Adamaro, First to Desire MTG Card

Adamaro, First to Desire - Saviors of Kamigawa

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Legendary Creature — Spirit
Released	2005-06-03
Set symbol
Set name	Saviors of Kamigawa
Set code	SOK
Power	*
Toughness	*
Number	91
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Paolo Parente

Key Takeaways

Grows in power as opponents’ hand sizes increase, becoming a significant threat on the board.
Tailored for decks that manipulate hand sizes to throw opponents into a dilemma.
Its strength poses a consistent challenge to opponents, especially against control decks with card-heavy strategies.

Text of card

Adamaro, First to Desire's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in the hand of the opponent with the most cards in hand.

"Beware Adamaro! In him all pain and anger is perfected." —Isao, Enlightened Bushi

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Adamaro, First to Desire has the potential to be a powerhouse draw engine in the right setup. As players stack their hands with cards, Adamaro grows in strength, often forcing opponents to either play out their hand quickly or watch as this legendary spirit becomes an imposing threat. It’s an excellent way to gain presence and flexibly capitalize on the card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: One of the most significant benefits of including Adamaro in your deck is its inherent synergy with strategies that aim to maximize the number of cards in each player’s hand. This can rapidly accelerate your resources, giving you a potent and potentially game-ending creature much faster than usual. It’s a strategic element that can pressure your opponents into unfavorable decisions.

Instant Speed: While Adamaro itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it rewards you for playing instants and other spells that increase hand size at the end of your opponent’s turn. This naturally incentivizes a deck with instant speed draw spells, removal, and counters, thus keeping your options open and adaptable to the shifting tide of the game. The adaptability offered by instant speed interaction perfectly complements Adamaro’s strengths as a dynamic and responsive threat.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Adamaro’s effectiveness is directly tied to the number of cards in your opponents’ hands, compelling strategic discards that might not always align with your game plan. This could leave you vulnerable if your hand is depleted and you can’t capitalize on its power.

Specific Mana Cost: Adamaro requires a particular combination of mana – one red and two generic – making it less flexible and potentially challenging to cast on curve, especially in multicolor decks that might not prioritize red mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three, Adamaro competes with other potent three-drop creatures and spells. In fast-paced games, you might find that Adamaro doesn’t provide enough impact when other cards could offer immediate value or more powerful effects for the same cost.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Adamaro, First to Desire thrives in an environment rich with hand manipulation. This flexibility makes it a strong addition to decks aiming to capitalize on the opponent’s hand size, slotting well into red strategies that focus on disruption and agile plays.

Combo Potential: Adamaro’s strength adjusts with the number of cards in the opponent’s hand, which can lead to powerful combos. Integrating cards that force your opponent to draw can dramatically increase Adamaro’s power, offering a unique angle in red-oriented combo decks.

Meta-Relevance: In a MTG scene where card advantage is king, Adamaro gains relevance as it acts as a natural deterrent against decks that hoard cards. Its presence on the board can be a game-changing factor, particularly against control decks that traditionally maintain large hand sizes.

How to beat

Adamaro, First to Desire is an intriguing creature card that thrives on the number of cards in your opponents’ hands. Its power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards held by the opponent with the most cards in their hand. To tackle this unique challenge, the most effective strategy is keeping your hand size small. Strategies that emphasize frequent play of cards, and those that force you to discard or use hand cards, will minimize Adamaro’s potential on the battlefield.

Control decks utilizing sweepers or targeted removal can efficiently deal with Adamaro before its strength becomes overwhelming. It’s also worth considering sideboard options that limit hand sizes, like card discard spells, or cards that reward you with a lower hand count. Ensnaring Adamaro with these techniques, you can shift the game’s momentum in your favor while reducing the effectiveness of your opponent’s strategy around their centerpiece creature.

In summary, maintaining a minimal hand size and utilizing removal spells are key tactics in keeping Adamaro, First to Desire in check. Always be prepared to adjust your deck to the dynamic nature of the game, and remember that in MTG, adaptability can be just as important as raw power.

Cards like Adamaro, First to Desire

Adamaro, First to Desire is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering with a dynamic power and toughness that adapts to your opponent’s hand size. This card echoes the mechanics of other hand-size-dependent creatures like Sudden Impact, yet Adamaro uniquely stands in the creature slot. While Sudden Impact deals damage to a player based on the number of cards in their hand, Adamaro continuously threatens as an on-board presence, growing with each card held by your adversary.

Looking at Masumaro, First to Live, both cards share the theme of relying on hand size, but Masumaro counts the controller’s hand rather than the opponents’. This offers a different strategic angle, allowing players to pilot their own hand management to leverage Masumaro’s power. Conversely, Adamaro’s strength is influenced by opponents’ strategies, potentially making it more unpredictable.

To encapsulate, when comparing card attributes and how they interact with the overall game strategy, Adamaro, First to Desire presents a fascinating angle on hand-size manipulation, being a flexible threat that can scale in power based on an opponent’s actions. It embodies an ever-present danger that requires opponents to carefully balance their hand size or risk facing a formidable adversary.

Masumaro, First to Live - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Adamaro, First to Desire MTG card by a specific set like Saviors of Kamigawa, 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 Adamaro, First to Desire and other MTG cards: