Mistcaller MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Merfolk Wizard
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Mistcaller provides strategic advantages by disrupting opponent’s creature-token strategies at instant speed.
  2. Though it sacrifices board presence, its low cost and surprise factor can pivot the game’s tide.
  3. Countering Mistcaller requires tactical timing or using instant speed removal and hexproof spells.

Text of card

Sacrifice Mistcaller: Until end of turn, if a nontoken creature would enter the battlefield and it wasn't cast, exile it instead.

Hospitality is of little concern to those who do not wish to be disturbed.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Mistcaller itself doesn’t directly offer card draw, it contributes to card advantage by countering an opponent’s creature-token strategy, potentially negating a summon spell and leaving them down a card.

Resource Acceleration: Mistcaller isn’t a source of resource acceleration in the conventional sense of providing mana, but its low casting cost allows for strategic board presence without significant investment. This enables players to develop their board while holding up mana for other crucial spells.

Instant Speed: Mistcaller’s ability can be activated at instant speed, providing a tactical edge. This allows players to disrupt opponents’ crucial plays during their turn, while maintaining the element of surprise and the flexibility to respond to threats as they arise.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Mistcaller comes with a requirement to sacrifice itself, which effectively is a discard from the battlefield. This self-sacrifice mechanic is a cost you’ll need to pay in order to make use of its ability. This can leave you at a disadvantage as you’re forced to give up your creature without receiving any immediate board presence in return.

Specific Mana Cost: Mistcaller’s mana cost includes blue, which means it can only be easily slotted into decks that run islands or have other means to produce blue mana. This specificity can be prohibitive for players who do not run decks that can consistently generate the necessary mana or who are looking to maintain a flexible mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Mistcaller’s mana cost is not excessively high, sitting at one blue and one generic mana, it’s important to consider the opportunity cost. The mana spent on Mistcaller could be deployed elsewhere for creatures or spells that provide more immediate board impact or card advantage.


Reasons to Include Mistcaller in Your Collection

Versatility: Mistcaller offers a unique ability that can be a surprise play in any deck that has blue mana. Its power to prevent creatures from entering play due to abilities and spells gives it an edge, making it particularly useful in a variety of game scenarios.

Combo Potential: This card can disrupt your opponent’s strategies that involve graveyard or library manipulations to summon creatures. It’s effective in strategies that aim to deny opponent’s creature-based combos and can also serve as a sacrificial piece to your own strategic plays.

Meta-Relevance: With recurring strategies that revolve around creature summoning, Mistcaller remains relevant. It shines in environments where opponents rely on creature tokens or graveyard synergies, thereby ensuring a place in sideboards for matches where it becomes crucial to halt these tactics.


How to beat Mistcaller

Mistcaller is a nuanced card that demands strategic consideration in Magic: The Gathering. This sly Merfolk Wizard can disrupt opponents’ plans that rely on creatures entering the battlefield from the graveyard or library. To effectively counter Mistcaller, one must be keen on timing. The key is to exhaust it’s one-time use ability or work around it entirely. Cards that provide removal at instant speed can force the Mistcaller user to make a difficult choice before you commit to your creature spell.

Additionally, utilizing spells or abilities that grant hexproof or protection can safeguard your creatures from Mistcaller’s influence. Cards like Prowling Serpopard that make creature spells uncounterable, or abilities that remove summoning sickness swiftly to allow an immediate response, also help avoid the potential setback that Mistcaller presents. It’s imperative to either bait out Mistcaller’s ability prematurely or set up the board state such that Mistcaller’s sacrifice doesn’t hinder your overarching strategy. As with any match-up in Magic: The Gathering, understanding and anticipating your opponent’s moves can turn a potential threat like Mistcaller into a minor hiccup on your path to victory.


Cards like Mistcaller

Mistcaller offers a unique twist in MTG, serving as a one-time deterrent against creatures being summoned from the graveyard or library. It resembles Containment Priest in function, as the Priest prevents all nontoken creatures from popping into play unless they were cast from the hand. Containment Priest, positioned as a more permanent solution, can influence the flow of the entire game.

Hushbringer is another card that echoes Mistcaller’s intent to disrupt creature-based strategies. This card prevents creatures from causing their enter-the-battlefield and dying triggered abilities to activate. While Hushbringer exerts a continuous influence, Mistcaller’s effect is specific and self-sacrificing, tailoring to a surprise strategy.

Analyzing the utility of these cards, Mistcaller shines in metas where a crucial singular suppression can pivot the tides of a match. It acts as an excellent hedge against combo decks relying heavily on graveyard or library summons. Whereas constant hindrances like Containment Priest or Hushbringer can shape the entire game’s progression, Mistcaller’s surprise factor is a potent alley at the right moment.

Containment Priest - MTG Card versions
Hushbringer - MTG Card versions
Containment Priest - Commander 2014 (C14)
Hushbringer - Throne of Eldraine Promos (PELD)

Cards similar to Mistcaller by color, type and mana cost

Merfolk of the Pearl Trident - MTG Card versions
Flying Men - MTG Card versions
Shrieking Drake - MTG Card versions
Cloud Pirates - MTG Card versions
Fledgling Osprey - MTG Card versions
Manta Riders - MTG Card versions
Faerie Squadron - MTG Card versions
Faerie Seer - MTG Card versions
Fugitive Wizard - MTG Card versions
Wandering Ones - MTG Card versions
Dreamcatcher - MTG Card versions
Drifter il-Dal - MTG Card versions
Sage of Epityr - MTG Card versions
Screeching Sliver - MTG Card versions
Timebender - MTG Card versions
Cloud Sprite - MTG Card versions
Merrow Witsniper - MTG Card versions
Cursecatcher - MTG Card versions
Martyr of Frost - MTG Card versions
Enclave Cryptologist - MTG Card versions
Merfolk of the Pearl Trident - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Flying Men - Arabian Nights (ARN)
Shrieking Drake - Media Inserts (PMEI)
Cloud Pirates - Portal (POR)
Fledgling Osprey - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Manta Riders - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Faerie Squadron - Invasion (INV)
Faerie Seer - Jumpstart: Historic Horizons (J21)
Fugitive Wizard - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Wandering Ones - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Dreamcatcher - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Drifter il-Dal - Time Spiral (TSP)
Sage of Epityr - Time Spiral (TSP)
Screeching Sliver - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Timebender - Planar Chaos (PLC)
Cloud Sprite - Tenth Edition (10E)
Merrow Witsniper - Morningtide (MOR)
Cursecatcher - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Martyr of Frost - Duel Decks: Jace vs. Chandra (DD2)
Enclave Cryptologist - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mistcaller MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2019 and Core Set 2019 Promos, 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 Mistcaller and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Mistcaller Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-07-13 and 2018-07-13. Illustrated by Ryan Yee.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-07-13Core Set 2019M19 622015normalblackRyan Yee
22018-07-13Core Set 2019 PromosPM19 62s2015normalblackRyan Yee

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Mistcaller has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2018-07-13 If Mistcaller enters the battlefield at the same time as other creatures, its ability can’t be activated in time to affect those creatures.
2018-07-13 Mistcaller’s ability doesn’t stop creature tokens from entering the battlefield. It also doesn’t affect creatures that are already on the battlefield.
2018-07-13 Mistcaller’s ability won’t affect any nontoken creatures that were cast, including ones cast from unusual zones such as your graveyard.

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