War Historian MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Monk |
| Abilities | Reach |
| Released | 2023-04-21 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | March of the Machine |
| Set code | MOM |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 214 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Ryan Valle |
Text of card
Reach War Historian has indestructible as long as it attacked a battle this turn.
All children on Kamigawa learn of the Kami War. Hostilities with beings from another reality were understood, and no time was wasted in disbelief.
Cards like War Historian
War Historian is an intriguing card that offers a strategic depth to Magic: The Gathering decks. It finds its parallels in cards like Sram, Senior Edificer, which similarly rewards players for casting spells tied to artifacts and auras. Both cards excel at generating card advantage for a deck when it focuses on these specific types of cards. War Historian, however, has its unique niche with its warfare influence, often interacting with equipment and vehicles, promoting a more combative playstyle.
On another note, Teshar, Ancestor’s Apostle echoes the vibe of War Historian by bringing back creatures with converted mana cost 3 or less from the graveyard to the battlefield whenever you cast a historic spell. While Teshar leans more towards recurrence and synergizes with a broader range of historic cards, War Historian emphasizes on drawing cards and building a strong board presence through equipped creatures or piloted vehicles. Teshar’s ability to recur creatures offers a relentless strategy, whereas War Historian fuels the hand and rewards strategic development during conflict.
In the grand tapestry of Magic: The Gathering cards that benefit from specialized build-around strategies, War Historian makes a strong case for inclusion in decks that emphasize warfare and equipment synergy, distinguishing itself with its unique draw mechanic and aggressive edge.
Cards similar to War Historian by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: War Historian offers the advantage of potentially drawing extra cards by revealing historic cards from the top of your library. This mechanic can bolster your hand, providing more options and strategies to outmaneuver opponents during gameplay.
Resource Acceleration: The ability to play historic spells with mana generated by War Historian helps in ramping up your resources more quickly. It can lead to overwhelming your adversaries by deploying more threats earlier than usual, setting a faster and more demanding pace in the match.
Instant Speed: War Historian’s triggered ability can sometimes operate at instant speed, granting you the flexibility to respond to an opponent’s actions on their turn. This surprise factor can shift the tide of the game, as you adapt and react to battlefield changes more effectively.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: War Historian demands a card to be discarded as part of its activation cost. This can leave players at a disadvantage when they’re running low on hand options or when they wish to maintain card advantage over their opponent.
Specific Mana Cost: The card requires a precise combination of mana colors to be played effectively. This can restrict its integration into multi-colored decks or those that may not consistently produce the required mana types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana cost being relatively steep for the utility it brings, players might find that other cards offer lower-cost solutions for similar or better strategic impact within their deck’s construction.
Reasons to Include War Historian in Your Collection
Versatility: The War Historian card is a multifaceted tool for many decks, seamlessly fitting into strategies that hinge on reaping value from historic spells or graveyard interaction. Its ability to plug into multiple archetypes makes it a must-have.
Combo Potential: With its knack for synergizing with artifacts, sagas, and legendary spells, War Historian can be the linchpin in combinations that exploit casting or recurring these card types for powerful effects.
Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to navigate through a variety of game states and its relevance in environments heavy with historic spells, War Historian holds a place in the competitive scene, ensuring that decks wielding it stay ahead of the curve.
How to beat
War Historian presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its ability to delve into the past and bring historical strategies to your Magic: The Gathering games. To effectively counter War Historian, it’s vital to keep an eye on graveyard interactions. Since this card thrives on an abundant graveyard, managing your removal spells and graveyard hate cards such as Rest in Peace or Tormod’s Crypt could be crucial to mitigating its impact.
Strategic planning against a deck featuring War Historian includes prioritizing the containment of the graveyard, much like you would against other graveyard-centric strategies. Wielding cards that exile rather than destroy creatures can also hinder War Historian’s influence. Additionally, cards that prevent your opponent from searching their library will directly counter War Historian’s ability and decrease their advantage.
Understanding and anticipating the synergies War Historian relies on is key. When facing this potent card, it’s important to remain one step ahead, ensuring that your game plan includes answers to not only War Historian but also the threats it aims to resurrect from the graveyard. With the right strategy and responses, you can negate the advantages War Historian offers to your opponent.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase War Historian MTG card by a specific set like March of the Machine, 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 War Historian 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where War Historian has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering War Historian card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-04-14 | War Historian’s last ability starts to apply as soon as it’s declared as an attacker that’s attacking a battle, and it applies for the entire turn. It doesn’t matter what happens to the battle after that point. |