Abbot of Keral Keep MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Monk
Abilities Prowess
Power 2
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Abbot of Keral Keep powers card advantage by exiling the top library card for potential play.
  2. Resource acceleration is indirect, enabling strategies beyond regular turn-based card access.
  3. Synergy with instant speed spells expands tactical options significantly in-game.

Text of card

Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.) When Abbot of Keral Keep enters the battlefield, exile the top card of your library. Until end of turn, you may play that card.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Abbot of Keral Keep provides an incremental edge by allowing you to exile the top card of your library and potentially play it, offering a form of card advantage that can consistently apply pressure or provide answers when you’re playing the game.

Resource Acceleration: This MTG card can indirectly accelerate your resources. Although it does not produce additional mana, by playing the exiled card, you are effectively utilizing resources from outside your usual per-turn limits, which can lead to a quicker deployment of your strategies.

Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, Abbot of Keral Keep takes advantage of spells with instant speed in your library. Because it allows you to play the exiled card until the end of your turn, it synergizes well with instant spells by potentially expanding your available options during crucial phases of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Though Abbot of Keral Keep offers the potential for card advantage, it requires you to play with an empty hand to harness its prowess ability. This can sometimes strip you of strategic options and leave you vulnerable if you’re unable to retain resources in your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Abbot of Keral Keep demands a combination of colorless and red mana, making it challenging to fit into multi-colored decks that don’t prioritize red mana sources. Its dependency on red mana can create a stumbling block in the deck-building phase, especially for those who prefer a more diverse color scheme.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Abbot of Keral Keep’s mana cost sits at two, including one red, the card’s value is tied to its prowess and the ability to exile the top card of your library and play it. In some scenarios, this mana investment may not reap a significant enough benefit when compared to other two-mana creatures or spells that could be more impactful in your deck’s strategy.


Reasons to Include Abbot of Keral Keep in Your Collection

Versatility: Abbot of Keral Keep offers a dynamic choice for decks looking to capitalize on card advantage and mana curve optimization. With its prowess ability, the Abbot scales in power with each spell you cast, making it a solid fit in aggressive strategies that want to maintain momentum.

Combo Potential: The card’s prowess triggers not only increase its attack, but also synergize with instants and sorceries, allowing for powerful combinations that can turn the tide of a game. Its ability to exile and potentially play an additional card from the top of your deck also feeds into strategies that manipulate library and graveyard dynamics.

Meta-Relevance: In a fast-paced and combat-centric meta, Abbot of Keral Keep shines by applying pressure and providing extra draw potential without sacrificing board presence. Its deck-thinning capability and prowess make it an excellent choice for red deck wins or any tempo-based build looking to stay ahead of the curve.


How to Overcome Abbot of Keral Keep in Your Match

The Abbot of Keral Keep might initially seem like an unassuming opponent, but its prowess lies in its ability to grant card advantage and provide that crucial land drop or spell in a red deck’s critical moments. To effectively beat this card’s influence in a game, it’s essential to preemptively handle the Abbot. This can be achieved through removal spells that can target the Abbot as soon as it hits the battlefield, thus preventing your opponent from benefiting from the card advantage that comes with its prowess and enter-the-battlefield ability.

Moreover, it’s vital to note that Abbot of Keral Keep’s power enhances as the game progresses, with more mana available to utilize the exiled cards. Therefore, managing this card early on with low-cost removal like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can inhibit a potential tempo swing in your opponent’s favor. In matches where the Abbot thrives, countermagic can also be an effective tool to keep it at bay, ensuring that the Abbot’s potential value is never realized on the battlefield. Understanding and disrupting your opponent’s strategy while the Abbot is on the stack or immediately upon its arrival will aid you in securing control over the game’s flow.


Cards like Abbot of Keral Keep

Abbot of Keral Keep carves out its unique space in the pantheon of prowess creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Its closest relatives include Monastery Swiftspear and Soul-Scar Mage, both renowned for their prowess ability, which increases their power whenever you cast a noncreature spell. What sets the Abbot apart is its notable ‘enters the battlefield’ effect, allowing you to exile the top card of your library and play it until the end of the turn if you have the requisite mana.

Contrast this with Soul-Scar Mage’s ability to shrink creatures with -1/-1 counters, or Monastery Swiftspear’s haste attribute – each card brings something different to a strategy built around casting spells. However, the Abbot offers a blend of prowess and card advantage, a valuable combination in many red decks. It edges forward by potentially expanding your hand every time it hits the field, a feature worthy of consideration when deck building or looking for a creature that can turn the tide mid-game by offering more resources.

Ultimately, comparing these prowess creatures gives us insight into the strategic depth within Magic: The Gathering, where each card can uniquely impact your game plan. Abbot of Keral Keep stands out by allowing players to dig deeper into their library and potentially cast an additional spell, bolstering both their offensive capabilities and their in-game options.

Monastery Swiftspear - MTG Card versions
Soul-Scar Mage - MTG Card versions
Monastery Swiftspear - Khans of Tarkir (KTK)
Soul-Scar Mage - Amonkhet (AKH)

Cards similar to Abbot of Keral Keep by color, type and mana cost

Rock Hydra - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Weaponsmith - MTG Card versions
Goblin Rock Sled - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Lieutenant - MTG Card versions
Goblin Recruiter - MTG Card versions
Heart Sliver - MTG Card versions
Mogg Flunkies - MTG Card versions
Goblin Elite Infantry - MTG Card versions
Fireslinger - MTG Card versions
Skittish Kavu - MTG Card versions
Rage Weaver - MTG Card versions
Minotaur Explorer - MTG Card versions
Sparksmith - MTG Card versions
Goblin Lookout - MTG Card versions
Skirk Marauder - MTG Card versions
Hellspark Elemental - MTG Card versions
Storm Entity - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Soldier - MTG Card versions
Mogg War Marshal - MTG Card versions
Stigma Lasher - MTG Card versions
Rock Hydra - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Dwarven Weaponsmith - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Goblin Rock Sled - The Dark (DRK)
Dwarven Lieutenant - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Goblin Recruiter - Visions (VIS)
Heart Sliver - Tempest (TMP)
Mogg Flunkies - Stronghold (STH)
Goblin Elite Infantry - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Fireslinger - Duel Decks Anthology: Jace vs. Chandra (JVC)
Skittish Kavu - Invasion (INV)
Rage Weaver - Invasion (INV)
Minotaur Explorer - Odyssey (ODY)
Sparksmith - Onslaught (ONS)
Goblin Lookout - Legions (LGN)
Skirk Marauder - Legions (LGN)
Hellspark Elemental - DCI Promos (PDCI)
Storm Entity - Future Sight (FUT)
Dwarven Soldier - Masters Edition (ME1)
Mogg War Marshal - Duel Decks: Elves vs. Goblins (DD1)
Stigma Lasher - Eventide (EVE)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Abbot of Keral Keep MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Magic Origins 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 Abbot of Keral Keep and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Abbot of Keral Keep Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2015-07-17 and 2022-07-08. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 625012015normalblackAnna Steinbauer
22015-07-17Magic Origins PromosPORI 127s2015normalblackDeruchenko Alexander
32015-07-17Magic OriginsORI 1272015normalblackDeruchenko Alexander
42022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 1002015normalblackDeruchenko Alexander
52022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 4462015normalblackDeruchenko Alexander

Legalities

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

DateText
2015-06-22 Any spell you cast that doesn't have the type creature will cause prowess to trigger. If a spell has multiple types, and one of those types is creature (such as an artifact creature), casting it won't cause prowess to trigger. Playing a land also won't cause prowess to trigger.
2015-06-22 If you don't play the card, it will remain exiled.
2015-06-22 Once it triggers, prowess isn't connected to the spell that caused it to trigger. If that spell is countered, prowess will still resolve.
2015-06-22 Playing the card exiled with Abbot of Keral Keep's ability follows the normal rules for playing that card. You must pay its costs, and you must follow all applicable timing rules. For example, if the card is a creature card, you can cast that card by paying its mana cost only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
2015-06-22 Prowess goes on the stack on top of the spell that caused it to trigger. It will resolve before that spell.
2015-06-22 The card exiled by Abbot of Keral Keep's ability is exiled face up.
2015-06-22 Unless an effect allows you to play additional lands that turn, you can play a land card exiled with Abbot of Keral Keep's ability only if you haven't played a land yet that turn.
2015-06-22 You may play that card that turn even if Abbot of Keral Keep is no longer on the battlefield or under your control.

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