Pathmaker Initiate MTG Card
2017-04-28 - Number 146
2018-06-08 - Number 182
2020-08-13 - Number 170
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Wizard |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Key Takeaways
- Enables unblockable attacks for 2-power creatures, bypassing defensive lines and maintaining battlefield presence.
- Provides flexibility during combat, allowing players to adapt to the board state and optimize attack timing.
- Lacks synergy with discard-focused strategies and may face competition from creatures with similar mana costs.
Text of card
: Target creature with power 2 or less can't be blocked this turn.
"The expected way through the trial is far too tedious."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While Pathmaker Initiate doesn’t provide direct card draw or card filtering, its ability to enable unblockable attacks for smaller creatures can lead to damage consistency, effectively negating the need for additional cards to break through an opponent’s defenses.
Resource Acceleration: Pathmaker Initiate benefits your strategic position without accelerating resources in the traditional sense. Instead, it provides a utility that can be considered a form of indirect resource enhancement by allowing your 2-power creatures to bypass blockers, preserving their presence on the battlefield.
Instant Speed: Pathmaker Initiate operates at sorcery speed, but its ability’s virtue lies in the tactical flexibility it offers during the combat phase. By choosing which creature becomes unblockable at the right moment, you can adapt to the evolving board state, catching your opponent off-guard and optimizing the timing of your attacks.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Pathmaker Initiate doesn’t ask for a card discard, the lack of this feature actually makes it less synergistic with discard-focused strategies, potentially limiting its versatility in certain deck types.
Specific Mana Cost: Pathmaker Initiate requires a specific mana composition to cast – one generic and one red mana. This can be restrictive for multicolor decks that may struggle with mana fixing or would prefer to use their mana resources for more impactful cards.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a creature with only modest stats (2/1), Pathmaker Initiate’s ability to make another target creature unblockable can be too minimal an effect given its mana cost. There are options for creatures with more substantial impact or utility at a similar, if not lower, mana cost.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Pathmaker Initiate is a card that can seamlessly integrate into various red deck archetypes. Its ability to make creatures unblockable gives it an edge in aggressive strategies, ensuring your key attackers can connect with the opponent.
Combo Potential: This card shines when combined with cards that benefit from dealing combat damage to a player. It can be the linchpin in strategies focused on hitting the opponent to trigger potent effects or gather crucial advantages.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where board stalls are common, Pathmaker Initiate can be surprisingly relevant. Its skill to make creatures unblockable allows it to bypass crowded battlefields, maintaining offensive pressure in the current MTG landscape.
How to beat
Pathmaker Initiate is a niche player in the world of Magic: The Gathering, often seen in aggressive red decks. Key to overcoming this creature lies in understanding its role. Pathmaker Initiate’s ability to make a creature with power 2 or less unblockable this turn is pivotal in many strategies focused on slipping small, impactful creatures past your defenses.
The most straightforward strategy to counter Pathmaker Initiate is through removal spells. Cards like Shock or Fatal Push can easily take out the Initiate before its ability becomes a problem. Moreover, controlling the battlefield with creatures that have a power greater than what the Initiate can make unblockable ensures that your opponent’s options are limited. Another tactic is to utilize cards with the “reach” or “flash” ability, allowing you to block those unblockable creatures unexpectedly.
It’s also worth noting that the Initiate’s effect is nullified if there are no valid targets or if you can prevent it from activating its ability through counter spells or by tapping it down. By prioritizing the removal of the Pathmaker Initiate or mitigating its ability to affect the game state, you stand a solid chance of neutralizing this card’s potential impact.
Cards like Pathmaker Initiate
Pathmaker Initiate has found its niche among combat trick cards within the MTG universe, situated comfortably alongside cards like Goblin Motivator. The Initiate, with its ability to make a creature with power 2 or less unblockable until end of turn, often becomes a tactical asset. Goblin Motivator, in contrast, grants haste rather than unblockability, pushing for an immediate and surprising attack to catch opponents off guard.
Comparably, Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive also makes a splash in this space. Tetsuko turns creatures with power or toughness 1 or less into elusive threats, unable to be blocked. This card covers a slightly broader range of creatures but requires a more delicate synergy to exploit its full potential. Meanwhile, Pathmaker Initiate allows for more flexibility by not restricting to toughness, thus supporting a wider array of tactical plays.
Each card serves a unique role, with Pathmaker Initiate offering a more focused solution for clever combat maneuvers. When strategies hinge on ensuring key creatures can hit the opponent unimpeded, Pathmaker Initiate may be the silent linchpin in your MTG deck, enabling decisive strikes when it matters most.
Cards similar to Pathmaker Initiate by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Pathmaker Initiate MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Battlebond, 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 Pathmaker Initiate 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
Printings
The Pathmaker Initiate Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Josu Hernaiz.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-04-28 | Amonkhet | AKH | 146 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Josu Hernaiz | |
| 2 | 2018-06-08 | Battlebond | BBD | 182 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Josu Hernaiz | |
| 3 | 2020-08-13 | Amonkhet Remastered | AKR | 170 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Josu Hernaiz |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Pathmaker Initiate has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Pathmaker Initiate card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-04-18 | If the creature’s power is greater than 2 as the activated ability tries to resolve, the ability won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. However, if instead the creature’s power is raised above 2 after the ability resolves, it still can’t be blocked that turn. |
