Arcane Savant MTG Card

Arcane Savant - Conspiracy: Take the Crown

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Human Wizard
Released	2016-08-26
Set symbol
Set name	Conspiracy: Take the Crown
Set code	CN2
Power	3
Toughness	3
Number	27
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Chris Rallis

Key Takeaways

Utilizes spells from your library for consistent in-game advantage, making each entry impactful.
Accelerates play by casting spells for free, bypassing mana constraints for quicker turns.
Enhances deck strategies with its adaptability, seamlessly fitting into numerous archetypes.

Text of card

Before you shuffle your deck to start the game, you may reveal this card from your deck and exile an instant or sorcery card you drafted that isn't in your deck. When Arcane Savant enters the battlefield, copy a card you exiled with cards named Arcane Savant. You may cast the copy without paying its mana cost.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Arcane Savant grants you the boon of accessing additional spells right from your library. Its unique ability to cast a copied spell every time it enters the battlefield or the command zone offers a sustained advantage over the course of the game.

Resource Acceleration: By casting spells without paying their mana costs, Arcane Savant acts as a catalyst for resource acceleration. This effect effectively bypasses the need for traditional mana expenditure, enabling more efficient utilization of available resources and paving the way for potentially game-changing plays.

Instant Speed: The versatility of Arcane Savant is further enhanced when paired with spells that can be cast at instant speed. This allows for strategic responses to opponents’ actions during their turn, potentially disrupting their plans or protecting your own board state with a well-timed surprise.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Arcane Savant requires a player to have another card to exile from their hand. This means that the player must have a sufficient hand size to leverage its ability without sacrificing key components of their strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Arcane Savant’s casting cost demands both blue and white mana, which can be restrictive. Decks that do not run on a blue-white color combination or that struggle with mana fixing may find this card difficult to include and cast.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of five mana to bring into play, Arcane Savant could be seen as a considerable investment. In the fast-paced environment of many MTG games, allocating five mana to one creature might put a player at a tempo disadvantage, especially when lower-cost alternatives could provide similar or greater impact sooner.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Arcane Savant is a unique pick for any player’s collection due to its ability to adopt any instant or sorcery as part of its own repertoire. This adaptability allows for seamless integration into a variety of deck archetypes, enhancing strategies that hinge on spell effects.

Combo Potential: The true power of Arcane Savant comes from its synergy with other cards. By exiling a potent instant or sorcery card with it, you create opportunities to use that spell repeatedly, laying the groundwork for game-changing combos that can propel you towards victory.

Meta-Relevance: Given the fluid nature of the MTG meta, having a card that can adapt to the prevailing strategies is invaluable. Arcane Savant maintains relevance by morphing its abilities to counter or complement the dominant decks, ensuring that it remains a strategic asset regardless of the shifting tides of gameplay.

How to beat

Arcane Savant brings a unique twist to the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This card stands out for its ability to leverage spells from outside the game or in a player’s sideboard, essentially expanding strategic options mid-match. When looking at ways to thwart Arcane Savant’s advantage, consider its dependence on casting the chosen sorcery or instant when it enters the battlefield. Disruption is key, so counterspells like “Counterspell” or “Mana Leak” are effective tools for intercepting that crucial play.

Another strategy to undermine Arcane Savant is to prevent it from hitting the field at all. Employ removal spells that target creatures still on the stack, such as “Essence Scatter,” or use hand attack cards like “Thoughtseize” to pluck it out before it becomes a threat. Finally, cards that limit the use of abilities or spell casting, like “Damping Sphere” or “Silent Arbiter,” can hinder the flexibility that Arcane Savant requires to be truly effective in the game.

Tackling Arcane Savant head-on requires a mix of proactive disruption and strategic containment. By prioritizing these methods, you can mitigate the impact of this clever creature and maintain control of the match. Remember to adapt to the situation, as the best defense against such a crafty opponent is a well-timed offense.

Cards like Arcane Savant

Arcane Savant finds its place among some of the more uniquely flexible creatures in MTG. It holds similarities to cards like Dualcaster Mage, which allows one to copy an instant or sorcery spell when it enters the battlefield. Arcane Savant, however, delves further by granting you the choice to cast a copy of any instant or sorcery card exiled with it without paying its mana cost, whenever it enters the battlefield or attacks. Dualcaster Mage’s ability is limited to the instant or sorcery that was cast right before it entered.

Another comparison could be drawn with Elite Arcanist, which also exiles an instant or sorcery card beneath it. The difference lies in the activation conditions; while Elite Arcanist requires the expenditure of mana to allow you to cast copies of the exiled spell, Arcane Savant simplifies the process by not requiring additional mana. This makes the Savant a more efficient tool in decks that thrive on casting powerful spells for free.

In evaluating these options, Arcane Savant stands out for its versatility and cost-effectiveness in allowing you to repeatedly cast significant spells, marking its strength in the MTG arena for players who love to wield the power of instant and sorcery spells.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Arcane Savant MTG card by a specific set like Conspiracy: Take the Crown, 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 Arcane Savant and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Arcane Savant has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2016-08-23	As Arcane Savant’s last ability resolves, if there are multiple cards you exiled with cards named Arcane Savant, you choose one of them to copy.
2016-08-23	If the copied card has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as its value when casting the copy.
2016-08-23	If you have more than one Arcane Savant in your deck, you may reveal any number of them and exile that many instant or sorcery cards you drafted that aren’t in your deck.
2016-08-23	The copy is created in and cast from exile. You cast the copy during the resolution of Arcane Savant’s last ability. You ignore any timing restrictions based on the card type of the card you copied. However, you must still follow any other timing restrictions, such as “Cast -his spell] only during combat.”
2016-08-23	You can’t pay any alternative costs the card has. You can pay additional costs, and if the spell has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those.