Vesuvan Drifter MTG Card
2023-05-12 - Number 10
2023-05-12 - Number 194
2023-05-12 - Number 60
2023-05-12 - Number 110
2023-05-12 - Number 156
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Shapeshifter |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
Flying You may look at the top card of your library any time. At the beginning of each combat, you may reveal the top card of your library. If you reveal a creature card this way, Vesuvan Drifter becomes a copy of that card until end of turn, except it has flying.
Cards like Vesuvan Drifter
Vesuvan Drifter emerges as a unique contender in the pool of MTG spellshapers. When examining cards that echo its qualities, Merfolk Looter comes to mind, with its ability to draw and discard when tapping. Unlike Vesuvan Drifter, Merfolk Looter doesn’t necessitate mana to activate its ability, which can be pivotal during mana-tight situations. Another comparable card is Thought Courier, sharing the same draw and discard ability without a mana requirement, albeit with a different creature type.
Delving deeper into cards with kindred spirits, we find Aquamoeba, which, though not a spellshaper, offers tactical discard to alter its power and toughness, a strategic advantage in the right deck. Aquamoeba’s flexibility in combat can provide an unexpected edge. However, it lacks the card draw mechanic that makes Vesuvan Drifter a beneficial asset for fueling hand rotation.
The niche Vesuvan Drifter holds within MTG becomes clear when stacked against its counterparts. It blends the spellshaper qualities with a potential upside in mana utilization, a factor that could tip the scales in prolonged matches where every resource counts.
Cards similar to Vesuvan Drifter by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Vesuvan Drifter. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Omni-Tell | Legacy | Omni-Tell | 2 LPL OPEN - SEASON V - Liga Paulista Legacy |
| Sneak and Show | Legacy | Sneak and Show | Legacy Preliminary 2024-02-26 (1) |
| Dimir Reanimator | Legacy | Reanimator | 2 Etapa - 3 Liga Legacy Jundia |
| Izzet Show and Tell | Legacy | Sneak and Show | Charlotte Legacy League Season 1 Week 10 |
 | WUBRG | Standard | Traditional Standard Ranked Decklists: February 26, 2024 | |
| Dimir Combo | Legacy | Omni-Tell | 2 LPL OPEN - SEASON V - Liga Paulista Legacy |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Vesuvan Drifter offers players the ability to improve their hand by manipulating the top card of their library, potentially sifting through unwanted draws and consequently bolstering their strategic options.
Resource Acceleration: When Vesuvan Drifter is in play, it can help you accelerate your resources by efficiently fixing your mana base, ensuring you have the right colors available for upcoming turns and enabling smoother gameplay.
Instant Speed: The flexibility of Vesuvan Drifter’s morph ability to turn face up at instant speed means you can adeptly react to your opponent’s moves, keeping them guessing while you maximize the value of your spells and creatures.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Vesuvan Drifter requires you to discard a card, which could be counterproductive if your hand is already depleted of options or if you’re trying to maintain card advantage against your opponent.
Specific Mana Cost: Vesuvan Drifter’s casting cost demands both blue and generic mana. This necessity can restrict deck-building options, especially for decks that aim to operate on a single color or have stringent mana base requirements.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that leans towards the higher side for its body and abilities, Vesuvan Drifter may not be the most mana-efficient creature in a game where speed and efficiency are often key to victory.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Vesuvan Drifter fits seamlessly into a variety of blue-based control and combo decks. Its morph ability adds an element of surprise and gives players the flexibility to adapt to the evolving game state.
Combo Potential: When flipped face up, the Drifter aligns well with strategies aiming to manipulate the top card of the deck. It synergizes with library and draw manipulation mechanics, adding depth to combo executions.
Meta-Relevance: As the game environment often includes powerful single threats, Vesuvan Drifter’s ability to essentially ‘scry’ away an unwanted card can be pivotal in finding the right answers or setting up a key play.
How to beat
Vesuvan Drifter emerges as an intriguing blue creature card in Magic: The Gathering, laden with the potential for tactical plays. Its Morph ability allows it to be played face down as a creature for three generic mana and then turned face up for its morph cost if you control an Island. This face-down tactic keeps opponents guessing and can lead to some surprises during gameplay.
To counteract the strategic advantage that Vesuvan Drifter offers, one effective method is to utilize removal spells that don’t target, like “Wrath of God” which can clear the board without needing to know the identity of the face-down creature. Additionally, cards that prevent your opponent from playing spells with morph, or that reveal their hand, like “Telepathy”, can disrupt the mystery and strategy around Morph cards. Finally, you could focus on applying pressure with fast aggro decks to overtake the slower setup required for cards like Vesuvan Drifter to have an impact.
In brief, while Vesuvan Drifter can offer strong utility and unpredictability within a Magic: The Gathering match, there are several tactics players can employ to mitigate its effectiveness and maintain control over the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Vesuvan Drifter MTG card by a specific set like March of the Machine: The Aftermath and March of the Machine: The Aftermath, 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 Vesuvan Drifter 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 Vesuvan Drifter Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-05-12 and 2023-05-12. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-05-12 | March of the Machine: The Aftermath | MAT | 10 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Julia Metzger | |
| 2 | 2023-05-12 | March of the Machine: The Aftermath | MAT | 194 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Serena Malyon | |
| 3 | 2023-05-12 | March of the Machine: The Aftermath | MAT | 60 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Serena Malyon | |
| 4 | 2023-05-12 | March of the Machine: The Aftermath | MAT | 110 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Julia Metzger | |
| 5 | 2023-05-12 | March of the Machine: The Aftermath | MAT | 156 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Julia Metzger |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Vesuvan Drifter 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 Vesuvan Drifter card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-05-12 | Any non-copy effect that began to apply to Vesuvan Drifter before it became a copy of a creature card will continue to apply to it after it becomes a copy. Auras and Equipment attached to Vesuvan Drifter will continue to work, as well as counters that change its power and toughness. |
| 2023-05-12 | If the copied creature card has in its mana cost, X is 0. |
| 2023-05-12 | If the top card of your library changes while you're casting a spell, playing a land, or activating an ability, you can't look at the new top card until you finish doing so. This means that if you cast the top card of your library, you can't look at the next one until you're done paying for that spell. |
| 2023-05-12 | Notably, while Vesuvan Drifter is a copy of another card, it doesn't have its own abilities. You won't be able to look at the top card of your library unless another effect allows you to do so. |
| 2023-05-12 | Vesuvan Drifter copies exactly what was printed on the original creature card and nothing else, except it has flying. |
| 2023-05-12 | Vesuvan Drifter lets you look at the top card of your library whenever you want (with one restriction—see below), even if you don't have priority. This action doesn't use the stack. Knowing what that card is becomes part of the information you have access to, just like you can look at the cards in your hand. |