Disciple of Bolas MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Wizard
Power 2
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Disciple of Bolas excels in generating card advantage and life points simultaneously, crucial in long games.
  2. Mastery of instant-speed tactics enhances Disciple of Bolas’s impact, making it a versatile tool in matches.
  3. Understanding and mitigating resource costs is key to maximizing Disciple of Bolas’s potential in your deck.

Text of card

When Disciple of Bolas enters the battlefield, sacrifice another creature. You gain X life and draw X cards, where X is that creature's power.

"Lord Bolas has shown me how each miserable little life holds untold resources."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Disciple of Bolas is a powerhouse when it comes to refueling your hand. When it enters the battlefield, you’ll sacrifice another creature, but the payoff is immense. You get to draw cards equal to the sacrificed creature’s power, turning your creature’s strength into potential answers and threats.

Resource Acceleration: It doesn’t just stop at drawing cards. Disciple of Bolas grants you life equal to the sacrificed creature’s power. This can turn the tides by providing a cushion of life points, allowing you to stabilize in a game where every life point counts.

Instant Speed: While Disciple of Bolas itself may not be an instant, its ability has synergies with instant-speed interactions. Imagine sacrificing a creature in response to your opponent’s removal. This ensures you’re getting value from your creatures, even when faced with imminent destruction.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Disciple of Bolas requires you to sacrifice a creature as part of its casting cost, potentially depleting your board presence. This cost can be particularly steep if you do not have expendable creatures on the field.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise combination of one black and three other mana. For players not running a deck with a strong black mana base, this can be restrictive and difficult to accommodate, especially in the early to mid-game.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The four total mana needed to cast Disciple of Bolas might be prohibitive, especially when you’re trying to maintain tempo against decks with low-cost strategies. There are alternate cards in MTG that offer creature sacrifice and card draw benefits at a lower mana cost.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Disciple of Bolas is a flexible addition to any deck that focuses on creature utility and life gain strategies. With its ability to sacrifice another creature, draw cards, and gain life equal to the sacrificed creature’s power, it serves multiple roles and adapts to numerous play styles.

Combo Potential: In decks that utilize creatures with high power or those that have enter-the-battlefield effects, Disciple of Bolas augments combo sequences by converting creatures into new cards and health, potentially turning the tides of the game.

Meta-Relevance: As the metagame often fluctuates, having a card that offers life gain and card advantage can be crucial in outlasting opponents, making Disciple of Bolas a card worth having when facing various deck archetypes that dominate the field.


How to beat

Disciple of Bolas is a unique creature card that offers a blend of life gain and card draw advantages in Magic: The Gathering. When this creature enters the battlefield, the ability to sacrifice another creature and then gain life and draw cards equal to that creature’s power can be an exceptionally powerful move. It’s a strategy that effectively turns your board presence into immediate resources.

To counter this card, consider utilizing instant-speed removal spells that can eliminate Disciple of Bolas or its intended sacrifice before the ability resolves. Timing is critical; by doing so, you can force your opponent to lose a creature without gaining the benefit. Additionally, employing graveyard hate cards can disrupt strategies relying on recurring creature sacrifices for advantages. Lastly, limiting creature power on the board reduces the effectiveness of Disciple of Bolas’s ability, making it less of a threat to your game state.

Recognizing and disrupting this synergy early can prevent your opponent from gaining a significant lead in resources and is a decisive factor in overcoming decks that include the Disciple of Bolas card as a key component.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into your MTG strategy by employing Disciple of Bolas effectively. Its potential to shift gameplay by converting creatures to cards and life points can be the edge you need. Learn methods to safeguard your board presence and embrace the finesse required to use this card to its full advantage. Whether you’re aiming to fortify your deck or seeking to understand ways to disrupt your opponent’s plans, we’ve got insights that can help. Enhance your collection and gameplay with strategic wisdom—step into our community of avid players and enrich your MTG experience today.


Cards like Disciple of Bolas

Disciple of Bolas stands out in MTG as a unique creature card that merges life gain with card advantage. Its capabilities can be likened to cards such as Bloodtracker, which also provides a card draw mechanic alongside a life-based strategy. However, Disciple of Bolas offers a one-time substantial effect, sacrificing another creature to gain life and draw cards equal to that creature’s power, making it a potential game-changer in a single turn. Bloodtracker, in contrast, requires a longer-term investment, gradually converting life into card draw.

Another comparable card is Kothophed, Soul Hoarder, which draws a card for every permanent that goes to an opponent’s graveyard on your turn. While Kothophed can be a consistent source of card advantage, it does not directly influence your life total. Disciple of Bolas does this immediately, providing both an immediate increase in hand size and life total but at a one-off cost.

Assessing the balance between life manipulation and card draw, Disciple of Bolas offers a powerful, albeit situational, effect. It’s a strong consideration for decks that can take advantage of the life gain and simultaneous card draw, especially when compared to cards that provide similar benefits but in varying degrees and at different paces.

Bloodtracker - MTG Card versions
Kothophed, Soul Hoarder - MTG Card versions
Bloodtracker - Treasure Chest (PZ2)
Kothophed, Soul Hoarder - Magic Origins (ORI)

Cards similar to Disciple of Bolas by color, type and mana cost

Hell's Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Rag Man - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Debaser - MTG Card versions
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Scourge of Numai - MTG Card versions
Hell's Caretaker - Chronicles (CHR)
Rag Man - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Phyrexian Debaser - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Slinking Skirge - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Gravedigger - The List (PLST)
Scandalmonger - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Urborg Shambler - Invasion (INV)
Whispering Shade - Odyssey (ODY)
Cabal Surgeon - Torment (TOR)
Filth - Judgment (JUD)
Demon of Catastrophes - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Bold Plagiarist - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Dirge Bat - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Gixian Puppeteer - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Toxin Sliver - Legions (LGN)
Vampiric Spirit - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Nim Shambler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Bad Ass - Unhinged (UNH)
Scourge of Numai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Disciple of Bolas MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2013 and Commander 2014, 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 Disciple of Bolas and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Disciple of Bolas Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2012-07-13 and 2022-04-29. Illustrated by Slawomir Maniak.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12012-07-13Magic 2013M13 882003normalblackSlawomir Maniak
22014-11-07Commander 2014C14 1402015normalblackSlawomir Maniak
32020-04-17Commander 2020C20 1322015normalblackSlawomir Maniak
42020-08-07Double Masters2XM 852015normalblackSlawomir Maniak
52022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 2472015normalblackSlawomir Maniak

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Disciple of Bolas has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-08-07 If you control at least one other creature when the ability resolves, you must sacrifice one. If you don't control any other creatures at that time, the ability won't do anything.
2020-08-07 The creature's power as it last existed on the battlefield is the amount of life you gain and the number of cards you draw.

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