Minamo Scrollkeeper MTG Card

Minamo Scrollkeeper - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)

Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
2005-06-03 - Number 45

Minamo Scrollkeeper - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
2005-08-22 - Number H6

Conspiracy (CNS)
2014-06-06 - Number 101

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Wizard
Abilities	Defender
Power	2
Toughness	3

Key Takeaways

Minamo Scrollkeeper enhances defense and helps maintain a robust hand size for strategic advantage.
Interactions requiring discards and specific mana needs can limit its play to certain deck types.
Its unique hand size effect can be critical in control strategies, making it a tempting collectible.

Text of card

Defender (This creature can't attack.) Your maximum hand size is increased by one.

The scrollkeepers never stepped an inch away from the doors of the Great Library, not even when the ogres and their oni masters swept through Minamo.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Minamo Scrollkeeper grants you a defensive asset while helping maintain card advantage by assuring you always have a full hand size.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting your mana pool, the Scrollkeeper’s presence can indirectly accelerate your resources by deterring early aggression and protecting your key spells or creatures.

Instant Speed: In the realm of MTG, acting at instant speed is a crucial aspect, and while Minamo Scrollkeeper functions at sorcery speed, it can complement strategies that capitalize on instant-speed interactions by being a reliable library defender.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Minamo Scrollkeeper doesn’t force a discard upon casting, interaction with certain cards may necessitate a discard to achieve optimal play, which could deplete hand advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Minamo Scrollkeeper demands both blue mana and a generic one, potentially restricting it to blue-centric or two-color decks that can consistently provide blue mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The casting cost of this card may seem inefficient when compared to other creatures that provide more impact or value on the battlefield for a similar or lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Minamo Scrollkeeper can be a solid addition to various control or defender-oriented decks. Its defender ability ensures a strong early game defensive presence, while its static ability to increase the maximum hand size allows for greater hand flexibility throughout the game.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with strategies that capitalize on having numerous cards in hand. It can also play a role in combos that involve defenders or card-draw mechanics, making it a multifaceted tool for players who enjoy exploring intricate deck interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where hand size is crucial and control decks are thriving, Minamo Scrollkeeper can offer that extra edge by allowing you to retain more options and react to your opponent’s moves. This card helps maintain momentum in a drawn-out match where each card in hand could tip the scales.

How to beat

Minamo, School at Water’s Edge is a card that often flies under the radar but can be quite effective in the right deck. One of the key strategies in overcoming its advantages is to neutralize its ability to untap legendary permanents, which can be instrumental for your opponent’s game plan. This can be done by incorporating card abilities that lockdown or freeze the targeted permanents, essentially negating the utility that Minamo provides.

Cards like Linvala, Keeper of Silence prevent activated abilities from being used, which can be a huge setback for a deck relying on Minamo’s untapping power. Another tactic is to use land destruction cards or land alteration spells to either destroy Minamo or turn it into a less threatening land. Direct land destruction can be found in spells like Sinkhole or targeted removal like Ghost Quarter, while enchantments like Spreading Seas can change Minamo into a basic land type, nullifying its legendary status.

Overall, keeping a versatile toolkit that includes abilities to suppress or remove key lands ensures that Minamo, School at Water’s Edge doesn’t become a thorn in your side, allowing you to maintain the upper hand in the match.

Cards like Minamo Scrollkeeper

Minamo Scrollkeeper serves a unique role in the realm of Defender cards in MTG. Its direct parallel is Guard Gomazoa, which also functions primarily as a sturdy defensive creature. However, what sets Minamo Scrollkeeper apart is its ability to modify the player’s maximum hand size, allowing the player to retain an extra card. Guard Gomazoa does not influence hand size, focusing solely on its capacity to prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to it.

Then we have Wall of Omens, another potent defender with a different kind of advantage. Wall of Omens offers a direct card draw upon entering the battlefield, providing immediate value. While Wall of Omens doesn’t impact hand size like Minamo Scrollkeeper, its up-front benefit can be crucial in maintaining card advantage.

Looking at these alternatives, Minamo Scrollkeeper indeed has a distinct niche, especially for players who frequently find themselves maxing out their hand size. Its passive but permanent effect on hand capacity can lend a substantial strategic edge over the course of a game.

Cards similar to Minamo Scrollkeeper by color, type and mana cost

Soratami Cloudskater - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Minamo Scrollkeeper MTG card by a specific set like Saviors of Kamigawa and Salvat 2005, 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 Minamo Scrollkeeper and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Minamo Scrollkeeper Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2005-06-03 and 2014-06-06. Illustrated by Paolo Parente.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2005-06-03	Saviors of Kamigawa	SOK	45	2003	Normal	Black	Paolo Parente
2	2005-08-22	Salvat 2005	PSAL	H6	2003	Normal	White	Paolo Parente
3	2014-06-06	Conspiracy	CNS	101	2003	Normal	Black	Paolo Parente

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Minamo Scrollkeeper has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2013-04-15	If multiple effects modify your hand size, apply them in timestamp order. For example, if you put Null Profusion (an enchantment that says your maximum hand size is two) onto the battlefield and then put Minamo Scrollkeeper onto the battlefield, your maximum hand size will be three. However, if those permanents entered the battlefield in the opposite order, your maximum hand size would be two.