Popular Entertainer MTG Card


Popular Entertainer provides card draw, increasing hand size and game control options. Boosts mana ramp, enabling you to execute powerful plays earlier than expected. Can be cast at instant speed for strategic advantage and to disrupt opponents.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Enchantment — Background
Abilities Goad

Text of card

Commander creatures you own have "Whenever one or more creatures you control deal combat damage to a player, goad target creature that player controls." (Until your next turn, that creature attacks each combat if able and attacks a player other than you if able.)

The last thing anyone would describe you as is shy. You love the spotlight, and it loves you back.


Cards like Popular Entertainer

Popular Entertainer has created quite the buzz as an innovative support creature in Magic: The Gathering. This card draws comparison to other creature cards like Humble Defector, which also emphasizes the mutual benefit in card drawing capabilities. Humble Defector provides card advantage by letting you draw two cards at the cost of giving control of it to an opponent, echoing the shared gain theme of Popular Entertainer.

When assessing cards with a similar audience-interactive angle, we observe Seasoned Pyromancer as a remarkable example. While Seasoned Pyromancer doesn’t allow interaction with opponents, it does offer both drawing and discarding cards as well as creating creature tokens, offering versatile advantages in the game. Yet, unlike Popular Entertainer that can trigger its effect each turn, Seasoned Pyromancer is a one-off use unless reanimated from the graveyard.

Ultimately, in evaluating such creature cards, Popular Entertainer holds a unique position with its ability to involve multiple players and potentially sway the flow of the game in your favor. Its recurring potential for interaction places it distinctively within Magic: The Gathering’s wide array of creatures, catering to a style of play that values engagement and strategic alliances.

Humble Defector - MTG Card versions
Seasoned Pyromancer - MTG Card versions
Humble Defector - MTG Card versions
Seasoned Pyromancer - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Popular Entertainer by color, type and mana cost

Power Surge - MTG Card versions
Raging River - MTG Card versions
Smoke - MTG Card versions
Giant Strength - MTG Card versions
Goblin Kites - MTG Card versions
The Brute - MTG Card versions
Lightning Reflexes - MTG Card versions
Consuming Ferocity - MTG Card versions
Agility - MTG Card versions
Errantry - MTG Card versions
Heat of Battle - MTG Card versions
Goblin Festival - MTG Card versions
Scald - MTG Card versions
Cave Sense - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Surge - MTG Card versions
Maniacal Rage - MTG Card versions
Battle Strain - MTG Card versions
Goblin Bombardment - MTG Card versions
Underworld Breach - MTG Card versions
Lightning Rift - MTG Card versions
Power Surge - MTG Card versions
Raging River - MTG Card versions
Smoke - MTG Card versions
Giant Strength - MTG Card versions
Goblin Kites - MTG Card versions
The Brute - MTG Card versions
Lightning Reflexes - MTG Card versions
Consuming Ferocity - MTG Card versions
Agility - MTG Card versions
Errantry - MTG Card versions
Heat of Battle - MTG Card versions
Goblin Festival - MTG Card versions
Scald - MTG Card versions
Cave Sense - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Surge - MTG Card versions
Maniacal Rage - MTG Card versions
Battle Strain - MTG Card versions
Goblin Bombardment - MTG Card versions
Underworld Breach - MTG Card versions
Lightning Rift - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: This card shines through its ability to grant access to additional cards, providing a significant boost in controlling the flow of the game. With each performance, you’re likely to amass a suite of options that keeps your hand full and ready to respond to an opponent’s actions.

Resource Acceleration: A noteworthy trait of Popular Entertainer is its potential to propel your resources forward. As this card takes the stage, it often brings along ways to ramp up your mana, keeping the tempo fast and allowing for game-changing plays much earlier than usual.

Instant Speed: Its capability to be played at instant speed cannot be underestimated, offering the tactical advantage of reacting during your opponent’s turn. This flexibility can create unforeseen complications for your rivals, keeping them guessing while you orchestrate your next move under the veil of unpredictability.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: A setback of the Popular Entertainer card is the initial discard action needed to utilize its abilities. This requirement can deplete your hand, potentially leaving you at a disadvantage, especially if your strategy relies on maintaining a variety of options.

