduring presence in the late game allows you to return it to hand, thus providing a reliable blocker that keeps coming back.

Combo Potential: This card has some interesting interactions within decks focusing on graveyard manipulation or creature recursion, offering an avenue to capitalize on its Plains-searching ability multiple times or using its return to hand mechanic to trigger enter-the-battlefield effects.

Meta-Relevance: Newer decks that grapple with mana consistency find Pilgrim of the Ages an essential addition. With aggressive and combo decks shaping the pace of play, having a dependable tool to ensure land drops and recur defense contributes significantly to sustaining your position in the game.

How to beat

Pilgrim of the Ages is known in the world of Magic: The Gathering for its utility in mana smoothing and graveyard recycling strategies. This card is distinct in its ability to return from the graveyard to its owner’s hand, providing a consistent blocker and a way to hit land drops in the mid to late game. To outmaneuver an opponent utilizing Pilgrim of the Ages, it’s essential to focus on removal that exiles rather than destroys, as this prevents the card from being retrieved from the graveyard.

Another effective tactic is to apply pressure that can’t be absorbed by a single blocker, either through creating multiple threats or using creatures with trample to minimize the value of repetitive blocking. Employing graveyard hate effects can also disrupt graveyard-centric strategies, making it harder for the player to take advantage of the Pilgrim’s repetitive nature. Additionally, focusing on a more aggressive strategy to reduce the time Pilgrim of the Ages has to impact the board can prove to be an efficient method in getting ahead of your opponent.

Monitoring your opponent’s mana and graveyard while maintaining board control could be the key to negate the benefits Pilgrim of the Ages provides to the long-term game. By combining these tactics, one can effectively contain the advantages offered by this sturdy MTG card.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Pilgrim of the Ages MTG card by a specific set like Strixhaven: School of Mages and Game Night: Free-for-All, 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 Pilgrim of the Ages and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Pilgrim of the Ages Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-04-23 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by JiHun Lee.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12021-04-23Strixhaven: School of MagesSTX 222015NormalBlackJiHun Lee
22022-10-14Game Night: Free-for-AllGN3 162015NormalBlackJiHun Lee
32022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 2252015NormalBlackJiHun Lee

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Pilgrim of the Ages has restrictions

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