The Apprentice's Folly MTG Card


Offers card selection and potential mana acceleration, enhancing strategies that utilize the graveyard. Presents a flexible tool at instant speed, allowing for adaptive play and complex strategy integration. Demands strategic hand management due to its discard requirement, specific mana costs, and potential risks.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment — Saga

Text of card

(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter. Sacrifice after III.) I, II — Choose target nontoken creature you control that doesn't have the same name as a token you control. Create a token that's a copy of it, except it isn't legendary, is a Reflection in addition to its other types, and has haste. III — Sacrifice all Reflections you control.


Cards like The Apprentice's Folly

The Apprentice’s Folly is an intriguing entry in the Magic: The Gathering universe, especially when placed side by side with other cards that provide benefits at a detriment to oneself. When comparing it to the risk-reward playstyle, Tainted Pact is a card that immediately comes to mind. Tainted Pact allows a thorough search of one’s deck for a specific card but at the potential cost of significant exile. The Apprentice’s Folly, while similar in that it has a downside to its use, is arguably less risky than the all-in nature of Tainted Pact.

Demonic Consultation is another noteworthy relative in MTG that gives players the ability to seek out a needed card but can result in a large chunk of their library being exiled, making it a gamble. By contrast, The Apprentice’s Folly involves less risk but also provides less direct control over the outcome. Another similar card is Gamble, where a player searches their library for a card, then discards one at random; providing more immediate results but with a potential cost that could be higher depending on the luck of the draw.

Overall, The Apprentice’s Folly finds its niche by allowing players some degree of control over their fortunes, balanced with a suspenseful chance of self-sabotage, a unique and enticing choice among MTG’s array of strategic options.

Tainted Pact - MTG Card versions
Demonic Consultation - MTG Card versions
Gamble - MTG Card versions
Tainted Pact - MTG Card versions
Demonic Consultation - MTG Card versions
Gamble - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using The Apprentice's Folly. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
5c Midrange5c Midrange Standard5c MidrangeTraditional Standard Ranked Decklists: May 13, 2024

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Apprentice’s Folly gives players the potential to sift through the top four cards of their library, selecting the most beneficial one to advance their game plan while sending the rest to the graveyard, which could be advantageous in decks that utilize graveyard mechanics.

Resource Acceleration: As a spell that falls within the realm of resource acceleration, this card stands out by possibly providing a mana boost. Players can unearth a land card among the top cards of their library, placing it onto the battlefield and setting the stage for more grandiose spells to follow suit.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast The Apprentice’s Folly at instant speed grants players the flexibility to adapt to the unfolding game. It can be a strategic asset, allowing you to react during your opponent’s turn or opportunistically after they have committed to their own plays.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Apprentice’s Folly demands that you discard a card to harness its magic. This prerequisite can be cumbersome, especially when your hand is already stretched thin, or the available cards are crucial for your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting The Apprentice’s Folly requires a precise blend of mana, including both colorless and specific color mana. This can create limitations for decks that aren’t optimized for such a cost, potentially slowing down your game plan.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that leans on the higher side for its intended effect, it may be sidelined in favor of cards with a lower cost yet similar or even superior capabilities. This often leads players to evaluate their deck composition, considering whether the trade-off in mana is truly worth the outcome.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Apprentice’s Folly brings a unique twist to any spell-focused deck. It functions well in environments that reward players for casting multiple spells or that utilize spell recursion.

Combo Potential: This card shines when paired with spell-copying effects or cards that benefit from noncreature spells being cast. It provides a strategic angle to weave new combos or enhance existing ones.

Meta-Relevance: Given a metagame that favors spellslinger or storm decks, The Apprentice’s Folly could become a key component, helping to maintain tempo while progressing your game plan.


How to beat

Understanding your opponent’s strategy is crucial when facing The Apprentice’s Folly in Magic: The Gathering. This peculiar card can turn the tides of a match by offering a chance to cast a powerful spell without paying its mana cost. In essence, it can either be a remarkable game-changer or a potential trap for the unwary player.

To effectively counter The Apprentice’s Folly, it’s vital to adopt a disruption-centric approach. Instants that negate spells or abilities, such as Dispel or Counterspell, are your allies here. By keeping mana open during the opponent’s turn, you’re always ready to thwart their high-stake gambles. Additionally, hand disruption tactics can prevent The Apprentice’s Folly from even being activated. Thoughtseize or Duress, applied early, can extract this card from your opponent’s grip before it becomes a real problem.

Foresight is your best defense. Being one step ahead allows you to mitigate the risks posed by this card. Monitor the game state closely and use your disruption judiciously. In doing so, you can transform The Apprentice’s Folly from a daunting threat into a manageable obstacle and maintain control over the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Deepening your understanding of MTG means mastering the art of strategic card play and The Apprentice’s Folly is no exception. This card offers a blend of potential card advantage, resource acceleration, and instant-speed flexibility, paired with a few trade-offs. Whether it’s fine-tuning your spellslinger deck, leveraging graveyard synergies, or intensifying combo potential, this card could pivot your strategy to a new level. Even as you consider the risks of its specific mana cost and discard requirement, remember that every card has its place. Come journey with us as we unearth more insights and strategies to optimize your gameplay with The Apprentice’s Folly. Join the BurnMana community and transform your deck into a formidable collection that rivals any challenger.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase The Apprentice's Folly MTG card by a specific set like Wilds of Eldraine Promos and Wilds of Eldraine Promos, 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 Apprentice's Folly and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The The Apprentice's Folly Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2023-09-08 and 2023-09-08. Illustrated by Tuan Duong Chu.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine PromosPWOE 200s2015SagaBlackTuan Duong Chu
22023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine PromosPWOE 200p2015SagaBlackTuan Duong Chu
32023-09-08Wilds of EldraineWOE 2002015SagaBlackTuan Duong Chu

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where The Apprentice's Folly has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2023-09-01 Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when the token enters the battlefield. Any "as
-his creature] enters the battlefield" or "
-his creature] enters the battlefield with" abilities of the creature will also work.
2023-09-01 Except for the listed exceptions, the token copies exactly what was printed on the original creature and nothing else (unless that permanent is itself copying something else; see below). It doesn't copy whether that permanent is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras attached to it, or any non-copy effects that have changed its power, toughness, types, color, and so on.
2023-09-01 If something becomes a copy of the token, the copy is also a Reflection in addition to its other types, has haste, and isn't legendary.
2023-09-01 If the copied creature has in its mana cost, X is 0.
2023-09-01 If the copied creature is copying something else, then the token enters the battlefield as whatever that creature copied, with the stated exceptions.