Student of Ojutai MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Student of Ojutai lets you tap into consistent card draw mechanics, particularly effective in decks aiming to gain life. Each instance of life gain translates directly into drawing cards, ensuring a steady flow of resources throughout the game.

Resource Acceleration: While Student of Ojutai itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its ability to churn through the deck increases the likelihood of drawing into land drops or mana ramp spells. This indirect resource acceleration can be pivotal in sustaining a mana curve that allows you to cast more impactful spells sooner.

Instant Speed: This creature benefits from instant-speed spells and effects that trigger its life gain ability, such as instants that prevent damage or destroy attacking creatures, resulting in life gain and hence, card draw, on an opponent’s turn. The ability to interact and garner advantage on an opponent’s turn adds to the strategic depth and versatility of play.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Student of Ojutai offers a lifegain benefit on casting noncreature spells, it does not avoid a common pitfall: it lacks card draw or discard abilities itself. This can lead to suboptimal situations where you might be unable to maintain card advantage over your opponents.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring a hybrid of white and blue mana, Student of Ojutai’s cost can be restrictive. Decks not committed to both colors may find it difficult to reliably cast this creature, reducing its versatility and confining it to more specific archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At four mana, Student of Ojutai comes into play later than ideal. For the same cost, players might be able to cast more impactful creatures or spells which could better affect the board state or advance their game plan. The four-mana investment might not always align with the tempo of a given strategy, especially in formats where speed is key.

Reasons to Include Student of Ojutai in Your Collection

Versatility: Student of Ojutai lends itself well to a variety of decks that focus on casting noncreature spells. Given its ability to gain life with each noncreature spell you cast, it works nicely in strategies that involve a high volume of instants and sorceries, helping to stabilize your life total as you set up your plays.

Combo Potential: This creature pairs effectively with cards that allow you to cast multiple spells in one turn or with strategies that untap lands or creatures, thus potentially gaining you substantial amounts of life in decks that can chain spells together. The life gain can be used as a resource for cards that require life payments or to activate abilities that are contingent on having a higher life total.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment dominated by aggressive decks, Student of Ojutai can serve as a bulwark against the tide of damage coming your way. Every spell not only furthers your game plan but also fortifies your life total, making you harder to take down and giving you the breathing room needed to execute your strategy.

How to beat

Student of Ojutai is a familiar sight for those who tread the paths of lifegain strategies in Magic: The Gathering. With the ability to gain you life each time you cast a noncreature spell, this creature can quickly become a nuisance if left unchecked. To effectively overcome this card, consider using targeted removal spells before your opponent can leverage significant life gain. Efficient spells that can dispatch Student of Ojutai include Fatal Push, Path to Exile, or other instant-speed interactions that can disrupt your opponent’s plan without giving them a chance to gain life.

It’s also beneficial to pressure your opponent early in the game, so they have less time to set up their strategy around Student of Ojutai. Aggressive decks can outpace the incremental life gain by delivering substantial damage swiftly, making it less relevant. Moreover, you could utilize spells that negate the lifegain ability, such as Tainted Remedy, which turns their strength into a liability. Remember to monitor your opponent’s mana, anticipate their noncreature spells, and maintain control of the board state. By staying one step ahead, you’ll reduce the impact Student of Ojutai has on the game.