Vedalken Anatomist MTG Card


Vedalken Anatomist ensures board control with a tap ability, indirectly contributing to your card advantage. Being able to act at instant speed offers tactical superiority and surprise interactions in matches. Some drawbacks include a specific mana cost and competing for mana slots with other significant spells.
Vedalken Anatomist - Mirrodin Besieged
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Phyrexian Vedalken Wizard
Released2011-02-04
Set symbol
Set nameMirrodin Besieged
Set codeMBS
Power 1
Toughness 2
Number36
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byGreg Staples

Text of card

, : Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature. You may tap or untap that creature.

"Specimen 211 examination report. Observation: graft sublimation incomplete. Result: death. Prepare specimen 212."


Cards like Vedalken Anatomist

Vedalken Anatomist stands out as a unique manipulator in the vast array of MTG creature cards. With its ability to tap a creature and put a -1/-1 counter on it, it has some resemblance to cards like Icy Manipulator, which can also tap creatures or other permanents. Unlike Icy Manipulator, Vedalken Anatomist offers the persistent impact of weakening creatures over time.

Comparatively, Gideon’s Lawkeeper is another card that allows players to tap creatures, enabling control over the opponent’s battlefield presence. However, it lacks the additional utility of placing counters that can eventually remove threats permanently. In the same realm, Pestilence Rats emphasizes the counter theme but through increasing power rather than disabling and weakening opposing creatures. Nevertheless, it does not offer the versatility of the continual control that Vedalken Anatomist provides.

When evaluating these options, it’s evident that Vedalken Anatomist provides a blend of control and debuffing that is subtle yet powerful, making it an excellent choice for players who enjoy dictating the pace and state of their opponent’s creatures.

Icy Manipulator - MTG Card versions
Gideon's Lawkeeper - MTG Card versions
Pestilence Rats - MTG Card versions
Icy Manipulator - MTG Card versions
Gideon's Lawkeeper - MTG Card versions
Pestilence Rats - MTG Card versions

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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
Animating Faerie // Bring to Life - MTG Card versions
Ghost of Ramirez DePietro - MTG Card versions
Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Vedalken Anatomist provides consistent board control, allowing you to tap potential threats each turn. This repetitive action can hinder your opponent’s ability to maintain a strong offensive, indirectly contributing to your card advantage by neutralizing their cards without the need for additional resources.

Resource Acceleration: By controlling the pace of the game, Vedalken Anatomist can buy you time to develop your mana base and other resources. This can accelerate your game plan as it affords you the luxury of casting more impactful spells sooner by slowing down your opponent’s development.

Instant Speed: The ability to use Vedalken Anatomist’s tap ability at instant speed is a major tactical asset. This allows you to respond to your opponent’s moves during their turn, creating surprise interactions and potentially disrupting their combat strategies. Having this level of control at instant speed grants you flexibility and unpredictability, both of which are valuable in any MTG game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Vedalken Anatomist does not have a discard requirement, providing a stable control option without depleting hand resources.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Vedalken Anatomist includes blue mana, making it exclusive to blue-inclusive decks and potentially awkward in multicolor mana bases.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that is somewhat high, Vedalken Anatomist may compete for the same mana slots as other impactful blue spells, potentially slowing down your game plan.


Reasons to Include Vedalken Anatomist in Your Collection

Versatility: Vedalken Anatomist offers flexibility in gameplay by providing a consistent way to manipulate the board state. Its ability to tap or untap creatures adds utility across a range of deck types, potentially disrupting opponents or enabling your own synergies.

Combo Potential: This card shines when paired with strategies that capitalize on tap/untap mechanics. Players can explore infinite combos or use it to repeatedly exploit enter-the-battlefield triggers and other abilities that are usually limited to once per turn.

Meta-Relevance: With a focus on creature-based strategies prevalent in the meta, Vedalken Anatomist becomes a functional tool to either stall your opponent’s big threats or untap your own for surprise blocks or additional attacks. Its relevance can fluctuate with the meta, but when creatures dominate, it’s a card worth considering.


How to beat

Vedalken Anatomist presents itself as a strategic piece on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering, best known for its ability to incapacitate opponent’s creatures. This card allows you to tap an artifact or creature and place a -1/-1 counter on it with each activation. To navigate around this obstacle, efficient removal spells are key. Such spells targets the Vedalken Anatomist directly, preventing it from establishing control. Alternatively, utilizing instant-speed spells can catch the antagonist off guard, disallowing them from employing its tap-down tactic during your turn.

Another route to overpower this Vedalken is by employing creatures that have hexproof or indestructible. By doing so, the Anatomist’s capability to manipulate and weaken your creatures is considerably nullified. Swift aggression can also be a viable plan; deploying fast, high-damage dealers can quickly deplete the opponent’s life before the Anatomist’s influence becomes too great. It’s also wise to manage the battlefield, keeping artifact or creature count low, thus limiting the Anatomist’s targets. Adapting any of these strategies can prove effective in ensuring the Vedalken Anatomist doesn’t dissect your game plan.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Vedalken Anatomist MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin Besieged, 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 Vedalken Anatomist and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Vedalken Anatomist has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2011-06-01 If the creature is an illegal target when the ability tries to resolve, it won’t resolve. None of its effects happen.