Illuna, Apex of Wishes MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Beast Elemental Dinosaur
Abilities Flying,Mutate,Trample
Power 6
Toughness 6

Key Takeaways

  1. Illuna allows for direct permanents play, bypassing traditional casting costs for game acceleration.
  2. The creature requires specific mana but brings versatility and combo potential to Temur decks.
  3. Strategies to beat Illuna include preemptive counterspells and instant-speed removals.

Text of card

Mutate {R/G} (If you cast this spell for its mutate cost, put it over or under target non-Human creature you own. They mutate into the creature on top plus all abilities from under it.) Flying, trample Whenever this creature mutates, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland permanent card. Put that card onto the battlefield or into your hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Illuna Apex of Wishes comes into play with a potent trigger that exiles cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland permanent card. This ability doesn’t just fill your hand with options but potentially puts a powerful permanent directly onto the battlefield, skipping traditional casting costs and accelerating your game advantage.

Resource Acceleration: What sets Illuna apart is the ability to not just play creatures, but to pull them from your deck and put them into play. This kind of “cheat” onto the battlefield is akin to resource acceleration because you are effectively bypassing the mana cost of the permanent you put onto the battlefield, which can far exceed the mana you spent on casting Illuna.

Instant Speed: While Illuna itself doesn’t have an instant speed ability, the cards you can put into play through its effect can include instants or creatures with flash. This adds a level of unpredictability and surprise to your plays, allowing you to adapt swiftly in dynamic game states and potentially turning the tide at critical moments.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Illuna Apex of Wishes provides a powerful Mutate ability, triggering it demands a significant sacrifice. Players must be ready to discard other valuable creatures in their deck, which could deplete their hand and crucial resources in the process.

Specific Mana Cost: Illuna’s casting cost is specific and demanding, requiring a combination of red, blue, and green mana. This locks the card firmly into Temur decks and can pose a challenge when mana bases are not fully optimized or a player’s draw is poor, thus limiting Illuna’s versatility in a broader range of deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value of six, including three colored mana, Illuna falls into the higher end of the mana curve. In fast-paced games, the cost might be too steep before stabilizing the board, making it challenging to leverage Illuna’s full potential when tempo is crucial.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Illuna, Apex of Wishes is a dynamic card that can adapt to a multitude of strategies. With flying and trample, this creature can be a versatile threat in both aggressive and controlling decks alike. Its mutate ability allows for various unexpected plays and synergies, adapting to the evolving battlefield with ease.

Combo Potential: Illuna’s mutate mechanic opens the door for numerous combo opportunities. Upon mutation, you get to look at the top cards of your library and put a nonland permanent card with a lesser converted mana cost onto the battlefield. This powerful effect can work in tandem with numerous other cards to potentially swing the game in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: As the metagame fluctuates, Illuna remains a relevant choice, especially in formats that value high-impact creatures. It can rise as a counter to decks that aren’t prepared to deal with its recurring value generation and its ability to end games quickly if left unchecked.


How to beat

Illuna, Apex of Wishes is a formidable presence on the battlefield, presenting a unique challenge with its mutate ability and the potential to cascade into powerful permanents. One effective tactic to counteract Illuna is to focus on preemptive measures like counterspells to prevent it from hitting the board in the first place. Countering the initial mutate spell can save you from the flurry of value it generates.

Another strategy is to utilize removal spells that can exile Illuna, bypassing the recursion that often accompanies creatures in this power bracket. Board wipe effects that cleanse the field regardless of creatures’ size are also a potent solution, dealing with Illuna and any other threats in one fell swoop. Instant-speed removal is particularly crucial as it allows you to respond to the mutate trigger and prevent the free permanent from being put onto the battlefield.

Lastly, playing around Illuna involves a keen sense of timing and resource management. By restraining its ability to generate card advantage and maintaining answers for key moments, you can navigate the storm and emerge victorious against this apex predator of Ikoria.


BurnMana Recommendations

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Cards like Illuna, Apex of Wishes

Illuna, Apex of Wishes is a striking figure in the world of MTG creature cards with its mutate ability. It shines distinctly when compared to others like it, such as Dream Eater, a mythic rare with similarly disruptive abilities upon entering the battlefield, yet lacks the mutability. Illuna also boasts a permanent effect by potentially placing permanents onto the battlefield, setting it apart from Dream Eater’s temporary bounce to hand effect.

Morphing into the comparison, Den Protector is another creature that allows for card advantage, though its megamorph feature provides retrieval from the graveyard rather than Illuna’s effective deck search of reshuffling then revealing cards until a non-land permanent is found. The synergies Illuna unlocks through mutate can have long-lasting impacts, especially since it provides card advantage while potentially altering the battlefield in your favor.

To wrap it up, Illuna, Apex of Wishes stands out in its own mythic rarity for its unique combination of mutate, card advantage, and direct play from the deck, thus offering a blend of surprise and potential that establishes it as a fascinating option for any MTG deck looking to capitalize on these mechanics.

Dream Eater - MTG Card versions
Den Protector - MTG Card versions
Dream Eater - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)
Den Protector - Dragons of Tarkir (DTK)

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Illuna, Apex of Wishes MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Magic Online 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 Illuna, Apex of Wishes and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Illuna, Apex of Wishes Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2020-04-24 and 2022-09-09. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 809912015mutateblackJustine Mara Andersen
22002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 809132015mutateblackNicholas Gregory
32020-04-24Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths PromosPIKO 190s2015mutateblackChris Rahn
42020-04-24Ikoria: Lair of BehemothsIKO 3002015mutateborderlessJustine Mara Andersen
52020-04-24Ikoria: Lair of BehemothsIKO 3792015mutateborderlessNicholas Gregory
62020-04-24Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths PromosPIKO 190p2015mutateblackChris Rahn
72020-04-24Ikoria: Lair of BehemothsIKO 1902015mutateblackChris Rahn
82022-09-09Dominaria United CommanderDMC 1542015mutateblackChris Rahn

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Illuna, Apex of Wishes 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 Illuna, Apex of Wishes card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2020-04-17 A nonland permanent card is an artifact, creature, enchantment, or planeswalker card.
2020-04-17 Any land, instant, and sorcery cards exiled this way remain in exile.
2020-04-17 If an Aura is put onto the battlefield without being cast, the Aura's controller-to-be chooses what it will enchant as it enters the battlefield. An Aura put onto the battlefield this way doesn't target anything (so it could be attached to an opponent's permanent with hexproof, for example), but the Aura's enchant ability restricts what it can be attached to. If the Aura can't legally be attached to anything, it remains in its current zone.
2020-04-17 Illuna's last ability exiles the cards face up. All players will see what the card is if you put it into your hand.
2020-04-17 You choose whether to put the card into your hand or onto the battlefield after seeing what the card is.

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