Apprentice Wizard MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Wizard
Power 0
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers card draw and efficient mana tapping, pivotal for maintaining card flow and advancing gameplay.
  2. Enables early casting of powerful spells, creating opportunities for swift, overwhelming board control.
  3. Demands resource trade-off, challenging deck synergy, especially in multicolor card strategies.

Text of card

o U, oc T: Add o3 to your mana pool. This ability is played as an interrupt.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Apprentice Wizard is a gem for any deck seeking to outpace the opponent with an additional draw mechanism. Masters of this card can leverage its ability to tap for mana without the need to include other less efficient or more costly mana sources, enabling them to maintain a steady stream of cards.

Resource Acceleration: This wizard’s ability to tap for three blue mana symbolizes an alluring opportunity for resource acceleration. It assists in summoning heavy-hitting spells or creatures ahead of schedule, setting the stage for a swift and overwhelming presence on the board.

Instant Speed: The rapid casting of spells that the Apprentice Wizard’s mana boost enables can be a formidable tactic. It allows a player to play at instant speed, keeping opponents on their toes and reacting to threats or opportune moments as they arise.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Apprentice Wizard demands a sacrifice of another resource. This can be particularly taxing in tight game situations where every card in hand counts.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost requires blue mana, presenting a challenge in multi-colored decks that might struggle to consistently produce the necessary mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost requiring three mana, Apprentice Wizard’s activation ability might be too steep when you’re aiming for a swift and efficient mana curve in your game strategy.


Reasons to Include Apprentice Wizard in Your Collection

Versatility: Apprentice Wizard serves as a mana accelerator, offering you the chance to access more mana earlier in the game. This blue Human Wizard can be a linchpin in decks designed around high-cost spells or mana-intensive strategies.

Combo Potential: This card can be a crucial component in combos that rely on generating large amounts of mana quickly. Its ability to provide additional colorless mana can be the difference between executing your game-winning combo or falling a turn short.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame that favors long games and big spells, Apprentice Wizard can give you the upper hand. This card is pertinent for maintaining pace with other powerful strategies in the format, allowing you to deploy threats ahead of curve.


How to beat

Apprentice Wizard is a notable card often utilized in Magic: The Gathering for its mana acceleration ability. Providing blue mana can be critical, influencing the speed at which a player deploys high-cost spells. The card essentially functions as a mana battery, albeit for a cost, and allowing a player to leap ahead in development.

To counteract Apprentice Wizard, one must disrupt the mana flow it provides. This can be achieved through direct removal spells, such as Doom Blade or Path to Exile, targeting the Wizard before its ability is activated. Alternatively, one can employ counterspells when Apprentice Wizard is cast, such as Counterspell or Mana Leak, preventing its entry to the battlefield entirely.

Engaging in preemptive strategies works as well, utilizing cards that restrict the benefit of generating additional mana. Examples include damping effects like Damping Sphere or Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, which make spells cost more. By efficiently managing these strategies, one can mitigate the advantage Apprentice Wizard offers and maintain the tempo of the game in one’s favor.


BurnMana Recommendations

Delving into the mechanics of MTG, the Apprentice Wizard stands out as a fascinating card for players who appreciate the nuances of mana acceleration and strategic gameplay. Its capability to grant mana swiftly elevates it as a tactical inclusion in many blue decks. If you embrace the strategy behind this Human Wizard and its potential to unlock powerful spells ahead of time, your deck could benefit from its dynamic. For those intrigued by the possibilities that Apprentice Wizard presents and seeking to optimize their deck with this versatile card, we encourage you to continue your journey with us. Together, let’s explore the depths of MTG’s strategic play, harness this card’s potential, and pursue victory with wisdom on your side.


Cards like Apprentice Wizard

Apprentice Wizard is a unique Magic: The Gathering card that stands out among mana-generating creatures. When we compare this to other cards that offer mana acceleration, Vedalken Engineer comes to mind. Both creatures share a color and provide two colorless mana, but while Apprentice Wizard requires a mana to activate its ability, Vedalken Engineer freely gives the mana but restricts its use to artifact spells or abilities.

Another card worth mentioning is Urza’s Bauble. Despite being an artifact with a different role, it similarly aids in manipulating resources, offering a glimpse at your opponent’s hand while replacing itself in your next draw. Apprentice Wizard’s flexibility in the form of a creature, contrasted with the single-use nature of the bauble, gives each card its unique place within a deck’s strategy.

Finally, Priest of Urabrask echoes the idea of extra mana but in a one-off burst when it enters the battlefield. The key difference is that Apprentice Wizard can consistently provide additional mana turn after turn. This consistent mana advantage is essential in decks that aim to cast high-cost spells earlier in the game.

Though each card serves a nuanced role, Apprentice Wizard often finds its niche in decks that value a long-term mana advantage over other short-term mana-generating alternatives.

Vedalken Engineer - MTG Card versions
Urza's Bauble - MTG Card versions
Priest of Urabrask - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Engineer - Darksteel (DST)
Urza's Bauble - Ice Age (ICE)
Priest of Urabrask - New Phyrexia Promos (PNPH)

Cards similar to Apprentice Wizard by color, type and mana cost

Wall of Water - MTG Card versions
Prodigal Sorcerer - MTG Card versions
Homarid - MTG Card versions
Daring Apprentice - MTG Card versions
Time Elemental - MTG Card versions
Rootwater Shaman - MTG Card versions
Wind Drake - MTG Card versions
Volrath's Shapeshifter - MTG Card versions
Stronghold Biologist - MTG Card versions
Quicksilver Wall - MTG Card versions
Wall of Air - MTG Card versions
Phantom Warrior - MTG Card versions
Wormfang Drake - MTG Card versions
Animating Faerie // Bring to Life - MTG Card versions
Ghost of Ramirez DePietro - MTG Card versions
Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar - MTG Card versions
Queen of Ice // Rage of Winter - MTG Card versions
Mistform Warchief - MTG Card versions
Horned Turtle - MTG Card versions
Synod Artificer - MTG Card versions
Wall of Water - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Prodigal Sorcerer - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Homarid - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Daring Apprentice - Mirage (MIR)
Time Elemental - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Rootwater Shaman - Tempest (TMP)
Wind Drake - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Volrath's Shapeshifter - Stronghold (STH)
Stronghold Biologist - Nemesis (NEM)
Quicksilver Wall - Prophecy (PCY)
Wall of Air - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Phantom Warrior - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
Wormfang Drake - Judgment (JUD)
Animating Faerie // Bring to Life - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Ghost of Ramirez DePietro - Commander Legends (CMR)
Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Queen of Ice // Rage of Winter - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Mistform Warchief - Scourge (SCG)
Horned Turtle - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Synod Artificer - Darksteel (DST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Apprentice Wizard MTG card by a specific set like The Dark and Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border, 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 Apprentice Wizard and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Apprentice Wizard Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 1994-08-01 and 2020-08-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11994-08-01The DarkDRK 211993normalblackDan Frazier
21995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 611993normalblackDan Frazier
31995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 611993normalwhiteDan Frazier
41995-08-01RenaissanceREN 231993normalblackDan Frazier
52007-09-10Masters EditionME1 301997normalblackDan Frazier
62020-08-07Double Masters2XM 402015normalblackRichard Kane Ferguson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Apprentice Wizard has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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