Arena Rector MTG Card


Arena Rector - Battlebond
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityMythic
TypeCreature — Human Cleric
Released2018-06-08
Set symbol
Set nameBattlebond
Set codeBBD
Power 1
Toughness 2
Number23
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byRyan Pancoast

Key Takeaways

  1. Arena Rector grants massive card advantage by fetching any planeswalker directly into play.
  2. It enables resource acceleration, potentially unleashing powerful planeswalkers ahead of curve.
  3. Strategic instant-speed synergies can turn Arena Rector’s ability into a game-winning move.

Text of card

When Arena Rector dies, you may exile it. If you do, search your library for a planeswalker card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.

"I see something special in you—a bright ember that yearns to dance among the stars."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Arena Rector can harness the potential to deliver significant card advantage. Upon its death, you get to search your library for a planeswalker card and put it onto the battlefield. Not only does this replace the card you lost, but it also potentially adds a high-value piece to your in-game arsenal.

Resource Acceleration: The ability to cheat a planeswalker into play accelerates your resources far beyond the typical mana curve. This can result in a powerful planeswalker entering the fray much earlier than expected, dramatically tipping the game’s momentum in your favor without spending the mana usually required for such a powerful effect.

Instant Speed: While Arena Rector doesn’t operate at instant speed itself, it synergizes well with cards that are. Sacrifice effects or board wipes at instant speed allow you to trigger Arena Rector’s ability at a time most opportune for strategic advantage, potentially during your opponent’s turn, setting you up for a powerful play when it swings back to your turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Arena Rector boasts an exceptional ability to search for a planeswalker card when it dies, it requires strategic planning. The downfall becomes apparent if you’re unable to trigger the death condition easily. You might have to rely on other cards to discard Arena Rector, possibly at the expense of more advantageous plays.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Arena Rector includes two white mana symbols. This specific mana requirement can pose a hurdle, especially in multicolored decks that may not always have the necessary mana consistency to cast it early enough to impact the game meaningfully.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, Arena Rector can be considered costly, particularly when you take into account that the card’s true value isn’t realized until after it leaves the battlefield. In scenarios where speed is essential, or in competitive formats where efficiency is vital, there might be more immediate and lower-cost cards that could fulfill an important role without waiting for Arena Rector to be utilized to its full potential.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Arena Rector’s uncanny ability to fetch powerful planeswalkers upon leaving the battlefield makes it a worthy inclusion in various commander and legacy decks. Its flexibility in swapping roles from an unassuming creature to a game-changer embodies strategic depth.

Combo Potential: This card’s synergy with sacrifice outlets can result in immediate advantage, bringing high-cost planeswalkers into play early on. Perfect for combo-centric decks aiming to execute a winning strategy swiftly.

Meta-Relevance: Given the prevalence of planeswalkers in competitive formats, Arena Rector finds its place in metas where obtaining a clutch planeswalker can pivot the game’s direction in your favor, demonstrating its continued relevance in the evolving MTG landscape.


How to beat

Arena Rector can be an imposing card on the battlefield, with the ability to drastically alter the game’s tempo by fetching a powerful planeswalker directly into play upon its death. Confronting such a card requires a strategic approach. To effectively counter Arena Rector, players should consider using exile effects or utilize cards that can remove it without triggering its ability, such as Path to Exile or Dire Tactics.

Another practical method is to manipulate your opponent’s graveyard. Spells like Relic of Progenitus or Bojuka Bog can exile Arena Rector after it hits the graveyard, nullifying the chance for a high-impact planeswalker to enter the fray. If these direct approaches aren’t available, focusing on altering the battlefield state to disadvantageously position Arena Rector, or putting in place preventative measures like Nevermore to prohibit the casting of key planeswalkers, can be equally effective.

Ultimately, understanding Arena Rector’s immense potential and having a plan to mitigate its effect is essential. Each game offers distinct scenarios, but by keeping these strategies in mind, players can navigate around the challenges posed by Arena Rector and maintain a competitive edge.


BurnMana Recommendations

MTG offers a universe where strategy intertwines with the mystical. Cards like Arena Rector exemplify this blend, empowering you with the unique opportunity to escalate your game plan with a powerful planeswalker. Knowing its strengths and weaknesses helps shape your competitive edge. Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the MTG realm, adding such cards to your deck could be the turning point in your strategic battles. We encourage you to deepen your understanding of Arena Rector’s potential combos and strategic uses. Optimize your deck, anticipate the meta, and navigate to victory. Embark with us on an insightful journey, and harness the power of MTG’s formidable cards.


Cards like Arena Rector

Arena Rector stands out in Magic: The Gathering for its unique ability to cheat powerful planeswalkers into play. When analyzing similar cards, Academy Rector is a classic comparison. Both rectors offer a pathway to bypass the casting cost of high-impact cards, with Academy Rector focusing on enchantments while Arena Rector targets planeswalkers.

Another parallel can be drawn with Deathrender, which also puts creatures or planeswalkers from your hand onto the battlefield when a creature dies. However, Deathrender requires the card to be in hand and attaches to creatures, whereas Arena Rector seeks directly from the library and specifically tutors for planeswalkers. Then there’s Protean Hulk, whose death trigger allows the search for creatures with total mana cost six or less, different from Arena Rector’s pinpointed search for a game-shaping planeswalker.

Ultimately, Arena Rector holds a unique position for planeswalker strategies in MTG. It stands as an irreplaceable enabler, transforming the battlefield’s dynamics instantly upon demise, and thus providing a significant advantage in the right deck built around its powerful effect.

Academy Rector - MTG Card versions
Deathrender - MTG Card versions
Protean Hulk - MTG Card versions
Academy Rector - MTG Card versions
Deathrender - MTG Card versions
Protean Hulk - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Arena Rector MTG card by a specific set like 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 Arena Rector and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Arena Rector has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Arena Rector card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2018-06-08 If Arena Rector leaves your graveyard before its triggered ability resolves, perhaps because it’s a token and ceased to exist, you can’t exile it and won’t be able to search your library for a planeswalker card.

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