Tenured Inkcaster MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When Tenured Inkcaster enters the battlefield or attacks, it endows you with the potential to proliferate. Proliferating can effectively increase the number of counters on your permanents, including +1/+1 counters on creatures or loyalty counters on planeswalkers, and this can translate into a substantial advantage over your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: By amplifying the number of counters across your permanents, Tenured Inkcaster enhances the resources at your disposal. This synergizes well with strategies that capitalize on +1/+1 counters, essentially speeding up your game plan and making your board state more formidable.

Instant Speed: While Tenured Inkcaster itself is a creature and not played at instant speed, its ability to immediately impact the board can put your opponent at a disadvantage during their turn. For instance, any instantaneous effects or spells that add counters to your creatures will be more valuable as you can proliferate them right away with Tenured Inkcaster’s trigger.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Tenured Inkcaster requires a player to discard a card when its ability is triggered. This can be a setback when you’re already behind or if your hand contains crucial cards that you can’t afford to lose.

Specific Mana Cost: The Inkcaster comes with a specific mana cost including black mana, which can be restrictive if your deck isn’t built to support heavy black mana demands or if you’re struggling to draw the right land types in a multicolored deck.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana cost being on the higher side, Tenured Inkcaster faces stiff competition from other creatures that offer more immediate board presence or that are lower on the mana curve, potentially making it a less favorable option during deck construction or in play.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Tenured Inkcaster offers a unique blend of abilities that support counter-centric builds, making it a great fit for a variety of decks, particularly those focused on +1/+1 counters.

Combo Potential: With its ability to distribute additional +1/+1 counters whenever you proliferate, the Inkcaster can be the linchpin in combos that magnify the power of your creatures significantly.

Meta-Relevance: As players constantly search for edges in evolving meta-games, Tenured Inkcaster can be a solid inclusion in strategies that aim to outlast opponents through incremental advantage and board presence.

How to beat

The Tenured Inkcaster presents a unique challenge on the battlefield, adept at bolstering your opponents’ creatures by distributing +1/+1 counters each time they proliferate. However, its strength can become its downfall with the right strategy. To neutralize this persistent threat, prioritize removal spells. Consider instant-speed removal like Path to Exile or Fatal Push to dispatch the Inkcaster before the proliferation effect can compound. Board wipes such as Wrath of God or Damnation can also reset the playing field, clearing away any counters the Inkcaster may have already distributed.

Disturb your opponent’s graveyard strategy, as Tenured Inkcaster tends to thrive in decks that play with the graveyard. Graveyard hate cards like Relic of Progenitus or Leyline of the Void can halt the Inkcaster’s synergies in their tracks. Don’t underestimate the power of playing around the Inkcaster’s abilities. Be tactical with your creature plays and removal, ensuring that you maintain a clear board and prevent any counters from accumulating. With careful timing and targeted disruption, you can effectively manage and eventually outpace the threat posed by Tenured Inkcaster.