Bygone Bishop MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Spirit Cleric
Abilities Flying,Investigate
Power 2
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Bygone Bishop excels in card advantage, multiplying your hand size with low-cost creature spells.
  2. Generates clues for card draws without extra mana on draws, aiding in resource optimization.
  3. Its instant speed clue usage offers tactical flexibility, maximizing mana efficiency.

Text of card

Flying Whenever you cast a creature spell with mana value 3 or less, investigate. (Create a Clue token. It's an artifact with ", Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.")


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Bygone Bishop is known for its ability to grant extra card draws whenever you cast a creature spell with converted mana cost 3 or less, which can significantly outnumber your opponent’s hand over the course of a game.

Resource Acceleration: Although the Bygone Bishop itself does not directly accelerate resources, the clues it generates can be cashed in for card draws, effectively reducing the cost of future plays by ensuring you have more options available without spending additional turns drawing cards.

Instant Speed: The clues provided by Bygone Bishop can be utilized at instant speed. This grants flexibility, allowing you to use mana efficiently during your opponent’s turn to draw into potential answers or further your board state without missing a beat.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Bygone Bishop may compel you to discard cards if your hand overflows from its Investigate trigger, potentially depleting your options.

Specific Mana Cost: Bygone Bishop’s mana cost restricts it to white-based decks, sometimes constraining your deck-building choices.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While its casting cost of three mana isn’t exorbitant, there are other creatures or spells at a similar cost that could offer more immediate board presence or control.


Reasons to Include Bygone Bishop in Your Collection

Versatility: Bygone Bishop can effortlessly fit into various deck archetypes, particularly those that capitalize on casting numerous creatures. Its ability to generate clues helps maintain card flow for decks that churn out lots of low-cost creatures.

Combo Potential: The clue tokens Bygone Bishop provides have synergies with mechanics that interact with artifacts or benefit from sacrificing permanents, thus offering interesting combo avenues and board interactions.

Meta-Relevance: As the gameplay shifts and creature-based strategies become more prevalent, Bygone Bishop stands out as a valuable addition, ensuring that you stay ahead by converting creature plays into potential card draw.


How to beat Bygone Bishop

Bygone Bishop serves as a valuable asset for decks that favor casting creatures with a lower mana cost. This creature not only augments your field presence but its investigate ability can steadily stockpile clues, setting the stage for drawing more cards. Addressing this card’s advantage quickly is essential, as letting the clue tokens accumulate may lead to overwhelming card advantage.

To counter Bygone Bishop, prioritize removal spells that can target it directly or use board wipes to reset the playing field. Spot removal spells like Fatal Push offer a cost-effective way to dispatch the bishop before the clues start piling up. Taking it out as soon as it hits the battlefield minimizes the possibility for your opponent to draw additional cards. Alternatively, sweepers like Wrath of God erase accumulated board presence including any creatures played after Bygone Bishop.

When building your strategy against Bygone Bishop, consider incorporating instant-speed interaction to disrupt this card’s impact in real-time. Holding back removal until your opponent attempts to declare attackers or cast another creature can be a tactical ploy. By stifling the Bygone Bishop’s ability to investigate early, you’ll maintain a more equitable game state and curb your opponent’s momentum.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the dynamics of MTG is akin to carefully strategizing on the grand fields of battle. With every card you add to your collection, you unlock new potential and pave the way to victory. The Bygone Bishop offers a unique edge, blending seamlessly into decks that thrive on casting a multitude of creatures, and becomes a cornerstone for those who value the power of card advantage. If you want to harness the strategic depth of MTG and evolve your playing style, delve deeper with us. Join our community and discover the tactics that will shape your path to becoming a formidable player.


Cards like Bygone Bishop

Bygone Bishop is a unique card in MTG that adds a strategic layer to creature-based decks. Its ability to investigate whenever a creature with a converted mana cost of 3 or less is cast creates an opportunity for card advantage. This is reminiscent of Mentor of the Meek; both cards allow players to draw more cards dependent on creature casting conditions. Mentor of the Meek requires a mana payment to draw, while Bygone Bishop grants clue tokens that can be cashed in later for card draw.

Another card with a similar vibe is Tireless Tracker. Like the Bygone Bishop, Tireless Tracker produces clue tokens, but it does so whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, providing a different kind of engine for card draw. Moreover, Tireless Tracker can potentially grow stronger with each clue token sacrificed, whereas Bygone Bishop has a set power and toughness.

In the context of utility and versatility, Bygone Bishop could easily find a home in various MTG decks, especially those that swarm the field with low-cost creatures. Its ability to transition from early pressure to a source of card draw in the mid to late game mirrors the dynamics provided by these similar cards and contributes to a well-rounded deck strategy.

Mentor of the Meek - MTG Card versions
Tireless Tracker - MTG Card versions
Mentor of the Meek - Innistrad (ISD)
Tireless Tracker - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)

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Argivian Blacksmith - MTG Card versions
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Argivian Blacksmith - Antiquities (ATQ)
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Snow Hound - Ice Age (ICE)
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Soraya the Falconer - Homelands (HML)
Femeref Knight - Mirage (MIR)
Border Guard - Portal (POR)
Stern Marshal - Portal (POR)
Soltari Crusader - Tempest (TMP)
Town Sentry - Portal Second Age (P02)
Benalish Knight - Anthologies (ATH)
Regal Unicorn - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Wild Griffin - Starter 2000 (S00)
Pianna, Nomad Captain - Odyssey (ODY)
Dogged Hunter - Odyssey (ODY)
Sanctum Prelate - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Diving Griffin - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Faithful Squire // Kaiso, Memory of Loyalty - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Kitsune Palliator - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Freewind Equenaut - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bygone Bishop MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad Promos and Shadows over Innistrad, 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 Bygone Bishop and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Bygone Bishop Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2016-04-08 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Jason A. Engle.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-04-08Shadows over Innistrad PromosPSOI 8s2015normalblackJason A. Engle
22016-04-08Shadows over InnistradSOI 82015normalblackJason A. Engle
32021-11-19Crimson Vow CommanderVOC 802015normalblackJason A. Engle
42022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 6892015normalblackJason A. Engle
52023-03-21Shadows over Innistrad RemasteredSIR 182015normalblackJason A. Engle

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bygone Bishop has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2016-04-08 Casting a spell for an alternative cost, such as a madness cost, doesn't change its mana value. For example, casting Twins of Maurer Estate (a card with mana cost and madness cost ) for its madness cost will not cause Bygone Bishop's ability to trigger.
2016-04-08 If you sacrifice a Clue for another card's cost or effect, such as that of Angelic Purge or Tamiyo's Journal, you can't also pay and sacrifice it to draw a card.
2016-04-08 The token is named Clue Token and has the artifact subtype Clue. Clue isn't a creature type.
2016-04-08 The tokens are normal artifacts. For example, they can be sacrificed to cast Angelic Purge or targeted by Root Out.

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