Ethereal Elk MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Elk Spirit |
| Abilities | Trample |
| Released | 2019-07-12 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Core Set 2020 |
| Set code | M20 |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 299 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Jason Felix |
Key Takeaways
- Ethereal Elk provides card advantage by revealing top cards and accelerates land plays, enhancing strategic depth.
- Despite its prowess, it requires discarding cards and a specific mana setup, which can limit its use.
- It blends combat strength with mana ramping, making it a powerful addition to various MTG decks.
Text of card
Trample When Ethereal Elk enters the battlefield, you may search your library and/or graveyard for a card named Vivien, Nature's Avenger, reveal it, and put it into your hand. If you search your library this way, shuffle it.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: One of the standout abilities of Ethereal Elk is its potential to churn through your deck, revealing the top card whenever it attacks. This can help you dig for key spells and creatures, maintaining a steady flow of resources that keep your hand rich with options.
Resource Acceleration: This majestic creature not only grants you card insight but also allows you to play an additional land on each of your turns. This accelerates your mana development, giving you a significant advantage as you’re able to cast high-cost spells earlier than usual, thereby outpacing your opponents.
Instant Speed: Although Ethereal Elk itself isn’t an instant, its synergy with instant-speed spells cannot be overstated. With the extra mana and cards, you can more reliably hold up mana for counterspells or removal, only committing the Elk to the board when the path is clear, thus optimizing your plays and keeping opponents on their toes.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Ethereal Elk necessitates player action to discard another card from their hand to trigger its effect. This can put players at a card disadvantage, especially if the hand is already depleted from critical spells or lands, reducing gameplay options.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise combination of mana types to cast, which might restrict deck building choices and not fit seamlessly into multicolored decks. Players need to ensure a reliable mana base to cast it effectively, which can be challenging in certain MTG formats or styles of play.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its higher mana requirements, the Ethereal Elk might compete for a slot in a deck with other more impactful creatures or spells. It’s often compared against other options available within the same mana range, and players may opt for alternatives that provide a more immediate or powerful board presence.
Reasons to Include Ethereal Elk in Your Collection
Versatility: Ethereal Elk’s flexible mana cost and the ability to fit into multiple deck archetypes, such as mid-range or ramp, make it a utility player in any collection. Its Trample ability ensures it’s always a threat on the board.
Combo Potential: The card’s synergies with enchantment-based strategies and its capability to search up land types make it a cornerstone in decks that exploit landfall triggers or enchantment synergies.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where mana acceleration and board presence are key, Ethereal Elk shines by providing both. It can quickly change the pace of the game in your favor, aligning well with the current strategic trends.
How to beat
Ethereal Elk emerges as a unique creature in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, known for its typical mana acceleration properties combined with substantial combat potential. This card, tethered to the forests of the plane, offers a blend of aggressive stats and the quintessential green ability to ramp your mana resources. Beating the Ethereal Elk requires a multi-faceted approach.
For instance, spot removal spells are a straightforward solution, with options like Murder clearing the way by eliminating the creature outright. Another strategy involves utilizing counter magic when the Elk is cast, preventing it from ever entering the battlefield. Cards like Essence Scatter are perfect for this task. Additional tactics can include playing cards that restrict or negate the abilities of creatures, such as Pacifism, which hinders the Ethereal Elk from being as effective in combat or employing its mana-generating skills. Utilizing these strategies can successfully contain the Elk’s influence and keep your opponent’s board manageable.
Ultimately, ensuring the Elk doesn’t overwhelm you calls for readiness to interrupt its strengths, be it through removal, countering its summoning, or neutralizing its abilities, thereby preserving control of the game.
Cards like Ethereal Elk
Ethereal Elk enters the realm of creature spells with a unique blend of abilities that echo the versatility of Magic: The Gathering’s vast bestiary. Its affinity with spells like Rimehorn Aurochs displays a common trample mechanism, allowing both creatures to deal excess combat damage even when blocked. Ethereal Elk, however, ups the ante with its one-time mana ramp ability when it is targeted by spells—a nuance not mirrored in the horned creatures of the coldsnap set.
Comparatively, creatures like Llanowar Elves and Birds of Paradise are famous for their mana-generating capabilities, but these often-favored cards are limited by their lack of power in battle. Ethereal Elk stands a class apart by bridging the gap between a formidable combatant and a source of a mana boost, albeit conditionally. This is reminiscent, though not identical, to the likes of Rattleclaw Mystic, which offers prowess in both mana acceleration and combat potential; however, the Elk reserves its energy burst for pivotal moments of spell targeting.
Breaking down the components of Ethereal Elk’s design showcases the creature’s situational advantages, particularly when aligned with decks that exploit targeting synergies. This strategic duality makes it a card to consider in MTG decks that require flexible responses in ever-shifting clashes.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ethereal Elk MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2020, 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 Ethereal Elk 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 Ethereal Elk has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
