Mystic Penitent MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Nomad Mystic
Abilities	Threshold, Vigilance
Released	2001-10-01
Set symbol
Set name	Odyssey
Set code	ODY
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	34
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Larry Elmore

Key Takeaways

Benefits from graveyard strategies, becoming a bolstered flyer after reaching threshold for significant board impact.
Potent in late game, Mystic Penitent offers surprise defense or offense with its threshold-enabled flying ability.
Demands careful hand management, as discarding for its threshold can be a double-edged sword if not timed well.

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.

Text of card

Attacking doesn't cause Mystic Penitent to tap. Threshold Mystic Penitent gets +1/+1 and has flying. (You have threshold as long as seven or more cards are in your graveyard.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Mystic Penitent shines in decks focused on graveyard strategies. Once threshold is achieved, this unassuming one-drop transforms into a significant threat, drawing you deeper into your library with its enhanced abilities.

Resource Acceleration: While Mystic Penitent alone isn’t a direct source of mana, its threshold ability – gaining flying and +1/+1 – makes it easier to connect with the opponent. Coupled with cards that capitalize on combat damage triggers, it can indirectly contribute to resource acceleration.

Instant Speed: Though not an instant itself, Mystic Penitent can be easily pitched to the graveyard instantaneously with various MTG mechanics and then resurrected during a late game, making it unexpectedly versatile and allowing for a swift aerial blocker or attacker when least expected.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Mystic Penitent demands that you discard a card to utilize its threshold ability, which could set you back if your hand is already depleted or the discarded card is pivotal to your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting requirement is strictly white mana, potentially making it a less versatile option in multi-colored decks that may struggle with color consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although not exorbitantly priced, Mystic Penitent’s utility upon entering the battlefield might not justify its mana expense, especially when there are creatures with similar or lower costs that provide immediate value or have more impactful abilities.

Reasons to Include Mystic Penitent in Your Collection

Versatility: Mystic Penitent can seamlessly adapt to various strategies. Thanks to its Threshold ability, which grants it flying and +1/+1, it can serve as both an early blocker or a late-game airborne threat.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with mechanics that care about the graveyard, such as reanimation or delve, allowing for intricate combo setups and strategic plays that can swing the game in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: With graveyard-based strategies frequently surfacing in the meta, having Mystic Penitent in your arsenal means you’re well-equipped to leverage your own graveyard while potentially disrupting your opponent’s plans.

How to Beat Mystic Penitent

Mystic Penitent stands out in MTG as a flexible creature due to its Threshold ability, which can turn it into a flying threat with significant card draw potential. To combat this, prioritize graveyard disruption. Cards like Tormod’s Crypt or Bojuka Bog can effectively remove the conditions for Threshold, thus keeping the Mystic Penitent grounded and its card advantage capabilities in check.

Using targeted removal when the Penitent is without Threshold ensures it never becomes a problem. It’s often best dealt with swiftly before the graveyard fills up. Should it gain flying, remember that it’s still vulnerable to common removal spells such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile. Alternatively, having flyers or reach creatures can provide a defensive measure against the Penitent’s aerial attacks.

Overall, it’s essential to monitor graveyard size or have an answer ready for when Mystic Penitent transforms into a potent threat. Counter its strengths strategically, and this will help maintain control over the match and the upper hand over opponents relying on the Penitent’s Threshold ability.

Cards like Mystic Penitent

Mystic Penitent stands out in Magic: The Gathering with its dynamic role of enhancing graveyard strategies. Possessing both threshold and cycling, Mystic Penitent gains flying and a formidable power boost when seven or more cards rest in your graveyard. A similar card, Obsessive Search, also capitalizes on the graveyard with cycling, allowing you to draw a card at the modest cost of one mana.

Another akin card is Werebear, which transforms into a powerful creature given a full graveyard. While Werebear provides a more substantial presence earlier in the game with its mana-generating ability, Mystic Penitent shines later in the game when your graveyard is brimming. Pilgrim of the Sands follows this vein too, featuring cycling and fitting into graveyard-centric decks, albeit without the potential power surge of Mystic Penitent.

The nuances between these cards cater to various playstyles and strategies, but Mystic Penitent’s blend of evasion and power escalation under the right conditions renders it a unique asset in MTG decks focused on leveraging the graveyard’s potential.

Cards similar to Mystic Penitent by color, type and mana cost

Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - MTG Card versions

Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful - MTG Card versions

Bushi Tenderfoot // Kenzo the Hardhearted - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mystic Penitent MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey, 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 Mystic Penitent and other MTG cards: