Trusted Advisor MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Advisor |
| Released | 2005-06-03 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Saviors of Kamigawa |
| Set code | SOK |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 59 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Jim Nelson |
Text of card
Your maximum hand size is increased by two. At the beginning of your upkeep, return a blue creature you control to its owner's hand.
Some of Minamo's students claimed he was as old as the knowledge he dispensed.
Cards like Trusted Advisor
Trusted Advisor, as a unique entity in the Magic: The Gathering universe, shares some functional similarities with cards that enable players to return creatures to their hand. Its most direct analog might be Whitemane Lion. Both cards have the ability to bring another creature back to the safety of the owner’s hand, but Trusted Advisor can be particularly useful as it allows this as a repeating action each turn. Unlike Whitemane Lion, however, Trusted Advisor is not as flexible, as its effect is limited to the upkeep phase and to blue creatures specifically.
Another comparable card is Quickling. Similar to Trusted Advisor, Quickling requires a creature to be bounced back to the hand as a cost. While Quickling is a one-time creature with flash, offering immediate board impact, Trusted Advisor is more of a strategic piece that can develop a player’s game plan over several turns. It does not provide the same immediate tactical advantage but offers a consistent value engine in creature-centric blue decks.
In terms of maintaining card advantage and allowing for repeatable interactions, cards like Quickling and Whitemane Lion serve as comparisons to Trusted Advisor. Each of these cards, with their bounce back mechanics, provide players with opportunities to reutilize their creatures’ enter-the-battlefield effects, but it’s Trusted Advisor’s repeatable nature that sets it apart.
Cards similar to Trusted Advisor by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Trusted Advisor offers a recurring mechanism to return a blue creature to your hand, maximizing your hand resources. This built-in repeatability can easily tip the balance by keeping your options loaded and ready to adapt to any board state.
Resource Acceleration: The ability to bounce blue creatures with Trusted Advisor facilitates combos and synergies that can accelerate your game plan. By reusing enter-the-battlefield effects or reactivating abilities of certain blue creatures, you effectively streamline your plays for optimal performance.
Instant Speed: While Trusted Advisor itself is not an instant, it interacts favorably with creatures that have flash. This allows you to establish a rhythm of play and response that keeps opponents guessing, making your strategy difficult to disrupt and ensuring that you’re always playing with the full extent of your resources.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Trusted Advisor comes with a drawback that requires you to return a blue creature you control to your hand at the beginning of your upkeep. This can be disadvantageous, especially when you’re aiming to build a strong board presence.
Specific Mana Cost: Trusted Advisor’s casting cost demands two blue mana, which can be tricky for multicolor decks. This focus on blue mana means it could be a challenge to cast in a deck that isn’t heavily weighted towards blue.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Even though Trusted Advisor’s mana cost isn’t high by most standards, for its utility ability, returning blue creatures to your hand can seem limited when compared to other cards at a similar mana point that offer more flexible or impactful board presence.
Reasons to Include Trusted Advisor in Your Collection
Versatility: Trusted Advisor is a flexible addition to blue-based decks, adept at recurring creatures with powerful enter-the-battlefield effects or helping to recover from countermagic by returning countered creatures to your hand for another cast attempt.
Combo Potential: This unassuming one-drop from the Saviors of Kamigawa set has synergies with cards like Aether Vial or Sanctum of Eternity, allowing for multiple uses of activated abilities or reusing cards that have tap effects, amplifying your strategic plays.
Meta-Relevance: With its ability to quickly reutilize key creatures, Trusted Advisor shines in a meta-game that’s heavy on interaction and removal. Keeping your pivotal creatures in hand rather than in the graveyard keeps you one step ahead of opponents.
How to beat
Trusted Advisor is a unique creature card that establishes a strong presence in Magic: The Gathering by potentially unlocking continuous card advantage and tempo play. Its ability to return blue creatures to its owner’s hand each turn can be both a blessing and a challenge for players. To disrupt this card’s advantage, consider employing removal spells that can deal with creatures at instant speed. Cards like Fatal Push, Path to Exile, or even a simple Shock can ensure the Advisor doesn’t sit on the board long enough to generate value.
Counterspells are also highly effective against this card. By countering Trusted Advisor on cast, you prevent it from ever taking effect. This proactive approach means you’re preserving your board state and keeping your opponent’s plays in check. Furthermore, making use of creature abilities that restrict or negate activated abilities can be a game-changer. Cards such as Pithing Needle or Phyrexian Revoker could be useful tools in your strategy to stop Trusted Advisor’s ability from affecting the game.
Beating Trusted Advisor entails timely disruption and taking control of the board. Maximizing these strategies ensures that your opponent’s plans are thwarted, allowing you to maintain the upper hand in the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Trusted Advisor MTG card by a specific set like Saviors of Kamigawa, 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 Trusted Advisor 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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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Trusted Advisor has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Trusted Advisor card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2009-10-01 | If multiple effects modify your hand size, apply them in timestamp order. For example, if you put Null Profusion (an enchantment that says your maximum hand size is two) onto the battlefield and then put Trusted Advisor onto the battlefield, your maximum hand size will be four. However, if those permanents entered the battlefield in the opposite order, your maximum hand size would be two. |