Tallowisp MTG Card


Tallowisp - Betrayers of Kamigawa
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Spirit
Released2005-02-04
Set symbol
Set nameBetrayers of Kamigawa
Set codeBOK
Power 1
Toughness 3
Number25
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byRon Spears

Key Takeaways

  1. Tallowisp’s ability to fetch auras upon casting Spirit or Arcane spells heightens card advantage.
  2. Deck-building around Tallowisp accelerates resources by tutoring auras directly from your library.
  3. Despite a specific mana cost, Tallowisp’s versatile aura tutoring makes it a strategic addition to decks.

Text of card

Whenever you play a Spirit or Arcane spell, you may search your library for an enchant creature card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. If you do, shuffle your library.

Isolated on its little candlewick, the kami never heard of the crime that drove its comrades to war.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tallowisp stands out by tethering its unique ability to Spirit and Arcane spells, offering sustained card advantage. When you cast a Spirit or an Arcane spell, it enables you to search your library for an aura card and put it into your hand, ensuring you have the right tools at the right time.

Resource Acceleration: Tight deck construction around Tallowisp can lead to exceptional resource acceleration. By tutoring aura cards directly from your library, you save mana that would otherwise be spent on drawing or searching for those cards. This accelerates your game plan and helps deploy threats or answers swiftly.

Instant Speed: While Tallowisp’s ability isn’t at instant speed, its synergy with Spirit and Arcane spells means you can exploit instant speed auras. This allows strategic flexibility, letting you respond to opponents’ moves during their turn, or before your next turn begins to maximize board presence or protect key creatures.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: As a player, utilizing Tallowisp effectively often involves discarding a card to fulfill its ability, potentially depleting your hand and leaving you at a strategic disadvantage, especially when your card pool is dwindling.

Specific Mana Cost: Tallowisp’s casting cost requires both white and generic mana, restricting it to decks that can consistently produce these types of mana, thus limiting deck-building flexibility and potentially disrupting mana curves.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of two mana, including one white, Tallowisp is sometimes seen as costly, considering its initial impact on the board is mild without the immediate presence of Spirits or Arcane spells to capitalize on its ability, especially when compared to other two-mana cost creatures that may offer immediate value or stronger board presence upon casting.


Reasons to Include Tallowisp in Your Collection

Versatility: Tallowisp offers utility across various deck builds, adept at fetching key Aura cards that can empower creatures or provide defensive buffs, suiting both aggressive and control playstyles.

Combo Potential: With Tallowisp’s ability to search for an Aura card whenever you play a Spirit or Arcane spell, it opens the door for numerous synergistic plays that can swing the game in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-evolving game, Tallowisp’s niche role within Spirit tribal decks or those utilizing abundant Aura spells ensures a place in metagames where enchantments hold sway.


How to beat

Tallowisp is a creature card in Magic: The Gathering that stands out for its unique ability to fetch aura cards from the library whenever you cast a Spirit or Arcane spell. However, despite its potential to bolster your setup with beneficial enchantments, there are reliable strategies to counter it. Spot removal spells are particularly effective, as they can eliminate Tallowisp before it becomes a threat by creating a powerful aura-clad army. Cards such as Path to Exile or Fatal Push can deal with the creature swiftly and prevent its tutoring ability from taking effect.

Artifact removal can also disrupt the synergy that Tallowisp aims to create. Equipment cards that grant hexproof or shroud, like Lightning Greaves or Whispersilk Cloak, can be targeted to leave Tallowisp and its allies vulnerable. Board wipes serve as an excellent reset, as spells like Wrath of God or Damnation can clear the board of any auras retrieved through Tallowisp’s ability. Sideboarding in graveyard disruption can be a savvy move as well, with cards like Scavenging Ooze or Relic of Progenitus to counteract any recurring aura strategies. In essence, quick disruption and removal are key to overcoming the advantages Tallowisp presents.


Cards like Tallowisp

Tallowisp brings a unique mechanic to the table in the world of Magic: The Gathering, primarily for players focused on Spirit and Arcane synergies. When drawing parallels to other cards, Tallowisp often gets compared with cards like Heliod’s Pilgrim. While Heliod’s Pilgrim allows a player to search their library for an Aura card when it enters the battlefield, Tallowisp instead triggers whenever you cast a Spirit or Arcane spell, potentially providing repeated value throughout the game.

Analogous to Tallowisp, Totem-Guide Hartebeest also enables players to search for Auras. However, Tallowisp has an advantage with a lower casting cost and the potential for multiple searches during the game. Though Hartebeest shares the single-use pattern of Heliod’s Pilgrim but boasts a larger body on the field.

Assessing these options, Tallowisp stands out in decks that can consistently cast the triggering spells. It’s this repeatability and synergy with Spirits and Arcane spells that solidify Tallowisp’s place in specific MTG decks. Its utility in those builds easily overshadows the one-time effects of similar cards, making it a captivating choice for deck builders aiming for synergistic enchantment retrieval.

Heliod's Pilgrim - MTG Card versions
Totem-Guide Hartebeest - MTG Card versions
Heliod's Pilgrim - MTG Card versions
Totem-Guide Hartebeest - MTG Card versions

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White Knight - MTG Card versions
Soul Shepherd - MTG Card versions
Soltari Monk - MTG Card versions
Talon Sliver - MTG Card versions
Keeper of the Light - MTG Card versions
Faith Healer - MTG Card versions
Angelic Page - MTG Card versions
Avenger en-Dal - MTG Card versions
Spirit Weaver - MTG Card versions
Voice of the Blessed - MTG Card versions
Stoneforge Mystic - MTG Card versions
Drannith Magistrate - MTG Card versions
Leonin Lightscribe - MTG Card versions
Silver Knight - MTG Card versions
Longbow Archer - MTG Card versions
Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions
Flumph - MTG Card versions
Cloudreach Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Samite Healer - MTG Card versions
Kor Firewalker - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tallowisp MTG card by a specific set like Betrayers 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 Tallowisp and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Tallowisp has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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