Artful Looter MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Wizard
Released	2004-11-19
Set symbol
Set name	Unhinged
Set code	UNH
Power	1
Toughness	2
Number	25
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Silver
Illustred by	Heather “Erica Gassalasca-Jape” Hudson
Un-set :-)	This card is part of an Un-set

Key Takeaways

Artful Looter facilitates better deck flow, allowing for crucial card access when needed.
Instant speed activation offers strategic advantage in adapting game play.
Discarding cards can be costly when resources are low, demanding careful hand management.

Text of card

: Draw a card, then discard a card. Whenever a permanent comes into play that shares an artist with another permanent you control, untap Artful Looter.

PRICELESS PIC PILFERED Painting Found Abandoned in Graveyard Merfolk Decry Wizards' Treatment

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Artful Looter card enables you to draw a card and then discard a card, facilitating a cycling effect that promotes a healthy flow in your deck and increases your potential to access critical cards when needed.

Resource Acceleration: By consistently cycling your deck with Artful Looter, you enhance your chances of drawing into your mana sources or other ramp spells, indirectly contributing to your resource acceleration.

Instant Speed: Activating Artful Looter’s ability at instant speed delivers a strategic edge by ensuring you can adapt to the flow of the game, maximizing your options while keeping opponents uncertain of your next move.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Artful Looter card requires players to discard a card to activate its looting ability. This requirement can be a hurdle in gameplay, especially when your hand is already depleted of non-essential or low-value cards. The necessity to discard can force tough decisions and may sometimes lead to a loss of important resources.

Specific Mana Cost: With a specific mana requirement that includes blue mana, the Artful Looter card might not seamlessly fit into all deck types. This mana constraint can be particularly challenging for multi-color decks that already struggle with mana consistency. For decks not heavily featuring blue, Artful Looter could remain a reluctant bystander in your hand more often than not.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its potential for card filtering, Artful Looter comes at a comparatively steep mana cost for its effect. In the realm of MTG, there exist alternatives that provide similar or even more advantageous card-draw effects for a lower mana investment. This can make Artful Looter a less-than-optimal choice for players looking to optimize their mana curve and maximize efficiency.

Reasons to Include Artful Looter in Your Collection

Versatility: Artful Looter provides consistent card filtering ability, making it a valuable addition to any deck that aims for draw consistency. Whether you’re digging for answers or setting up combo pieces, it’s a utility player in various colors.

Combo Potential: This card’s loot ability can synergize with graveyard strategies, enabling powerful combos by discarding the right cards. It’s a key part in any deck looking to harness the power of the graveyard.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where information and card selection are king, Artful Looter holds its own. Its capacity to sift through your deck each turn ensures you remain adaptable to rapidly changing game states.

How to beat

Artful Looter in MTG presents a unique challenge with its ability to draw and discard cards, managing to alter the flow of the game by filtering a player’s hand. In its essence, Artful Looter enables a consistent cycling of cards which can be quite troublesome if not addressed quickly. To counter this card, focusing on swift removal spells or abilities that can target the Artful Looter directly is key. It’s also valuable to keep in mind any graveyard interaction your opponent may benefit from as a result of discards.

Tactics such as instant-speed removal like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can be particularly effective before the looter’s controller has an opportunity to use its draw and discard ability. Similarly, using cards that restrict actions during an opponent’s turn, for instance, Teferi, Time Raveler, can shut down Artful Looter’s impact in a match. If the looter is part of a combo, disrupting other combo pieces is also a viable strategy. Lastly, keeping pressure on your opponent’s resources and life total can divert their strategy away from fully utilizing Artful Looter’s potential.

Through strategic deck building and responsive gameplay, overcoming the card-drawing advantage that Artful Looter offers is entirely feasible, keeping you one step ahead in the game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Artful Looter MTG card by a specific set like Unhinged, 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 Artful Looter and other MTG cards: