Disciple of the Vault MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Cleric
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Disciple favors artifact-heavy decks, offering a card advantage by dealing life damage when artifacts are sacrificed.
  2. It’s effective at instant speed, posing a threat by utilizing shifting game states to drain life.
  3. Countering this card involves removal, graveyard control, or reducing artifact dependence within your deck.

Text of card

Whenever an artifact is put into a graveyard from play, you may have target opponent lose 1 life.

He stands in the shadow of his lord, Geth, drinking in the dark energies of the Vault.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Disciple of the Vault offers a unique form of card advantage in artifact-heavy decks. Each artifact that goes to the graveyard not only clears the board but also chips away at the opponent’s life total, effectively turning your artifacts into potential damage sources.

Resource Acceleration: While Disciple of the Vault itself does not accelerate resources, it synergizes well with strategies that do. It works exceptionally well with cards that sacrifice artifacts for mana or other gains, as each artifact sacrificed can also lead to life loss for the opponent.

Instant Speed: The ability of Disciple of the Vault to cause life loss operates at instant speed, meaning as soon as an artifact is put into the graveyard, the effect takes place. This facilitates responsive play, allowing you to capitalize on even minor shifts in the state of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Disciple of the Vault can be a key component in artifact-centric strategies, it requires a consistent flow of artifacts to discard. This necessity can strain your hand and decrease your ability to respond to opponents’ threats if you’re unable to maintain a surplus of artifacts to sacrifice.

Specific Mana Cost: Disciple of the Vault has a specific mana cost that necessitates black mana in your deck. This requirement can be restrictive, particularly in multicolored decks that might struggle with mana consistency, potentially leaving it stranded in your hand at critical moments.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Even though Disciple of the Vault has a low initial casting cost, the need to generate significant artifact turnover to make the most of its effect may imply a hidden mana cost. This is because you are essentially required to play and sacrifice multiple artifacts, which can add up to a substantial investment for the desired payoff.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Disciple of the Vault offers a broad range of applications across various deck archetypes. Its ability to capitalize on artifact-centric strategies allows it to function well in both aggressive and combo-driven decks.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes extremely well with mechanics that involve sacrificing artifacts or artifact creatures. When paired with cards that create or recur artifacts, Disciple of the Vault becomes a consistent source of life loss for your opponent. It’s a key piece in many powerful artifact-based combos that can close out games quickly.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where artifacts play a significant role, Disciple of the Vault’s impact is amplified. It can serve as an efficient counter to opponents’ strategies that heavily rely on artifacts, making it a valuable addition in a meta that favors such interactions.


How to beat Disciple of the Vault

Dwarfing its opponents with potent ability, Disciple of the Vault is a recognizable card in MTG, particularly within artifact-centric decks that seek to exploit its life-draining feature. The key to circumventing this threat lies in preemptive and reactive measures. Prevention, as they say, is worth a pound of cure. Starting with creature removal can thwart the Disciple’s plans before it begins its sinister work. Cards like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can remove the Disciple swiftly before it accrues value.

Beyond removal, crafting a strategy around graveyard control can be devastatingly effective. With tools like Relic of Progenitus or Leyline of the Void, you can ensure that artifacts never hit the graveyard, stopping the life-loss trigger in its tracks. Another angle to consider is using card abilities that can exile artifacts from the game, preventing the Disciple’s ability from ever activating.

The Disciple of the Vault thrives in environments laden with artifacts; diminishing the artifact count, therefore, naturally weakens its impact. Engaging in a match against the Disciple may require tactical adjustments, but a well-prepared arsenal will guard against the relentless erosion of your life total and disable the Disciple’s daunting presence on the battlefield.


