The Ancient One MTG Card
2023-11-17 - Number 319
2023-11-17 - Number 222
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Spirit God |
| Abilities | Descend,Mill |
| Power | 8 |
| Toughness | 8 |
Text of card
Descend 8 — The Ancient One can't attack or block unless there are eight or more permanent cards in your graveyard. : Draw a card, then discard a card. When you discard a card this way, target player mills cards equal to its mana value.
Cards like The Ancient One
The presence of The Ancient One in any MTG player’s deck is a game-changer, primarily due to its sheer power in comparison to other creatures. When looking at similar cards, one can draw parallels with other high-cost creatures like Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger. While Ulamog offers immediate board impact by exiling two permanents upon casting, The Ancient One requires setup to unlock its full potential, setting up for a more prolonged advantage in the game.
Another card that resonates with The Ancient One’s strategy is Blightsteel Colossus. This behemoth also brings an intimidating presence to the battlefield along with indestructible and one-hit knockout potential. However, The Ancient One provides a different kind of inevitability with abilities that can dominate the game over time. Lastly, consider Emrakul, the Aeons Torn as a comparative card—it brings game-ending capabilities upon its cast, but it also lacks The Ancient One’s potential for continuous, repeatable impact on the game state.
Evaluating these counterparts, it’s clear that The Ancient One holds a unique position. With the right support and strategy, this card can outmatch others in its class, offering persistent value that can dictate the flow of any MTG match.
Cards similar to The Ancient One by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using The Ancient One. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Dimir Midrange | Standard | Dimir Midrange | Standard Challenge 64 2024-03-10 |
 | Four-color Mill | Gladiator | Sword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 11 2024 | |
 | Dimir Aggro | Standard | Dimir Aggro | Standard Preliminary 2024-03-11 |
 | Sultai Reanimator | Gladiator | Gladiator Proving Grounds: Week 09 2024 | |
| Sultai Some Brand of Cereal | Gladiator | Sword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 09 2024 | |
 | Decklist | Free form | Torino Tournament - Lost Caverns of Ixalan | |
 | 4c Insidious Roots | Standard | 4c Insidious Roots | Standard Preliminary 2024-02-19 |
 | Sultai Control | Standard | Sultai Graveyard | NRG Series $5,000 Showdown - Chicagoland, Illinois (Standard) |
 | UBRG | Standard | Traditional Standard Ranked Decklists: February 5, 2024 | |
 | Sultai Aggro | Pioneer | Sultai Fight Rigging | ReCQ - Pioneer - SCG CON Hartford - Friday - 1:30 pm (Bronze) |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Ancient One’s ability to grant extra card draws is a massive boon for players striving to outpace their opponents in resources. By refilling your hand, you perpetuate pressure and options on the board, tipping the scales in your favor.
Resource Acceleration: This formidable card provides an exceptional ramping mechanism, catapulting you ahead in the race for mana. The acceleration it offers not only bolsters your board state but also permits casting of high-cost spells earlier than usual, which can be a decisive factor in many matches.
Instant Speed: The flexibility of instant speed interaction cannot be understated. With the capability to act in the blink of an eye, it allows for strategic plays that can adapt to shifting game states, maximize turn efficiency, and expertly navigate complex combat situations or an opponent’s end step.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: For a card like The Ancient One, playing it could be contingent on discarding other cards, a significant downside when your hand is already depleted or you’re forced to part with key elements of your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: The Ancient One demands a precise combination of mana colors, which could pose deck building restrictions and reduce flexibility. Players must carefully engineer their mana base to accommodate such a demand, potentially at the cost of deck diversity.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The resource commitment to summon The Ancient One is substantial. In a fast-paced game, allocating such a large portion of your resources might impede the development of your board presence, giving your opponent an opportunity to seize the upper hand.
Reasons to Include The Ancient One in Your Collection
Versatility: The Ancient One is a card that offers flexibility across various deck themes. Its ability to act as a formidable threat with game-changing power levels makes it a solid addition to decks aiming to overpower opponents through sheer force.
Combo Potential: This card’s unique interaction with other spells and permanents can create impactful synergies. Deckbuilders often explore combinations that can bring The Ancient One into play earlier or utilize its abilities for maximum effect.
Meta-Relevance: For players keen on keeping up with competitive play, integrating The Ancient One into a collection can prove advantageous. It holds potential to shift the dynamics in matches where high-powered creatures dictate the pace and outcome of the game.
How to Beat
The Ancient One is a commanding force within the game of Magic: The Gathering, presenting a formidable challenge to opponents. Its vast power and toughness make it a towering presence on the battlefield, and dealing with this leviathan requires strategic planning. The key to triumphing over The Ancient One lies in the realms of removal, counterspells, and transformation effects that neutralize its unparalleled strength.
Deploying efficient removal spells such as Path to Exile or Doom Blade can effectively exile or destroy The Ancient One before its dominance is fully established. Alternatively, counterspells like Mana Leak or Counterspell can prevent The Ancient One from ever entering the fray, maintaining control of the game state. Transformation effects like Imprisoned in the Moon also offer a unique solution, turning The Ancient One into a land, thereby negating its impact.
Understanding the dynamics and intricacies of each strategy enables players to prepare their decks to face such colossal creatures. With careful consideration of these tactics, players can mitigate the threat of The Ancient One and pave the way to victory in their Magic: The Gathering matches.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase The Ancient One MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, 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 The Ancient One and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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
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Printings
The The Ancient One Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-11-17 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-11-17 | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan | LCI | 319 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Clint Lockwood | |
| 2 | 2023-11-17 | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan | LCI | 222 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Victor Adame Minguez |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where The Ancient One has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering The Ancient One card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-11-10 | Cards with the ability word "descend N" have abilities that care if you have at least N permanent cards in your graveyard. |
| 2023-11-10 | Once The Ancient One has legally attacked or blocked, removing permanent cards from your graveyard so the descend 8 ability no longer applies won't remove The Ancient One from combat. |
| 2023-11-10 | Some descend triggered abilities include intervening "if" clauses (i.e. "if you have -our or eight] permanent cards in your graveyard" in the middle of the ability). Each of these abilities checks your graveyard at the moment it would trigger to see if it does. If you don't have the required number of permanent cards in your graveyard at that time, the ability doesn't trigger at all. If it does trigger, it will check again as it tries to resolve. If you don't have the required number of permanent cards in your graveyard at that time, the ability won't resolve and none of its effects will happen. |
| 2023-11-10 | You don't choose a target for The Ancient One's activated ability at the time you activate it. Rather, a second "reflexive" ability triggers when you discard a card this way. You choose a target for that ability as it goes on the stack. Each player may respond to this triggered ability as normal. |