Saruman of Many Colors MTG Card
2023-06-23 - Number 743z
2023-06-23 - Number 674
2023-06-23 - Number 412
2023-06-23 - Number 223s
2023-06-23 - Number 743
2023-06-23 - Number 328
2023-06-23 - Number 223
2023-06-23 - Number 300
2023-06-23 - Number 820
2023-06-23 - Number 20
| Card sets | Released in 10 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Avatar Wizard |
| Abilities | Mill,Ward |
| Power | 5 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Filters your deck for spell optimization, granting tactical advantage through selective card drawing.
- Speeds up mana resources to outpace opponents, enhancing your ability to cast influential spells.
- Instant-speed capabilities provide real-time adaptability, crucial for maintaining control during matches.
Text of card
Ward—Discard an enchantment, instant, or sorcery card. Whenever you cast your second spell each turn, each opponent mills two cards. When one or more cards are milled this way, exile target enchantment, instant, or sorcery card with equal or lesser mana value than that spell from an opponent's graveyard. Copy the exiled card. You may cast the copy without paying its mana cost.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Saruman of Many Colors can provide a significant boost by filtering through your deck, allowing you to select the best spells for any given situation. This kind of selective drawing is a potent tool for getting ahead in the game.
Resource Acceleration: By potentially untapping lands or producing tokens that can be used for mana, Saruman of Many Colors aids in ramping up your resources, enabling you to cast more powerful spells ahead of curve.
Instant Speed: The flexibility to cast spells at instant speed or activate abilities allows you to adapt to your opponent’s moves, making Saruman of Many Colors a versatile asset capable of turning the tide during critical phases of the match.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Saruman of Many Colors requires you to part with another card from your hand, an action that could hinder your game plan, especially when your hand is already being depleted by your opponent’s strategy or when you are in need of all your resources to react to the game’s flow.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Saruman of Many Colors is demanding, calling for a mix of different mana types. This specificity can challenge deck building, as it mandates a mana base that can reliably produce multiple colors of mana, thereby potentially limiting the decks that can include it without risking mana issues during critical moments.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost to summon Saruman of Many Colors onto the battlefield can be steep when weighed against other options available in the meta. In fast-paced games or against decks aiming to win quickly, the mana investment needed to play Saruman may be impractical, possibly ceding tempo advantage to the opponent.
Reasons to Include Saruman of Many Colors in Your Collection
Versatility: Much like its namesake, Saruman of Many Colors offers flexible utility across diverse deck builds. Its ability to manipulate game dynamics through various strategic plays makes it a card that adapts to numerous situations on the battlefield.
Combo Potential: With the capability to interact with multiple aspects of the game, this card can act as a linchpin in powerful combos, unlocking synergies that can turn the tide of play in your favor irrespective of your deck’s central theme.
Meta-Relevance: Cards that have a place in the current competitive scene can greatly enhance your deck’s performance, and Saruman of Many Colors may align well with prevailing strategies, giving players an edge in tournaments and casual games alike.
How to Beat Saruman of Many Colors
Saruman of Many Colors is a tricky component to face on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. Its powerful ability to manipulate spells and strategies requires a well-thought-out approach to counter effectively. To beat this challenging card, consider using direct removal spells that can bypass its abilities. Cards like Murder or Path to Exile can remove Saruman from the game before its abilities trigger, nullifying its advantage.
Another tactic involves using counterspells to prevent Saruman of Many Colors from hitting the battlefield in the first place. By keeping mana open and ready, you can intercept and counter this formidable card, rendering your opponent’s plans useless. Cards such as Cancel or Mana Leak are prime examples of how to maintain control over the game.
Lastly, it’s beneficial to adjust your playstyle. Playing more instant-speed cards allows you to react during your opponent’s turn, which can disrupt their strategy involving Saruman. This way, you keep the pressure on your opponent and minimize the impact of Saruman’s abilities on the overall match.
Cards like Saruman of Many Colors
Saruman of Many Colors takes a venerable position among character-themed cards in Magic: The Gathering. It shares a kinship with powerful wizard cards like “Gadwick, the Wizened” which emphasizes the value of drawing cards when playing a spell of any kind. While Gadwick rewards you with X cards for X mana spent, Saruman does not limit card draw with its spell casting trigger and can potentially net multiple cards in a single turn. Additionally, Saruman’s ability to manipulate spell costs has a strategic parallel to “Baral, Chief of Compliance” who also reduces the mana expense of spells and transforms countered spells into card advantage.
Another card that embodies comparative mechanics is “Niv-Mizzet, Parun”. Both cards create card draw opportunities through spellcasting, though Niv-Mizzet leans towards damage dealing alongside card drawing. Unlike Saruman, however, it is more color-restrictive and less flexible in mana cost reduction. The clever design of Saruman offers a blend of utility by tucking multiple advantageous effects into one powerful card, thus standing out in its category.
Comparing these cards illustrates the unique, nuanced role Saruman of Many Colors assumes within the MTG universe—casting an influential spell over both the board state and the player’s hand with its wide-ranging abilities.
Cards similar to Saruman of Many Colors by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Saruman of Many Colors MTG card by a specific set like The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth and The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, 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 Saruman of Many Colors and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Saruman of Many Colors Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2023-06-23 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by 5 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 743z | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Scott Balmer | |
| 2 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 674 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alexander Mokhov | |
| 3 | Tales of Middle-earth Art Series | ALTR | 20 | 2015 | Art series | Borderless | |||
| 4 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 412 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | David Rapoza | |
| 5 | 2023-06-23 | Tales of Middle-earth Promos | PLTR | 223s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alexander Mokhov | |
| 6 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 743 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Scott Balmer | |
| 7 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 328 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Marko Manev | |
| 8 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 223 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alexander Mokhov | |
| 9 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 300 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Wonchun Choi | |
| 10 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 820 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Marko Manev |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Saruman of Many Colors has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Saruman of Many Colors card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-06-16 | If the spell you cast has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. |
| 2023-06-16 | If you cast a spell "without paying its mana cost," you can't pay any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs, such as kicker costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those. |
| 2023-06-16 | If you don't have an enchantment, instant, or sorcery card in your hand, you won't be able to pay Saruman of Many Colors's ward cost. |
| 2023-06-16 | If you don't want to cast the copy, you can choose not to; the copy ceases to exist the next time state-based actions are checked. |
| 2023-06-16 | You cast the copy while the ability is resolving and still on the stack. You can't wait to cast it later in the turn. |
| 2023-06-16 | You don't choose a target for Saruman of Many Colors's ability at the time it triggers. Rather, a second "reflexive" ability triggers when one or more cards are milled this way. You choose a target for that ability as it goes on the stack. Each player may respond to this triggered ability as normal. |