Mayael the Anima MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Elf Shaman
Power 2
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Mayael the Anima offers exceptional card advantage through selective creature deployment, enhancing board presence.
  2. While costly, Mayael’s ability provides resource acceleration and instant-speed play synergy for strategic depth.
  3. Her specific activation costs present both deckbuilding challenges and tempo considerations in gameplay.

Text of card

, : Look at the top five cards of your library. You may put a creature card with power 5 or greater from among them into play. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.

The sacred Anima's eyes are blind to all but the grandest truths.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: When discussing the virtues of Mayael the Anima, the ability of this card to sift through the top five cards of your library for a creature card with power 5 or greater directly translates into potential card advantage. By selectively placing a powerful creature onto the battlefield, you’re significantly improving your board presence while preserving the cards in your hand for further strategic plays.

Resource Acceleration: Mayael’s ability, albeit with a cost, is a form of resource acceleration that bypasses normal casting requirements. This allows you to put expensive creatures into play potentially earlier than you could cast them from your hand, rapidly accelerating the pace at which you can deploy potent threats against your opponents.

Instant Speed: Although Mayael the Anima’s ability is activated at sorcery speed, it synergizes well with instant speed spells and abilities within your deck. By leaving mana open, you convey to your adversaries that you could respond to their actions. Then, should no immediate threat arise, you may activate Mayael’s ability in your last main phase before passing the turn, efficiently utilizing your resources and keeping opponents guessing until the last possible moment.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Mayael the Anima demands active management of your hand, as her ability necessitates a full grip to fully capitalize on her potential, possibly leading to a dilemma when your hand size runs low.

Specific Mana Cost: Her activation cost isn’t just steep; it also specifically requires red, green, and white mana, which narrows deck building options and can strain your mana base, especially in games where mana fixing can be an issue.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activation cost of six mana, Mayael’s ability is a significant investment, particularly in fast-paced games. There are other creatures or spells that may bring creatures onto the battlefield more efficiently, giving opponents an advantage in tempo.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Mayael the Anima fosters a wide array of deck-building strategies, particularly suited to Commander format, where her ability to cheat in large creatures shines. She supports a high-impact, creature-centric gameplay, which can adapt across various metas.

Combo Potential: Mayael’s ability to look at the top five cards and put a creature with power 5 or greater onto the battlefield synergizes with numerous top-deck manipulation and creature-based combos, enhancing the explosive potential of any deck she’s part of.

Meta-Relevance: Given that many MTG metas include heavy creature-based strategies, Mayael the Anima’s ability to consistently put high-power creatures into play can be a game-changer, keeping your board state competitive and your opponents on their toes.


How to beat

Mayael the Anima is a powerful commander that can easily overwhelm opponents in Magic: The Gathering with her ability to cheat large creatures onto the battlefield. To outpace her, prioritizing removal spells that can deal with large creatures is essential. Board wipes such as “Wrath of God” or “Damnation” can effectively reset the state of the game, mitigating Mayael’s impact. Artifact removal like “Naturalize” or “Disenchant” are crucial as well, to handle key artifacts that enable her quick activations.

Preventing Mayael from activating her ability is another strategy. Cards like “Pithing Needle” or “Sorcerous Spyglass” can be played early to shut her down before she becomes a problem. Hand disruption can be a strong preemptive measure to remove Mayael from your opponent’s hand before she hits the battlefield. Utilizing “Thoughtseize” or “Inquisition of Kozilek” can provide an early advantage.

Lastly, exerting pressure and maintaining a steady pace can keep a Mayael player on the defensive. Aggressive strategies, combined with strategic removal, ensure that the game doesn’t reach a point where Mayael’s ability decides the outcome. Thus, understanding and preparing for her strengths can secure your victory against this powerful MTG card.


