Efreet Weaponmaster MTG Card


Efreet Weaponmaster - Khans of Tarkir
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Efreet Monk
Abilities First strike,Morph
Released2014-09-26
Set symbol
Set nameKhans of Tarkir
Set codeKTK
Power 4
Toughness 3
Number175
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byRyan Alexander Lee

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides both a solid creature and the ability to reuse valuable ETB effects, increasing overall card value.
  2. Can fit into decks that benefit from manipulating battlefield entry, indirectly aiding in resource acceleration.
  3. Demands a specific mana combination and another creature for full effect, which can affect deck flexibility.

Text of card

First strike When Efreet Weaponmaster enters the battlefield or is turned face up, another target creature you control gets +3/+0 until end of turn. Morph (You may cast this card face down as a 2/2 creature for . Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Efreet Weaponmaster brings a tactical edge to the battlefield by offering players a favorable flicker effect upon entering the playing field. By doing this, it not only adds a capable body to the board but also allows for reusing another creature’s enter-the-battlefield (ETB) trigger. This can lead to significant card advantage as you effectively get more value out of the creatures you’ve already played.

Resource Acceleration: Although the Efreet Weaponmaster itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it can be a key card in strategies that capitalize on creatures entering the battlefield. Its effect can reset mana dorks or untap lands enchanted with abilities to push ahead in terms of available mana, thus aiding in resource acceleration indirectly.

Instant Speed: While the Efreet Weaponmaster’s ability doesn’t function at instant speed, this creature benefits from being played with other spells or abilities that can. Savvy players can use tricks to surprise their opponent by flickering Efreet Weaponmaster and gaining its benefits as a quick response during complex board states.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Efreet Weaponmaster demands the player to have another creature card to exhibit its full potential. This prerequisite may not always align with your hand’s current state, especially in games where your resources are already stretched thin.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring not one, but three specific types of mana (one red, one blue, and one white), Efreet Weaponmaster’s casting cost can present challenges in decks that are not finely tuned to generate such a specific mana combination consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost totaling six, including three of varied colors, Efreet Weaponmaster is quite an investment. This cost can be burdensome in the earlier stages of the game or within faster-paced metas where lower-cost creatures may provide a quicker impact on the game state.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Efreet Weaponmaster is a flexible card that can easily adapt to various game situations. As a creature with flying, it can serve as an offensive threat while also having the potential to be a formidable blocker. Its ability to give another creature +3/+0 until end of turn when it enters the battlefield makes it a versatile addition to decks that aim to capitalize on sudden bursts of power.

Combo Potential: The enter-the-battlefield effect of Efreet Weaponmaster makes it a prime candidate for combos in decks that focus on flickering or bouncing creatures. When used with cards that allow you to repeatedly exile and return Efreet Weaponmaster to the battlefield, you can consistently boost other creatures’ power, making surprise wins a frequent occurrence.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based decks are prominent, Efreet Weaponmaster’s impact can be significant. By enhancing creatures for critical combat phases or as part of intricate combo chains, it can hold its own and even shift the momentum of a game when played at the right moment.


How to Overcome the Efreet Weaponmaster

The Efreet Weaponmaster presents a noteworthy challenge on the battlefield. With its formidable power and the ability to distribute +1/+1 counters when it enters the field, it requires a strategic approach. For players looking to counter this card, removal spells are key. Cards such as Doom Blade or Murder are simple yet effective methods to remove the Efreet Weaponmaster from play before its combat tricks can be activated.

Additionally, countering the spell upon casting can neutralize the threat before it materializes. Spells like Cancel or Essence Scatter are prime examples, targeting the spell in the stack rather than the creature on the battlefield. Enchantment-based control options can also play a part. Pacifism locks the card down, preventing it from attacking or blocking, thus mitigating its combat influence.

Overall, the key to bypassing the impact of Efreet Weaponmaster lies in interrupting its play cycle—either remove it swiftly after it lands or counter the creature spell directly. Balancing your deck with a mix of removal and counterspell options is not just a tactic to best this card, but a comprehensive strategy to enhance gameplay against a variety of challenges.


Cards like Efreet Weaponmaster

Efreet Weaponmaster is a dynamic entry in the suite of creature cards with enter the battlefield effects in MTG. Its closest peer is probably Flameshadow Conjuring, an enchantment that also capitalizes on the impact of creature cards arriving on the battlefield. While Flameshadow Conjuring requires a red mana payment to trigger, the Weaponmaster automatically executes its ability without extra cost, albeit only upon entry. Another card worth mentioning is Nephalia Smuggler, granting the ability to flicker creatures for a repeated use of enter the battlefield effects, much like you’d ideally want with the Weaponmaster for continuous advantage.

Ghostly Flicker stands as a distinct option, momentarily exiling two target artifacts, creatures, or lands only to return them instantly, triggering their abilities once more. Though unlike the play style of Efreet Weaponmaster, it requires a strategic setup to ensure a combative payoff. With the Smuggler or Flicker, you can reuse various abilities, but the raw power and immediate board presence the Weaponmaster provides are unique to creature-based strategies.

Ultimately, Efreet Weaponmaster offers an aggressive playstyle with its ability to enhance battlefield presence substantially. It’s particularly adept in decks revolving around enter the battlefield synergies or those that aim for a robust combat phase.

Flameshadow Conjuring - MTG Card versions
Nephalia Smuggler - MTG Card versions
Ghostly Flicker - MTG Card versions
Flameshadow Conjuring - Magic Origins (ORI)
Nephalia Smuggler - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Ghostly Flicker - Avacyn Restored (AVR)

Cards similar to Efreet Weaponmaster by color, type and mana cost

Numot, the Devastator - MTG Card versions
Narset, Enlightened Master - MTG Card versions
Kasla, the Broken Halo - MTG Card versions
Numot, the Devastator - Commander 2011 (CMD)
Narset, Enlightened Master - Commander Masters (CMM)
Kasla, the Broken Halo - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Efreet Weaponmaster MTG card by a specific set like Khans of Tarkir, 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 Efreet Weaponmaster and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Efreet Weaponmaster has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2014-09-20 A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent, as well as Auras and Equipment that were attached to the permanent, aren’t affected.
2014-09-20 Any time you have priority, you may turn the face-down creature face up by revealing what its morph cost is and paying that cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. Only a face-down permanent can be turned face up this way; a face-down spell cannot.
2014-09-20 At any time, you can look at a face-down spell or permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down spells or permanents you don’t control unless an effect instructs you to do so.
2014-09-20 Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn’t cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger.
2014-09-20 If a face-down permanent leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or if the game ends.
2014-09-20 Morph lets you cast a card face down by paying , and lets you turn the face-down permanent face up any time you have priority by paying its morph cost.
2014-09-20 The face-down spell has no mana cost and has a converted mana cost of 0. When you cast a face-down spell, put it on the stack face down so no other player knows what it is, and pay . This is an alternative cost.
2014-09-20 When the spell resolves, it enters the battlefield as a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It’s colorless and has a converted mana cost of 0. Other effects that apply to the creature can still grant it any of these characteristics.
2014-09-20 You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield in order to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for doing this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield.

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