Daring Apprentice MTG Card
1996-10-08 - Number 60
1999-04-21 - Number 62
2001-04-11 - Number 68
2001-04-11 - Number 68★
2003-07-28 - Number 73★
2003-07-28 - Number 73
2005-07-29 - Number 72★
2005-07-29 - Number 72
| Card sets | Released in 8 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Human Wizard |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Key Takeaways
- Daring Apprentice provides control players with a repeatable counterspell mechanic essential for maintaining board dominance.
- Its ability functions at instant speed, allowing players to respond swiftly to threats and altering opponent strategies.
- Despite its power, the card’s drawback includes a specific mana requirement and a discard cost for activation.
Text of card
oc T, Sacrifice Daring Apprentice: Counter target spell.
In front of every great wizard is a doomed apprentice.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Daring Apprentice offers a unique form of advantage by providing a repeatable counterspell mechanic. As long as you can fulfill its activation cost, it holds the potential to disrupt numerous spells from your opponent, keeping them at bay and preserving your board state.
Resource Acceleration: Although not directly accelerating resources, the Daring Apprentice’s ability can be a form of indirect resource acceleration. By thwarting your opponent’s plans, you effectively set them back, keeping your mana and resources free for development and allowing you to pull ahead in the resource race.
Instant Speed: Its ability to counter spells at instant speed gives you the flexibility to respond to threats at a moment’s notice. This provides a strategic advantage, as you can efficiently manage your mana and choose the optimal moment to thwart an opponent’s play, keeping them guessing and on the defensive.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Daring Apprentice demands that you discard a card to activate its ability, which could be a setback when you’re already running low on hand options.
Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that necessitates both blue and additional mana, this card can be restrictive and is not easily slotted into multi-color decks without consistent mana fixing.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The investment in the Apprentice is notably high considering its ability’s cost. Players might find alternative cards that offer more impactful board presence or utility for the same or lower mana investment.
Reasons to Include Daring Apprentice in Your Collection
Versatility: The Daring Apprentice brings flexibility to blue decks, offering a channel to counter spells which can be crucial in different phases of the game. This ability lets the Apprentice adapt to both aggressive and control-oriented playstyles, providing a defensive option when needed.
Combo Potential: The tap ability of the Daring Apprentice can mesh well with cards that untap creatures or benefit from spell countering mechanics. It can serve as a key piece in a combo that aims to lock out opponents from executing their strategy.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment that prizes the ability to say no to an opponent’s key spells, Daring Apprentice has a place. Particularly in formats where countering is vital to disrupt combo decks or protect key pieces, this card can be a meta-dependent staple.
How to beat
Daring Apprentice is a unique creature card in MTG that provides players with a powerful ability to counter spells. At its core, the Apprentice requires careful timing and resource management to activate its effect. Defeating this formidable foe calls for strategic play—aim to bait out its ability with a less critical spell, or force the opponent to exhaust their mana resources so they cannot afford the activation cost.
Another tactical approach is to target Daring Apprentice with removal spells that your opponent might consider not worth countering. This softens their defenses, paving the way for you to resolve more significant threats. Remember, cards with the capabilities to bypass activated abilities, such as those that can’t be countered, provide an outright path around Daring Apprentice’s disruptive power.
In essence, overcoming Daring Apprentice hinges on a calculated game of cat and mouse. By weighing your spells’ value against the apprentice’s countering ability and gauging the perfect moment, you can manipulate the exchange to your favor. It’s a dance of cunning and patience, a test of timing and deception where skilled players gain the edge.
Cards like Daring Apprentice
Daring Apprentice is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering, known for its ability to sacrifice itself to counter target spell. This is a unique trait often found in cards like Wizard Mentor or Mausoleum Wanderer, yet each offers a different tactical advantage. While Wizard Mentor requires two mana and a return to hand as activation, Mausoleum Wanderer can serve a dual role by becoming stronger when other Spirits enter the battle, creating a diverse strategic scenario.
Daring Apprentice shares a conceptual similarity with Patron Wizard, another creature that can counter spells. Although Patron Wizard demands the tapping of three wizards instead of a sacrifice, it provides a repeatable effect, allowing for consistent obstruction of an opponent’s game plan. Conversely, Judge’s Familiar, although cheaper, can only be sacrificed once and requires the opponent to pay one more mana to prevent the countering effect.
While each of these cards embodies a different method of control, Daring Apprentice holds its own with the potential to change the tides of a match dramatically. Its forceful, immediate countering effect without mana cost can catch an opponent off-guard, making it a worthy consideration for decks seeking such a sudden defensive play.
Cards similar to Daring Apprentice by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Daring Apprentice MTG card by a specific set like Mirage and Classic Sixth Edition, 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 Daring Apprentice 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 Magic products
Printings
The Daring Apprentice Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 1996-10-08 and 2005-07-29. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1996-10-08 | Mirage | MIR | 60 | 1997 | normal | black | Kaja Foglio | |
| 2 | 1999-04-21 | Classic Sixth Edition | 6ED | 62 | 1997 | normal | white | Kaja Foglio | |
| 3 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 68 | 1997 | normal | white | Dany Orizio | |
| 4 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 68★ | 1997 | normal | black | Dany Orizio | |
| 5 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 73★ | 2003 | normal | black | Dany Orizio | |
| 6 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 73 | 2003 | normal | white | Dany Orizio | |
| 7 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 72★ | 2003 | normal | black | Dany Orizio | |
| 8 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 72 | 2003 | normal | white | Dany Orizio |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Daring Apprentice has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
