Enclave Cryptologist MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Merfolk Wizard
Abilities Level Up
Power 0
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. The Cryptologist offers card advantage, turning unnecessary cards into valuable draws.
  2. Instant speed looting makes it a dynamic tool for responding to game changes.
  3. Flexibility and meta relevance secure Enclave Cryptologist as a strong player’s choice.

Text of card

Level up (: Put a level counter on this. Level up only as a sorcery.) LEVEL 1-2 0/1 : Draw a card, then discard a card. LEVEL 3+ 0/1 : Draw a card.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Enclave Cryptologist offers the ability to turn excess lands or redundant cards into new opportunities by drawing additional cards, setting you ahead in the game.

Resource Acceleration: As a looter, it can quickly sift through your deck to find the resources you need, effectively accelerating your access to crucial spells or combos.

Instant Speed: Its looting ability can be activated at instant speed, allowing you to adapt to the ever-changing game state and make decisions with the most current information.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Enclave Cryptologist requires the player to level up by spending mana, which in the earlier game stages may not seem like a big deal. However, this investment can backfire if the player needs to change tactics suddenly and lacks the cards or the mana to adapt effectively.

Specific Mana Cost: The initial casting cost of Enclave Cryptologist calls for one blue mana, which might not be a hurdle for mono-blue or dual-color decks, but for more color-diverse decks, it could limit the card’s applicability, especially in the early game.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Achieving the third level where Enclave Cryptologist’s full potential is unlocked involves a total investment of three mana in addition to the casting cost. This mana could potentially be used for other actions or threats on the board. Hence, there exists an opportunity cost in using the Cryptologist to its full capacity.


Reasons to Include Enclave Cryptologist in Your Collection

Versatility: Enclave Cryptologist is a flexible card that can adapt to various blue-based strategies. It starts as a mere looter, enabling you to draw and discard cards but can level up to offer an unadulterated card draw each turn without the discard. Suitable for decks aiming to fill the graveyard or simply seeking card quality.

Combo Potential: This card has a unique capacity for combos, particularly in decks that exploit card draw or discard effects. Level it up, and it synergizes with strategies keen on drawing extra cards or utilizing the graveyard, forming powerful interactions with reanimation spells or threshold abilities.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta dominated by control or combo decks, Enclave Cryptologist can provide the consistency and card advantage necessary to keep pace with top-tier strategies. It’s especially valuable in metagames where high card quality is critical for maintaining competitive advantage.


How to beat Enclave Cryptologist

Enclave Cryptologist is an intriguing utility creature that evolves in stages in Magic: The Gathering. Initially, it appears merely as a modest looter, enabling you to tap, draw, and then discard a card. This in itself presents a manageable threat. However, it gradually becomes a formidable tool for card advantage as it levels up. Once fully leveled, the Cryptologist allows you to draw cards without the need to discard, posing a significant challenge if left unchecked.

To effectively neutralize this threat, prioritize disabling effects such as creature removals or counter spells that can be employed before your opponent benefits from its card-drawing capability. Alternatively, you could utilize effects that strip cards from their hand, mitigating the advantage gained from the Cryptologist’s draw ability. It’s essential to act swiftly, as a fully leveled Enclave Cryptologist can quickly turn the tides, giving your opponent the upper hand with an influx of fresh cards at their disposal.

In summary, confronting the Enclave Cryptologist requires early intervention, utilizing removal or hand disruption strategies, ensuring this seemingly innocent looter doesn’t spiral into an uncontrollable source of card advantage for your adversary.


BurnMana Recommendations

Wrapping up, the Enclave Cryptologist stands out as a noteworthy player in the MTG arena. If you’re looking to refine your strategies, remember that flexibility and making the most of every card is key to victory. The Cryptologist is just one example of a card that, when used effectively, can tip the scales in your favor. Dive deeper with us as we explore more tactics, synergies, and card interactions to elevate your gameplay. Remember, the right card can unlock a world of possibilities. Ready for your next strategic move? Let’s delve into the depths of MTG together and unlock the full potential of your deck.


Cards like Enclave Cryptologist

Enclave Cryptologist emerges as a versatile looter in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, aligning with the likes of Merfolk Looter, another iconic card that facilitates card draw and discard. Distinguished by its level up feature, Enclave Cryptologist gains the ability to draw and dispose of cards without tapping once fully leveled, offering an advantage over its Merfolk counterpart, which must tap. This subtle difference elevates Enclave Cryptologist’s tactical worth, as it can be used multiple times in a turn if untapped.

In comparison, Looter il-Kor offers a twist with its shadow ability, allowing it to attack unblocked and trigger its loot mechanic during combat, yet it does not provide the same consistent card filtering ability as the Cryptologist when not attacking. Meanwhile, Thought Courier provides an identical tap-to-loot function like the early stage of Enclave Cryptologist, sans the potential for upgrade. The versatility of Enclave Cryptologist shines in decks that value consistent card selection and seek to capitalize on graveyard synergy.

Ultimately, Enclave Cryptologist demonstrates a unique blend of flexibility and strategic depth, making it a valuable addition for players who prize incremental advantage and the long-term potential embedded within the level up mechanic.

Merfolk Looter - MTG Card versions
Looter il-Kor - MTG Card versions
Thought Courier - MTG Card versions
Merfolk Looter - Exodus (EXO)
Looter il-Kor - Time Spiral (TSP)
Thought Courier - Fifth Dawn (5DN)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Enclave Cryptologist MTG card by a specific set like Rise of the Eldrazi and The List, 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 Enclave Cryptologist and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Enclave Cryptologist Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2010-04-23 and 2010-04-23. Illustrated by Igor Kieryluk.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12010-04-23Rise of the EldraziROE 662003levelerblackIgor Kieryluk
22020-09-26The ListPLST ROE-662003levelerblackIgor Kieryluk

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Enclave Cryptologist has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2010-06-15 A creature’s level is based on how many level counters it has on it, not how many times its level up ability has been activated or has resolved. If a leveler gets level counters due to some other effect (such as Clockspinning) or loses level counters for some reason (such as Vampire Hexmage), its level is changed accordingly.
2010-06-15 Effects that modify a leveler’s power or toughness, such as the effects of Giant Growth or Glorious Anthem, will apply to it no matter when they started to take effect. The same is true for counters that change the creature’s power or toughness (such as +1/+1 counters) and effects that switch its power and toughness.
2010-06-15 Effects that set a leveler’s power or toughness to a specific value, including the effects from a level symbol’s ability, apply in timestamp order. The timestamp of each level symbol’s ability is the same as the timestamp of the leveler itself, regardless of when the most recent level counter was put on it.
2010-06-15 If another creature becomes a copy of a leveler, all of the leveler’s printed abilities — including those represented by level symbols — are copied. The current characteristics of the leveler, and the number of level counters on it, are not. The abilities, power, and toughness of the copy will be determined based on how many level counters are on the copy.
2010-06-15 The abilities a leveler grants to itself don’t overwrite any other abilities it may have. In particular, they don’t overwrite the creature’s level up ability; it always has that.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks