Ingenious Mastery MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Abilities Scry,Treasure

Key Takeaways

  1. This card’s option to draw three cards or impose a choice on an opponent makes it highly adaptable.
  2. Creating two Treasure tokens for resource acceleration aids multicolor decks and complex strategies.
  3. Ingenious Mastery’s instant speed casting can catch opponents off guard and optimize mana usage.

Text of card

You may pay rather than pay this spell's mana cost. If the cost was paid, you draw three cards, then an opponent creates two Treasure tokens and they scry 2. If that cost wasn't paid, you draw X cards.


Card Pros

The Ingenious Mastery offers several strategic benefits for players looking to enhance their game plan. Below you’ll find why this card has become a valued part of many players’ decks:

Card Advantage: Ingenious Mastery is known for its versatility, especially when splurging for the higher mana cost. When cast for its full cost, it not only refills your hand with three new cards but also imposes a choice upon an opponent to either grant you two more cards or allow you to cast a five-mana spell for just three mana. This can result in a substantial card advantage, keeping your resources fresh and options open.

Resource Acceleration: If you’re casting the card for its reduced cost, it provides an immediate resource acceleration by creating two Treasure tokens. These tokens are incredibly useful, not only providing extra mana but also assisting in color fixing, which could be crucial for multi-color decks needing that extra push toward casting their more demanding spells.

Instant Speed: Casting spells at instant speed gives players an edge, keeping opponents guessing about the full range of actions available to them. Ingenious Mastery can be cast at the end of your opponent’s turn, allowing you to maintain open mana during their turn for potential responses or end-step surprises. It integrates seamlessly into strategies that aim to optimize mana usage and maintain a reactive posture.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Ingenious Mastery necessitates the sacrifice of card advantage, as it mandates you to discard a card unless you pay the optional cost. This characteristic can impede your momentum, especially in situations where maintaining a full hand is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s triple blue mana requirement can be restrictive, preferring decks solidly grounded in blue mana sources. This limits deck building flexibility and can strain mana bases that aren’t dedicated to heavy blue influence.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its baseline cost being high, Ingenious Mastery isn’t always the most mana-efficient spell. When considering other spells in the same mana range, some players may find alternatives that provide similar or more significant effects without conditional costs.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Ingenious Mastery is a card that can slot into a range of blue-centric decks, offering control players the flexibility of a scalable spell. You can tailor its casting cost to your current needs—whether that’s to gain an immediate card advantage or to manipulate the flow of the game.

Combo Potential: With its unique ability to draw cards, Ingenious Mastery pairs well with strategies centered around hand size or spell casting triggers. It’s a dynamic enabler that works hand-in-hand with archetypes looking to capitalize on casting multiple spells in a single turn or those that benefit from filling the graveyard with instant and sorcery cards.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where adaptability is key, Ingenious Mastery’s multifaceted nature keeps it relevant. Particularly in formats where the tempo can swing widely, having a tool that can be tailored to the current game state can tip the scales in your favor.


How to beat

Ingenious Mastery is an intriguing spell in MTG, offering players a versatile option for drawing cards. Like other spells that allow card drawing, Ingenious Mastery can be quite a boon for the caster, offering the potential for drawing three cards at a base level and up to five for additional mana. To effectively counter this card, consider utilizing instant-speed disruption. Cards like Negate or Dovin’s Veto are excellent tools for hindering your opponent’s plans, particularly as they attempt to leverage the card drawing advantage of Ingenious Mastery.

Always keep an eye on your opponent’s mana pool; if they’re reserving enough to tap into the Mastery’s pricier modes, be ready to respond. Also, employ hand disruption techniques. Cards such as Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek can remove Ingenious Mastery from your opponent’s grip before they get a chance to cast it. By proactively managing the board and maintaining control over your opponent’s hand and mana, you can mitigate the impact of Ingenious Mastery and keep the game in your favor.

Magic: The Gathering thrives on the push and pull of in-game resources. Knowing when to disrupt your opponent’s plays is just as important as executing your own strategy. Keep these tips in mind, and Ingenious Mastery won’t stand in your way.


BurnMana Recommendations

The world of MTG is an ever-evolving battlefield where the ingenious synergies and strategies set the cornerstone for victory. Ingenious Mastery is a card that exemplifies this with its card drawing potential and its utility in various game scenarios. Whether you’re scaling up for a high-stakes draw or tactically accelerating your resources in crucial moments, this card can pivot your strategy efficiently. Enhance your blue-centric decks and embrace the adaptability offered by Ingenious Mastery to navigate the shifting tides of the game. To further refine your gameplay and discover the full capabilities of this intriguing spell, we invite you to continue learning and integrating this powerful card into your decks. Mastery awaits.


Cards like Ingenious Mastery

Ingenious Mastery is a versatile spell that offers players of Magic: The Gathering a nuanced choice for drawing cards. It stands shoulder to shoulder with spells such as Ponder or Preordain, which allow for card selection and card draw. However, what makes Ingenious Mastery distinct is its flexible cost, providing options to either pay the full cost for additional benefits or a reduced cost with a penalty.

Comparatively, we have Tezzeret’s Gambit, which draws two cards and has the bonus of proliferating. While it lacks the scalability of Ingenious Mastery, this alternative rewards you with the advancement of counters across the field. Then, Compulsive Research comes into play with a different angle, compelling one to discard unless a land card is discarded. Compulsive Research offers a fixed benefit at a fixed cost, which contrasts the modularity that Ingenious Mastery brings to a player’s strategy.

To summarize, while there are many card drawing options in Magic: The Gathering, Ingenious Mastery with its adaptable approach to card draw and resource management potentially offers a higher ceiling of advantage based on the game’s context and the player’s strategic aspirations.

Ponder - MTG Card versions
Preordain - MTG Card versions
Tezzeret's Gambit - MTG Card versions
Compulsive Research - MTG Card versions
Ponder - MTG Card versions
Preordain - MTG Card versions
Tezzeret's Gambit - MTG Card versions
Compulsive Research - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ingenious Mastery MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Strixhaven: School of Mages, 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 Ingenious Mastery and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ingenious Mastery Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-04-23 and 2021-04-24. Illustrated by Cristi Balanescu.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 900242015NormalBlackCristi Balanescu
22021-04-23Strixhaven: School of MagesSTX 442015NormalBlackCristi Balanescu
32021-04-23Strixhaven: School of MagesSTX 2972015NormalBlackCristi Balanescu
42021-04-24Strixhaven: School of Mages PromosPSTX 44p2015NormalBlackCristi Balanescu
52021-04-24Strixhaven: School of Mages PromosPSTX 44s2015NormalBlackCristi Balanescu

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ingenious Mastery 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 Ingenious Mastery card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2021-04-16 If an effect increases or decreases the cost of spells you cast, that cost increase or decrease is applied to the alternative cost you chose to pay. In that case, the cost was still paid for the purposes of the effect, even if you paid more or less for it when it was cast.
2021-04-16 If you choose to pay one alternative cost, you can’t pay any other alternative costs. For example, if an effect lets you cast a “Mastery” spell “without paying its mana cost,” you can’t also choose to pay its given alternative cost.
2021-04-16 If you copy a “Mastery” spell and the alternative cost was paid, the copy will resolve as though the cost was paid.
2021-04-16 In a multiplayer game, you choose which opponent takes the prescribed action as the spell resolves.
2021-04-16 The mana value of a spell on the stack is determined by its mana cost, not any alternative costs you used to pay for it.

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