BurnMana Recommendations

Disciple of the Vault is a compelling card for any MTG player interested in the strategic depth of artifact-based gameplay. With its ability to whittle down an opponent’s life with each artifact heading to the graveyard, it becomes an essential piece in certain deck builds. Whether looking to enhance your current artifact deck or wanting to experiment with new combo possibilities, embracing the nuances of Disciple of the Vault can significantly impact your matches. If you’re eager to fine-tune your strategy, explore new tiers of competitive play, or simply appreciate the art of a well-orchestrated MTG deck, delve deeper with us. Together, let’s unlock the potent potential of this dynamic card in your collection.


Cards like Disciple of the Vault

Disciple of the Vault is a unique staple in artifact-centric decks, standing out with its ability to exploit the cycling of artifacts in Magic: The Gathering. Its closest kin could be Reckless Fireweaver, which deals damage to each opponent whenever an artifact enters the battlefield under your control, contrasting with Disciple’s trigger upon artifact’s departure. Reckless Fireweaver lacks the specificity of targeting a single opponent, thereby offering a broader reach but diluting potential combo intricacies.

Another card with a related effect is Marionette Master. Much like Disciple of the Vault, it thrives on artifacts leaving the battlefield. However, Marionette Master is a bigger creature that can be more impactful in the late game, causing larger amounts of damage with its fabricate ability. While the Disciple is lean on mana and can start pressuring life totals early on, Marionette Master commands a more substantial board presence alongside a higher mana investment.

Assessing the suite of options, Disciple of the Vault holds its own as a low-cost powerhouse capable of dealing incremental but significant damage, especially effective in streamlined artifact strategies. It’s the subtleties and synergies that make it a formidable player among its peers in the artifact manipulation game.

Reckless Fireweaver - MTG Card versions
Marionette Master - MTG Card versions
Reckless Fireweaver - Kaladesh (KLD)
Marionette Master - Kaladesh (KLD)

Cards similar to Disciple of the Vault by color, type and mana cost

Stone-Throwing Devils - MTG Card versions
Will-o'-the-Wisp - MTG Card versions
Vampire Bats - MTG Card versions
Bog Rats - MTG Card versions
Muck Rats - MTG Card versions
Vebulid - MTG Card versions
Urborg Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Carrion Rats - MTG Card versions
Foulmire Knight // Profane Insight - MTG Card versions
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Rimebound Dead - MTG Card versions
Plague Beetle - MTG Card versions
Festering Goblin - MTG Card versions
Sleeper Agent - MTG Card versions
Knucklebone Witch - MTG Card versions
Nightshade Stinger - MTG Card versions
Smolder Initiate - MTG Card versions
Kjeldoran Dead - MTG Card versions
Deathgreeter - MTG Card versions
Stone-Throwing Devils - Arabian Nights (ARN)
Will-o'-the-Wisp - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Vampire Bats - Renaissance (REN)
Bog Rats - Chronicles (CHR)
Muck Rats - Portal (POR)
Vebulid - Urza's Saga (USG)
Urborg Skeleton - Invasion (INV)
Carrion Rats - Torment (TOR)
Foulmire Knight // Profane Insight - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Dark Supplicant - Legions (LGN)
Bile Urchin - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Rimebound Dead - Coldsnap (CSP)
Plague Beetle - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Festering Goblin - Tenth Edition (10E)
Sleeper Agent - Tenth Edition (10E)
Knucklebone Witch - Lorwyn (LRW)
Nightshade Stinger - Lorwyn (LRW)
Smolder Initiate - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Kjeldoran Dead - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Deathgreeter - Shards of Alara (ALA)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Disciple of the Vault MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin and World Championship Decks 2004, 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 Disciple of the Vault and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Disciple of the Vault Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2003-10-02 and 2020-08-07. Illustrated by Matt Thompson.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12003-10-02MirrodinMRD 622003normalblackMatt Thompson
22004-09-01World Championship Decks 2004WC04 ap62a2003normalgoldMatt Thompson
32020-08-07Double Masters2XM 862015normalblackMatt Thompson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Disciple of the Vault has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperBanned
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-08-07 If an artifact is put into a graveyard at the same time as Disciple of the Vault, its ability triggers for that artifact.

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