Elite Arcanist MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Human Wizard |
| Released | 2013-07-19 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Magic 2014 |
| Set code | M14 |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 54 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | James Zapata |
Key Takeaways
- Elite Arcanist transforms one card into multiple uses, tipping games in your favor through persistent effects.
- Instant speed plays align with a reactive strategy, utilizing your instants optimally during opponent turns.
- Despite its power, Elite Arcanist can be countered by removal, spell counters, or disruption of mana availability.
Text of card
When Elite Arcanist enters the battlefield, you may exile an instant card from your hand., : Copy the exiled card. You may cast the copy without paying its mana cost. X is the converted mana cost of the exiled card.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Elite Arcanist offers a unique form of card advantage by exiling another instant from your hand and giving you the ability to cast it multiple times. This effectively turns one card into a repeatable resource, with the potential to sway the course of the game in your favor over successive turns.
Resource Acceleration: While Elite Arcanist doesn’t accelerate resources in the traditional sense of ramping mana, it does provide a sort of ‘spell acceleration’. Being able to reuse an instant without spending additional cards from your hand can free up your mana for other spells, allowing for more efficient turns.
Instant Speed: The true power of Elite Arcanist shines at instant speed. Once set up, you can cast the exiled spell during your opponent’s turn, which seamlessly integrates with a reactive playstyle. This enables you to adapt to threats and opportunities as they arise, maximizing the utility of both the arcanist and the chosen spell.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Elite Arcanist’s ability hinges on exiling another instant card from your hand, which can be a significant setback. If your hand is running empty, this could cost valuable card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Elite Arcanist requires a rigid combination of one blue and three generic mana to cast. Decks that run multiple colors may find this specific mana cost challenging to meet early in the game or under restrictive mana conditions.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, Elite Arcanist’s initial investment is quite steep, especially considering that you won’t get immediate value upon its entry to the battlefield. There are alternatives that can provide instant card effects or benefits at a lower cost.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Elite Arcanist offers a unique flexibility in deck design, enabling you to repetitively cast an instant from your collection, thus molding to various gameplay strategies and enhancing the adaptability of your deck.
Combo Potential: This card has the inherent ability to create powerful synergies with numerous instants, setting up potential game-winning combos by consistently accessing key spells each turn.
Meta-Relevance: With the right meta conditions where instant spells can dictate the pace of play, Elite Arcanist becomes an asset, allowing for recurring control or combat tricks that can disrupt opponent strategies.
How to beat
Elite Arcanist offers a unique angle in the MTG arsenal, providing players the ability to reuse their favorite instants each turn. Yet, defeating a player who utilizes an Elite Arcanist is not insurmountable. Key approaches include targeting removal spells that can dispatch the creature before it becomes untouchable or limiting the spells available in their arsenal. Cards such as Lightning Bolt or Fatal Push can effectively neutralize the Arcanist before it sets up its repetitive casting sequence.
Another strategy involves countering the pivotal spells that an opponent might seek to copy. This can be achieved with spells like Counterspell or Dovin’s Veto which prevents the Elite Arcanist from becoming a repeating threat. It’s also crucial to disrupt their mana base, stifling the Arcanist’s activation potential. Additionally, enchantment-based creature control like Pacifism helps contain the Arcanist without having to permanently remove it from the battlefield, thus circumventing any resurrection mechanics the opponent might have in place.
In essence, while Elite Arcanist can be a formidable card when left unchecked, there are several tactical measures players can take to ensure that the card and its duplicative power do not dominate the game landscape.
Cards like Elite Arcanist
The Elite Arcanist offers a distinctive twist in the realm of MTG’s spell-casting mechanics. It echoes the abilities found in cards like Isochron Scepter, which also captures an instant spell allowing its repeated execution. However, Elite Arcanist stands apart with requirements that increase its potential impact but also make it more vulnerable to removal due to its creature status.
Comparatively, Mnemonic Wall surfaces with a focus on returning an instant or sorcery from the graveyard to your hand, playing more closely with one’s graveyard rather than exiling spells as the Arcanist does. While not repeatable like Elite Arcanist, Mnemonic Wall offers a safety not reliant on a creature staying on the battlefield. Then there’s Spellweaver Volute, an enchantment that latches onto an instant in a graveyard and recasts it when a player plays a sorcery. Though it’s a narrower condition than the Arcanist, it’s a safer bet, staying on the field independent of creature threats.
In conclusion, Elite Arcanist has a niche yet powerful presence, slotting into strategies that value the recurring cast of instants, despite the risks that come with its creature nature, securing its role in decks desiring such a repeatable effect.
Cards similar to Elite Arcanist by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Elite Arcanist MTG card by a specific set like Magic 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 Elite Arcanist and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Elite Arcanist has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Elite Arcanist card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-07-01 | If Elite Arcanist leaves the battlefield, you will no longer be able to copy the exiled card. If it returns to the battlefield, you’ll be able to exile another instant card from your hand, but Elite Arcanist will be a different permanent with no connection to the first exiled card. |
| 2013-07-01 | If the copied card has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as its value when casting the copy. Don’t confuse that with the in the activation cost of Elite Arcanist’s ability. |
| 2013-07-01 | If the exiled card is a split card, then X is determined by the combined mana cost of both halves. However, when you cast the copy, you choose only one half to cast. You may cast a different half each time you create and cast a copy. |
| 2013-07-01 | The copy is created in and cast from exile. You must still follow any timing restrictions, such as “Cast -his spell] only during combat.” |
| 2013-07-01 | You can’t pay any alternative costs such as overload costs. You can pay additional costs such as kicker costs. If the spell has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those. |
| 2013-07-01 | You don’t choose the value of in the activation cost of Elite Arcanist’s ability. It’s defined by the converted mana cost of the exiled instant card. |
