Erratic Visionary MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Wizard
Power 1
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Erratic Visionary makes late-game stronger with extra card draws, potentially leading to more wins.
  2. Its instant-speed ability optimizes mana use, keeping players ahead in the game.
  3. The card’s discard requirement and specific mana cost are strategic disadvantages to its use.

Text of card

, : Draw a card, then discard a card.

An Izzet experiment begins with a "what if," gets approved with a "why not," and concludes with a "eureka!"


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Drawing extra cards is pivotal for any deck striving to outpace the opponent. Erratic Visionary’s ability to convert excess mana into new draw opportunities can be a boon during the late game, where every card drawn could lead to a potential win.

Resource Acceleration: Erratic Visionary doesn’t directly accelerate your resources but can effectively filter your draws to reach integral land drops or mana sources. It shines in ensuring that your hand is filled with actionable plays rather than with unplayable cards.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of activating Erratic Visionary’s ability at instant speed cannot be overstated. It allows you to adapt to the fluid dynamics of a game, using mana efficiently during an opponent’s end step or in response to removal, keeping you one step ahead.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Erratic Visionary demands the player to pitch a card to activate its ability. This cost can be especially taxing in situations where your hand is already running thin, potentially forcing you to forfeit crucial plays.

Specific Mana Cost: To cast Erratic Visionary, you must allocate a precise blend of mana, including blue. This can present a hurdle in multicolored decks that might not have an abundant supply of blue mana at the pivotal moment.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Considering the market of available cards, Erratic Visionary’s mana value might seem steep. Other options in the card pool may yield a greater benefit for a similar, if not lower, investment, making them possibly more appealing picks for deckbuilders.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Erratic Visionary offers a straightforward way to cycle through your deck, helping you find key pieces no matter what strategy you’re deploying. It’s a solid fit for decks that capitalize on card draw and filtering.

Combo Potential: This card can be a modest cog in combo engines, especially in formats that allow for repetitive casting or abilities that synergize with drawing or discarding cards. It enables you to sift through your deck and access your combo pieces more reliably.

Meta-Relevance: In game environments where the pace is slower, Erratic Visionary shines by offering consistent value over time. Its ability to filter through your deck can be critical for staying relevant against a variety of control and midrange strategies that dominate many metas.


How to beat

Erratic Visionary presents a unique challenge on the battlefield, offering card filtering abilities to its controller. The key to tackling this nuisance is disrupting the player’s tempo or removing the creature before it can be leveraged effectively. Targeted removal spells like Fatal Push or Shock can effectively eliminate the Erratic Visionary before the user benefits from its card-drawing capability. As it is a low-cost creature with a modest stat line, board wipes may be unnecessary. Instead, employing quick and efficient removal lets you maintain control.

Alternatively, countering the creature spell as it’s being cast proves to be an effective strategy, preventing it from ever impacting the game. Cards like Essence Scatter excel in this role. Another tactic is to employ hand disruption to forestall the Visionary’s card advantage utility—cards like Thoughtseize can extract it from a player’s hand before they can get their drawings going. In essence, dealing swiftly with the visionary means less fuel for your opponent and maintains the balance of power in your favor.


Cards like Erratic Visionary

Erratic Visionary stands as an intriguing creature within Magic: The Gathering, offering card filtering abilities reminiscent of other cards in the game. It’s often compared with Merfolk Looter, which also allows players to draw a card and then discard a card. However, Erratic Visionary differs in mana cost and creature type, adding a different dynamic to the deck-building process.

Another card worth comparing is Rummaging Goblin. This creature presents a similar loot ability but requires tapping, making it a slower option compared to the more flexible Erratic Visionary that can be activated at any time you have the mana. Additionally, the Erratic Visionary has an easier color requirement, being single blue mana, aligning it closely with blue’s identity of card manipulation and selection.

While these cards all share the foundational concept of card filtering, Erratic Visionary carves its niche with its unique blend of flexibility and accessibility. When evaluating the utility and adaptability of creatures with looting abilities, Erratic Visionary presents a viable option for players looking to refine their deck’s performance and card flow.

Merfolk Looter - MTG Card versions
Rummaging Goblin - MTG Card versions
Merfolk Looter - Exodus (EXO)
Rummaging Goblin - Magic 2013 (M13)

Cards similar to Erratic Visionary by color, type and mana cost

Vodalian Soldiers - MTG Card versions
Zephyr Falcon - MTG Card versions
Giant Albatross - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Sphere - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Condor - MTG Card versions
School of Piranha - MTG Card versions
Coral Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Wu Light Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Sea Eagle - MTG Card versions
Overtaker - MTG Card versions
Hazy Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Darting Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Thought Eater - MTG Card versions
Spellstutter Sprite - MTG Card versions
Sneaky Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Coral Eel - MTG Card versions
Storm Crow - MTG Card versions
Aquamoeba - MTG Card versions
Soratami Cloudskater - MTG Card versions
Minamo Sightbender - MTG Card versions
Vodalian Soldiers - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Zephyr Falcon - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Giant Albatross - Homelands (HML)
Phantasmal Sphere - Alliances (ALL)
Skyshroud Condor - Tempest (TMP)
School of Piranha - Exodus (EXO)
Coral Merfolk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Wu Light Cavalry - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Sea Eagle - Starter 1999 (S99)
Overtaker - Mercadian Masques Promos (PMMQ)
Hazy Homunculus - Prophecy (PCY)
Darting Merfolk - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Thought Eater - Odyssey (ODY)
Spellstutter Sprite - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Sneaky Homunculus - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Coral Eel - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Storm Crow - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Aquamoeba - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Soratami Cloudskater - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Minamo Sightbender - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Erratic Visionary MTG card by a specific set like War of the Spark and Jumpstart, 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 Erratic Visionary and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Erratic Visionary Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2019-05-03 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by Randy Vargas.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-05-03War of the SparkWAR 482015normalblackRandy Vargas
22020-07-17JumpstartJMP 1502015normalblackRandy Vargas
32024-02-23Ravnica: Clue EditionCLU 852015normalblackRandy Vargas

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Erratic Visionary has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2019-05-03 You can’t do anything in between drawing a card and discarding a card, including casting the card you drew.

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