Cards like Mayael the Anima

Mayael the Anima is a distinctive commander in MTG, known for her ability to cheat large creatures onto the battlefield. When compared to other cards with similar abilities, Mayael shines in decks that focus on powerhouses with at least 5 power. One card to compare is Elvish Piper, which also allows for putting creatures directly into play. However, the Piper does this at an individual level and doesn’t require the creatures to be power specific, offering more flexibility at the cost of repeatable mass board impact.

Quicksilver Amulet shares a resemblance to Mayael’s creature deployment tactic, bypassing mana costs and summoning sickness at the expense of instant speed that Mayael offers. Another analog is Lurking Predators, a card that puts creatures into play whenever an opponent casts a spell, which provides a constant threat but lacks the controlling selection that Mayael the Anima’s ability grants. Selvala, Heart of the Wilds can generate significant mana based on the power of creatures, which synergizes with big creature decks but does not directly place them onto the battlefield.

Considering the particular capabilities, Mayael the Anima presents a unique proposition for ‘big creature’ strategists within the game, blending element of surprise and power into a formidable combination.

Elvish Piper - MTG Card versions
Quicksilver Amulet - MTG Card versions
Lurking Predators - MTG Card versions
Selvala, Heart of the Wilds - MTG Card versions
Elvish Piper - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Quicksilver Amulet - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Lurking Predators - Magic 2010 (M10)
Selvala, Heart of the Wilds - Conspiracy: Take the Crown (CN2)

Cards similar to Mayael the Anima by color, type and mana cost

Thornscape Battlemage - MTG Card versions
Radiant Kavu - MTG Card versions
Woolly Thoctar - MTG Card versions
Marath, Will of the Wild - MTG Card versions
Jared Carthalion, True Heir - MTG Card versions
Tamanoa - MTG Card versions
Naya Battlemage - MTG Card versions
Sacellum Archers - MTG Card versions
Knotvine Mystic - MTG Card versions
Minsc, Beloved Ranger - MTG Card versions
Jinnie Fay, Jetmir's Second - MTG Card versions
Rocco, Cabaretti Caterer - MTG Card versions
Brazen Upstart - MTG Card versions
Back-Alley Gardener - MTG Card versions
Hazezon, Shaper of Sand - MTG Card versions
Rocco, Street Chef - MTG Card versions
Huatli, Poet of Unity // Roar of the Fifth People - MTG Card versions
Wayta, Trainer Prodigy - MTG Card versions
Dogmeat, Ever Loyal - MTG Card versions
Thornscape Battlemage - The List (PLST)
Radiant Kavu - Planeshift (PLS)
Woolly Thoctar - The List (PLST)
Marath, Will of the Wild - Commander Legends (CMR)
Jared Carthalion, True Heir - Commander Legends (CMR)
Tamanoa - Coldsnap (CSP)
Naya Battlemage - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Sacellum Archers - Conflux (CON)
Knotvine Mystic - Conflux (CON)
Minsc, Beloved Ranger - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos (PAFR)
Jinnie Fay, Jetmir's Second - Streets of New Capenna Promos (PSNC)
Rocco, Cabaretti Caterer - Streets of New Capenna (SNC)
Brazen Upstart - Streets of New Capenna (SNC)
Back-Alley Gardener - Alchemy: New Capenna (YSNC)
Hazezon, Shaper of Sand - Dominaria United Commander (DMC)
Rocco, Street Chef - March of the Machine: The Aftermath (MAT)
Huatli, Poet of Unity // Roar of the Fifth People - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCI)
Wayta, Trainer Prodigy - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)
Dogmeat, Ever Loyal - Fallout (PIP)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mayael the Anima MTG card by a specific set like Shards of Alara and Commander's Arsenal Oversized, 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 Mayael the Anima and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Mayael the Anima Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2008-10-03 and 2013-11-01. Illustrated by Jason Chan.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12008-10-03Shards of AlaraALA 1792003normalblackJason Chan
22012-11-02Commander's Arsenal OversizedOCM1 82003normalblackJason Chan
32013-11-01Commander 2013C13 1992003normalblackJason Chan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Mayael the Anima has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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