Moonbow Illusionist MTG Card


Moonbow Illusionist - Saviors of Kamigawa
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Moonfolk Wizard
Abilities Flying
Released2005-06-03
Set symbol
Set nameSaviors of Kamigawa
Set codeSOK
Power 2
Toughness 1
Number46
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byDan Frazier

Key Takeaways

  1. Moonbow Illusionist excels in card advantage and resource acceleration, vital for maintaining battlefield presence.
  2. Instant speed casting with Moonbow Illusionist allows for reactive play and tactical disruptions.
  3. Discard requirements and specific mana costs are trade-offs for its powerful in-game effects.

Text of card

Flying , Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Target land's type becomes the basic land type of your choice until end of turn.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Moonbow Illusionist plays a key role in decks that focus on card draw, often ensuring you have more options in your hand than the opponent. Its ability to generate aerial illusions can replace itself in your hand, maintaining a healthy card economy during play.

Resource Acceleration: This creature has the potential to ramp up your resources. By creating an illusion that can be sacrificed for mana, Moonbow Illusionist can subtly increase your resource pool, fostering a quicker deployment of your strategy.

Instant Speed: Moonbow Illusionist allows you to cast at instant speed, offering tactical flexibility. This capacity to react not only on your turn, but also during your opponent’s crucial phases, adds an element of surprise and adaptability to your gameplay, which can disrupt your adversary’s plans effectively.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Moonbow Illusionist might be a setback in situations where your hand is already depleted. Discarding a card can feel painful, especially when you’re needing every card you can get to maintain a presence on the battlefield.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both blue and green mana, this Illusionist isn’t the most flexible when it comes to deckbuilding. If your mana base isn’t well-tuned, summoning it can become a challenge, potentially slowing your game play.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a somewhat hefty cost to get out onto the field, Moonbow Illusionist faces stiff competition from other cards within the same mana range. Players may find other creatures or spells that provide more immediate impact without the additional discard cost.


Reasons to Include Moonbow Illusionist in Your Collection

Versatility: Moonbow Illusionist offers great flexibility across a range of blue-based decks. Its ability to craft illusions adds layers of strategy, enhancing both offensive and defensive tactics while aiding in mana fixing through its land-fetching capability.

Combo Potential: When paired with cards that reward you for casting illusions or benefit from card draw, Moonbow Illusionist helps to set off powerful chains of plays. Its synergy with instant and sorcery spells that benefit from copying can be a game-changer.

Meta-Relevance: With a meta that often shifts towards creature-based strategies or control decks, Moonbow Illusionist remains relevant. It provides a tool to disrupt opponent plays, maintain board presence, and ensure you’re never falling behind on your mana curve or card advantage.


How to beat Moonbow Illusionist

Moonbow Illusionist, a compelling new card in the MTG universe, has captured players’ interest with its unique abilities. To effectively counter this card, players need to understand its strengths as well as its vulnerabilities. The key is to prevent its activation or to mitigate its effects. One strategy involves using removal spells that can target the Illusionist before its ability triggers. Cards with Flash are particularly useful as they allow you to act on your opponent’s turn, keeping them off balance.

Another aspect to consider is the Illusionist’s dependency on a certain type of deck to function optimally. Disruption tactics, like discard or counter spells, can hinder or even halt the synergies that the Illusionist needs. Moreover, if the Moonbow Illusionist does succeed in creating an illusion, having ways to deal with token creatures becomes paramount. Board wipes or spot removal can clear the generated tokens, nullifying the advantage provided by the Illusionist. By anticipating these interactions and crafting your deck to address them, you put yourself in a better position to tackle the enchanting challenge of Moonbow Illusionist.


Cards like Moonbow Illusionist

Moonbow Illusionist is a versatile option for MTG players looking to add an impactful wizard to their collection. Within the world of MTG, cards such as Mistmeadow Witch offer some interesting parallels. Both share the ability to affect the battlefield with elusiveness, though the Witch focuses on blinking creatures, while Moonbow Illusionist’s strength lies in its illusionary shapeshifting — a tactic that can alter the course of creature combat by changing power and toughness effectively.

Another card, Imagecrafter, also taps into the art of manipulation, allowing players to alter creature types at will. However, unlike Moonbow Illusionist, Imagecrafter doesn’t influence power or toughness, yet provides a strategic advantage in tribal decks. Where Moonbow shines is its blend of evasive maneuvers and straight-up combat trickery.

When evaluating Moonbow Illusionist against its counterparts, it stands out for its capacity to surprise opponents and shift dynamics mid-game, especially when leveraging creature abilities and synergies. Its unique blend of flexibility and control makes it a noteworthy inclusion in decks that aim to keep adversaries on their toes.

Mistmeadow Witch - MTG Card versions
Imagecrafter - MTG Card versions
Mistmeadow Witch - MTG Card versions
Imagecrafter - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Moonbow Illusionist by color, type and mana cost

Wall of Water - MTG Card versions
Prodigal Sorcerer - MTG Card versions
Apprentice Wizard - 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
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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
Svyelun of Sea and Sky - MTG Card versions
Mistform Warchief - MTG Card versions
Wall of Water - MTG Card versions
Prodigal Sorcerer - MTG Card versions
Apprentice Wizard - 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
Svyelun of Sea and Sky - MTG Card versions
Mistform Warchief - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Moonbow Illusionist 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 Moonbow Illusionist and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Moonbow Illusionist has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2005-06-01 Only the targeted land is affected.
2005-06-01 The land’s name as well as any supertype it might have (such as legendary) remains unchanged.

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