Specific Mana Cost: This card insists on a defined mana combination to cast, which can be a deck-building constraint. Players not running a deck that aligns with this mana requirement may find it challenging to integrate the Popular Entertainer into their strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a requirement of more mana than some other options in the same card category, the Popular Entertainer may not be the most mana-efficient choice. Savvy players often consider alternative cards that offer similar benefits for a lower mana investment, impacting the card’s appeal and usability in fast-paced games.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Popular Entertainer can seamlessly integrate into a variety of decks. Its ability to entertain and distract your opponents is a unique mechanic that adds an intriguing angle to gameplay and can pair well with control or strategy-focused decks.

Combo Potential: With its capacity to synergize with cards that reward performing spells or activating abilities, the Popular Entertainer enables multiple combo opportunities, setting the stage for unexpected wins and game-changing moves.

Meta-Relevance: Given the card’s adaptability, it remains a constant threat in many meta environments. It can pose a challenge for opponents not prepared to deal with its distinct effects, making it a clever addition for staying one step ahead in the evolving game scene.


How to beat Popular Entertainer

Popular Entertainer is a unique creature card that has made waves within the MTG community. The card’s primary functionality allows a player to charm an opponent’s creatures, effectively turning threats into temporary allies. It’s a strategic tool that can sometimes swing the momentum of the game. However, despite its potential, there are methods to counteract this captivating card and maintain control of the battlefield.

When facing Popular Entertainer, it’s crucial to have removal spells at the ready. Instant speed removal such as Path to Exile or Fatal Push can be key in taking out the Entertainer before its ability triggers. Another effective strategy involves utilizing cards that grant hexproof or shroud to your creatures, like Swiftfoot Boots or Asceticism, to shield them from getting charmed. Additionally, countering the spell as it’s cast with cards like Counterspell or Dovin’s Veto will prevent the Entertainer from ever taking the stage.

Overall, while Popular Entertainer can provide an unexpected twist in gameplay, preparing your deck with the right counters ensures that you’ll be able to thwart its performance and keep your creatures safely on your side. Staying one step ahead with reactive measures and protective plays forms the cornerstone of beating this peculiar card.


BurnMana Recommendations

Assessing the Pros and Cons of Popular Entertainer is essential for any MTG enthusiast aiming to make an impact in the gameplay. From maximizing card advantage and resource acceleration to considering its instant speed benefits, each performance of this card can be a game changer. Yet, mindful consideration of its mana demands and initial discard requirements should guide your strategy. With potentials for versatile inclusion in various decks, and significant combo opportunities, Popular Entertainer stands as a meta-relevant choice that can surprise your opponents and shift the tide of the match. Dive deeper with us to discover smart ways to integrate this card into your collection and outsmart your competition on the battlefield.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Popular Entertainer MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate and Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, 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 Popular Entertainer and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Popular Entertainer Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2022-06-10 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by Zoltan Boros.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 1922015NormalBlackZoltan Boros
22022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 5092015NormalBlackZoltan Boros
32022-06-10Battle for Baldur's Gate PromosPCLB 192s2015NormalBlackZoltan Boros

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Popular Entertainer has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Popular Entertainer card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2022-06-10 An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders.
2022-06-10 Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards (or 58 cards in a Commander Draft game) of your deck are shuffled to become your library.
2022-06-10 Choose a Background is a variant of the partner ability. You may have two commanders if one of them is a legendary creature with the choose a background ability and the other is a legendary Background enchantment. Backgrounds and cards with choose a Background do not interact with cards which have any other partner ability.
2022-06-10 If a card refers to a commander creature you own, a Background won't usually be counted or included for that effect. If another spell or ability causes your Background to become a creature, however, it will be included. Any effect that refers to your commander or a commander you own or control without specifying creature will apply to a Background that is your commander, as appropriate.
2022-06-10 If something refers to your commander while you have two commanders, it refers to one of them of your choice. If you are instructed to perform an action on your commander (e.g. put it from the command zone into your hand due to Command Beacon), you choose one of your commanders at the time the effect happens.
2022-06-10 If you control a Background that grants an ability to commander creatures you own, and you own more than one commander creature, each of them will have that ability.
2022-06-10 If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can include only cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders’ combined color identities.
2022-06-10 If your commander loses the choose a Background ability or stops being a Background during the game, as appropriate, it is still your commander.
2022-06-10 Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won’t have to pay an additional the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 combat damage from any one of them, not from both of them combined (although your Background won’t usually be a creature anyway).
2022-06-10 You can choose two commanders that are the same color or colors.