Zethi, Arcane Blademaster MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Human Soldier |
| Abilities | Multikicker |
| Released | 2019-12-02 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Secret Lair Drop |
| Set code | SLD |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 432 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Martina Fačková |
Key Takeaways
- Zethi offers card advantage and keeps your gameplay dynamic by allowing spell casting from your library.
- It reduces mana costs, enabling swift deployment of multiple threats or interactions within a turn.
- With instant spell synergy, Zethi enhances combat surprises and maintains pressure on the opponent.
Text of card
Multikicker {W/U} When Zethi, Arcane Blademaster enters the battlefield, exile up to X target instant cards from your graveyard, where X is the number of times Zethi was kicked. Put a kick counter on each of them. Whenever Zethi attacks, copy each exiled card you own with a kick counter on it. You may cast the copies.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Zethi, Arcane Blademaster provides a consistent card advantage by enabling you to cast or copy spells from the top of your library. This keeps your hand full and options open, ensuring you’re never falling behind in the late stages of a match.
Resource Acceleration: This card contributes to resource acceleration by potentially reducing the mana cost of spells. Casting spells from the top of your library can effectively save mana, allowing you to deploy more threats or have more interactions on a single turn.
Instant Speed: While Zethi itself may not be an instant, it can have synergy with instant speed spells in your arsenal. With its ability to duplicate the first instant spell each turn, Zethi, Arcane Blademaster helps you optimize timing and surprise your opponent, keeping them guessing and on the defensive.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Zethi, Arcane Blademaster demands players to discard a card to unlock its full potential. This trade-off could prove to be a setback when your hand is particularly valuable or already depleted, making it less favorable in tight game situations.
Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost includes a precise combination of mana colors, which can pose a challenge in multicolored decks. Players need to ensure their mana base is appropriately tailored to accommodate Zethi without hindering the deck’s overall mana curve or consistency.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that is on the higher end for its offering, Zethi may not be the top pick when building an efficient deck. The cost efficiency of a card is often key in fast-paced matches, and there might be alternatives that provide similar value for less mana investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Zethi, Arcane Blademaster offers dynamic play options, easily sliding into aggro or control decks that value skillful spellcasting and tactical creature combat.
Combo Potential: With every spell cast, Zethi can enhance your battlefield presence, setting the stage for synergistic plays that capitalize on casting and prowess-like mechanics.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where spell-slinging and quick adaptations reign, Zethi’s ability to both lead and support a strategic assault on the fly makes it a formidable contender.
How to beat
Zethi, Arcane Blademaster can be a formidable presence on the battlefield, boasting abilities that empower both itself and other creatures with prowess. To effectively counter this threat, players should consider employing removal spells that can target Zethi before its power becomes overwhelming. Instant-speed removal like ‘Fatal Push’ or ‘Path to Exile’ are efficient means to dispatch Zethi early on, preventing the card advantage it could generate.
Counter spells also serve as a reliable strategy against Zethi, Arcane Blademaster. Disrupting your opponent’s tempo with ‘Counterspell’ or ‘Dovin’s Veto’ can be crucial, especially when Zethi is cast or when an ability is triggered. Moreover, keeping board wipes like ‘Wrath of God’ or ‘Supreme Verdict’ in reserve can help reset the board if Zethi’s influence has grown too strong.
Lastly, minimizing the number of non-creature spells you play can reduce Zethi’s prowess triggers. Instead, focus on playing creatures that can block and combat Zethi effectively. By limiting its opportunities to grow stronger and using targeted removal or counters when opportune, you can mitigate the impact Zethi, Arcane Blademaster has on the game.
Cards like Zethi, Arcane Blademaster
Zethi, Arcane Blademaster offers a unique role in the MTG universe with its potential to amplify spellcasting. It shares a kindred spirit with another powerful card, Wee Dragonauts, which also gains strength from casting spells. Zethi, however, forges its own identity with its ability to not just grow stronger with spells but also grant card advantage through scrying.
Delving further into this niche, there’s Young Pyromancer, providing a different angle on the benefit spells can usher. While not ramping up in power itself like Zethi, it compensates by creating token creatures each time a spell is cast, adding more bodies to the battlefield. In contrast, Zethi banks on solidifying its position with increased combat prowess and foresight into upcoming plays, thanks to the scry ability.
Each of these cards caters to a strategy built around spells, yet Zethi, Arcane Blademaster stands out for its duality in boosting its combat abilities and enhancing the quality of the player’s draws. This distinct combination allows it to be a formidable presence in any spell-slinging deck, aiming for victory with each uncurled scroll and uttered incantation.
Cards similar to Zethi, Arcane Blademaster by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Zethi, Arcane Blademaster MTG card by a specific set like Secret Lair Drop, 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 Zethi, Arcane Blademaster 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 Zethi, Arcane Blademaster has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |