Tome of Gadwick MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Artifact — Equipment |
| Abilities | Conjure,Equip |
| Released | 2023-10-10 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Alchemy: Wilds of Eldraine |
| Set code | YWOE |
| Number | 6 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Maxime Minard |
Key Takeaways
- Tome of Gadwick excels in card advantage, replenishing your hand during blue spell casts.
- It indirectly speeds up resource access, allowing for more spells and a dominant game position.
- The instant-speed ability of Tome of Gadwick offers strategic flexibility and maintains game tempo.
Text of card
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, conjure a random card from Tome of Gadwick's spellbook into your hand. Equip
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Tome of Gadwick provides a significant edge by enabling you to draw additional cards each time you cast a blue spell. This capability ensures that you keep your hand replenished, supporting sustained control throughout the match.
Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, Tome of Gadwick can indirectly accelerate resources. The more spells you cast, the more cards you draw, therefore increasing the likelihood of drawing into further mana sources or key spells that can alter the game in your favor.
Instant Speed: The utility of Tome of Gadwick isn’t bound to your main phase. Its triggered ability can happen at instant speed whenever you cast a blue spell, granting you the flexibility to respond to an opponent’s actions and still reap the rewards of drawing cards, maintaining the tempo and pressure.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Tome of Gadwick compels players to discard a card, a potentially unfavorable trade-off when options are few or hand size is critical.
Specific Mana Cost: Casting Tome of Gadwick requires a precise blend of mana, predominantly blue, which can restrict its integration into multicolor strategies that might run tighter on blue sources.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a demand for three blue mana and one of any type, Tome of Gadwick’s entry fee is steep, especially when measured against other draw spells or blue engines that can activate for less and potentially yield similar or greater rewards.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Tome of Gadwick offers a unique flexibility for blue-focused decks. It thrives in environments where drawing cards is paramount and can be a source of continuous advantage, adapting to both aggressive and controlling strategies.
Combo Potential: This card shines in combination with spells that you’re casting on your opponents’ turns, potentially unlocking untapped mana for future plays. Its synergies with instant-speed interactions elevate its utility within various combo frameworks.
Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to scale with the game, Tome of Gadwick maintains relevance in changing metas, especially where longer games prevail and consistent card draw becomes crucial. Its presence on the field can prove to be a persistent threat that opponents must address.
How to beat
Tome of Gadwick is a unique card in Magic: The Gathering, offering both card draw and control elements in one versatile package. When looking to outmaneuver it, consider its weaknesses. It demands a high mana investment, especially to get the most value from the X cost in its draw ability, often leaving players less mana available to respond during their turn.
One effective strategy is to apply early-game pressure, not allowing the Tome of Gadwick player to comfortably set aside mana to utilize its abilities. Aggressive decks can overwhelm such a player before they’re able to draw a significant number of cards and gain an advantage. It’s also vulnerable to instant-speed removal spells that can disrupt the card draw sequence before it yields benefits, thus wasting mana spent.
Additionally, cards that restrict spellcasting or abilities can stifle Tome of Gadwick’s effectiveness. This includes cards that silence activated abilities or impose additional costs on spells and abilities. Keeping a pace that forces the Tome player to use mana inefficiently or disrupt their game plan with direct player interactions is key. Ultimately, speed and disruption are essential tools in neutralizing Tome of Gadwick’s potential impact on the game.
Cards like Tome of Gadwick
The Tome of Gadwick stands out in the array of blue spells that revolve around card draw and utility in Magic: The Gathering. When we look at card comparison, it draws a parallel with Academy Loremaster. Much like the Tome, the Loremaster also allows card draw whenever you cast a blue spell, however, it doesn’t offer the same flexibility of X-spell value that the Tome of Gadwick does. The Loremaster provides a steady draw but lacks the burst potential of the Tome which can provide a substantial card advantage in one go.
Another card worth examining is Jace’s Ingenuity, which delivers an instant-speed injection of cards into your hand. While it doesn’t have the repeatable aspect of the Tome of Gadwick, it’s a definitive way to refill your hand in the late game. Jace’s Ingenuity locks you into drawing three cards for five mana, whereas the Tome of Gadwick can be scaled according to the needs of the moment, potentially drawing more cards or aligning perfectly with your available mana.
Overall, Tome of Gadwick holds a unique place with its combination of scalability and the added upside of tapping down opponent’s creatures. This provides MTG players with both a card draw engine and a tactical advantage on the battlefield.
Cards similar to Tome of Gadwick by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Tome of Gadwick MTG card by a specific set like Alchemy: Wilds of Eldraine, 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 Tome of Gadwick and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Tome of Gadwick has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |