Prime Speaker Vannifar MTG Card


Prime Speaker Vannifar - Ravnica Allegiance
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Elf Ooze Wizard
Released2019-01-25
Set symbol
Set nameRavnica Allegiance
Set codeRNA
Power 2
Toughness 4
Number195
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byKieran Yanner

Key Takeaways

  1. Vannifar’s ability is a potent engine for card advantage, chaining creature upgrades without card draw.
  2. Her potential to pseudo-accelerate resources by reusing creatures mirrors the effect of mana ramp.
  3. Having this card requires strategic sacrifices, balanced color mana, and dealing with its higher cost.

Text of card

, Sacrifice another creature: Search your library for a creature card with converted mana cost equal to 1 plus the sacrificed creature's converted mana cost, put that card onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Prime Speaker Vannifar stands out by transforming an existing creature on your battlefield into a new threat, effectively bypassing the need to draw and play a potentially more powerful creature from your hand. She shines in permitting not just a single retrieval but chaining this process turn after turn, keeping your board state fresh and formidable.

Resource Acceleration: What makes Prime Speaker Vannifar particularly potent is the ability to use her ability during your turn to potentially untap her and reuse the ability within the same turn cycle. This doubles as a form of pseudo resource acceleration, getting more utility from your creatures without spending additional mana, allowing for a faster, more efficient game plan.

Instant Speed: Although Vannifar’s ability isn’t at instant speed, she incentivizes players to hold back creatures to be used as fodder during your own turn. This interaction can create a pseudo instant speed effect where opponents must anticipate sudden changes in your board state as you can sacrifice a creature right before your turn begins, catching them off guard with a new threat each round.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To harness the full potential of Prime Speaker Vannifar, players must discard another creature, which can be undesirable when striving to maintain board presence.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost demands both green and blue mana, making it less accessible for diverse deck builds that may not cater to a strict Simic (green-blue) color combination.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, Prime Speaker Vannifar is a sizeable investment, especially when there are alternatives that allow for quicker creature tutoring or development of board state.


Reasons to Include Prime Speaker Vannifar in Your Collection

Versatility: Prime Speaker Vannifar boasts a unique ability to adapt across a number of deck types. This Ooze Wizard, with her ability to transform any creature into another, promises a tactical advantage for toolbox decks that thrive on having an answer for every situation.

Combo Potential: Renowned for her role within combo decks, Prime Speaker Vannifar can be the lynchpin in an intricate series of creature swaps leading to game-winning plays. With just the right line-up, she can turn the battlefield in your favor in a blink.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based strategies dominate, Prime Speaker Vannifar’s capacity to consistently churn out key creatures makes her a substantial threat. Her presence on the board can shift the tides, making her a valuable asset in decks looking to stay one step ahead of opponents.


How to beat Prime Speaker Vannifar

Overcoming Prime Speaker Vannifar on the battlefield is a challenge that requires a strategic approach. This elusive Ooze Wizard from Magic: The Gathering is known for its potent ability to untap and sacrifice another creature to search your library for a creature card with a higher converted mana cost and put it onto the battlefield. To counter this, removal spells that can target Vannifar the moment it hits the board are crucial. Consider instant-speed answers such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile that can disrupt your opponent’s rhythm before they can utilize Vannifar’s ability.

Another efficient strategy is to employ counter spells when Vannifar is cast to prevent it from entering the battlefield entirely. If Vannifar manages to stick around, keeping the pressure with board presence can deter your opponent from having the necessary resources to sacrifice. Lastly, graveyard disruption tools can hinder the chain of creatures being tutored from the deck, limiting the advantage Vannifar could potentially give. Cards like Grafdigger’s Cage can be particularly effective. Adaptability and promptness are key when facing the threat of Prime Speaker Vannifar.


BurnMana Recommendations

Prime Speaker Vannifar epitomizes strategic evolution within MTG, carving a path for players to continuously adapt and overcome. If you relish the challenge of refining your gameplay and aspire to orchestrate the perfect creature symphony, understanding the intricate nuances of Vannifar is essential. Embracing both its strengths and weaknesses can significantly bolster your deck’s capability. With the insights from our analysis, we encourage you to experiment with Vannifar’s potential and invite you to further explore the depths of MTG’s dynamic gameplay. Delve into our resources to optimize your strategy and achieve mastery over your opponents.


Cards like Prime Speaker Vannifar

Prime Speaker Vannifar stands out in the pantheon of creature-based utility in Magic: The Gathering. Echoing the inherent abilities of the notorious Birthing Pod, Prime Speaker Vannifar provides players the same creature tutoring capability, albeit with the body of a creature itself rather than an artifact. Where Birthing Pod demanded life and mana, Vannifar utilizes her own tap ability, offering an intriguing take on deck manipulation.

Another parallel card in the creature tutor space is Fauna Shaman. Although the Shaman demands a discard alongside the mana payment for its effect, its ability is similar to Vannifar’s tap-to-search mechanic but on a smaller and more frequent scale. Meanwhile, Neoform serves a similar function without the board presence, offering a one-time sacrifice and search which costs mana but allows a quick-paced evolution of creatures on the board.

Conclusively, while each of these cards offers a unique approach to creature tutoring, Prime Speaker Vannifar remains a formidable option. She offers a reusable targeted evolution mechanism that, in the right deck, can generate powerful turn sequences and create overwhelming board states, securing her supremacy in her niche.

Birthing Pod - MTG Card versions
Fauna Shaman - MTG Card versions
Neoform - MTG Card versions
Birthing Pod - MTG Card versions
Fauna Shaman - MTG Card versions
Neoform - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Prime Speaker Vannifar MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica Allegiance, 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 Prime Speaker Vannifar and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Prime Speaker Vannifar has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelRestricted
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2019-01-25 If a creature or a creature card in your library has in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.
2019-01-25 Tokens that aren’t a copy of something else don’t have a mana cost. Anything without a mana cost normally has a converted mana cost of 0.

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