Graceful Adept

Creature — Human Wizard

You have no maximum hand size.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Freeform	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Modern Beyond Horizons	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
PreDH	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (48)

Kazierts on Which is More Important: Total …

10 months ago

DemonDragonJ, again the reason is context. You do not get all of that for a mere 2 mana. Let's dissect each of those upsides.

• You have no maximum hand size - Genuinely good, no complaints here. However, this by itself a good card doesn't make. Graceful Adept is a card that's not even close to being a staple even though it has the same effect. This is because nobody puts a card in their deck exclusively because it just gives them no maximum hand size (Reliquary Tower is a very different case). This effect is more relevant when attached to something else. Examples being Proft's Eidetic Memory, Sea Gate Restoration  ^Flip, The Magic Mirror and, most notably Thought Vessel. Notice something? None are creatures and provide more immediate and impactful effects.

• At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have exactly thirteen cards in your hand, you win the game. - This is honestly because Innistrad haha 13 funny. It's an extremely clunky alternative win condition. Just because something has you win the game written on it doesn't mean it's good. Example (focusing on cards that can go on any {U} deck) being Luck Bobblehead. Alternative win conditios are always attached to something, which is why Coalition Victory is banned since that alternative wincon is actually pretty easy to achieve. Thassa's Oracle is also another very good example. It's really easy to mill your entire deck, which literally makes Thoracle a {U}{U} you win button.

• {3}{U}: Draw a card - Although good, let's think a little bit about costs. Triskaidekaphile costs {1}{U} to cast and {3}{U} to activate, meaning you have to pay a total of {4}{U}{U} for 1 single card, {7}{U}{U}{U} for two cards and so on. Hey, guess how much mana are 7 cards worth. The answer is Overflowing Insight (7 cards for 7 mana) meaning the rate mana-to-card isn't that good. You might argue that paying that much mana in a single go is too much, and that would be correct. Still, for a measly {3}{U}, Wizard Class gives you no maximum hand size, draws two cards, is more resilient to removal and the +1/+1 counters can actually be a decent win condition.

Long story short, the {1}{U} cost deceptive. There's way more involved than just paying two mana. However, I'll admit that Triskaidekaphile isn't necessarily bad. I just think it's bait. There are so many cards that either look incredible by themselves or look like they should be amazing in certain decks, but when you actually play with them they're just ok.

There's a lot more that could be said, but the main thing is a lot of cards need context to be properly evaluated. Siege Rhino was a absurd monster when it first released. Years later, now it's just ok.

9-lives on

1 year ago

Thanks a bunch, RiotRunner789! Very useful advice! I'm keeping Graceful Adept so that if it ever happens, I can make it use Prosthetic Injector. But Library of Leng doesn't affect the hand size does it? Like, what happens if I have more than 7 cards and skip my discard phase? Admiral's Order is great! Same with Dissipate and Unwind! However, I do enjoy cards that tie up mana the most. It's a win-win because if they choose not to pay the cost, they end up losing their card. And, if they can't that's also good. Not just that, but also if they do pay the cost, it makes it to where they can't spend much mana on anything else.

RiotRunner789 on

1 year ago

I'd swap Graceful Adept for Library of Leng. Cheaper, harder to remove, and added bonus against discard.

Cancel for any other counterspell. There are plenty of 1UU with upside such as personal favorite of mine, Admiral's Order. Rewind, Dissipate, Unwind and Negate are also solid budget options. Personally not a fan of Mana Leak-esk counters since if an opponent has a ton of Mana, they become useless. Also, Defense Grid is an odd choice for a blue deck since it hurts your own counters on your opponents turn.

I'd consider trying to find room for a card or cards like Coastal Piracy, Bident of Thassa, and The Indomitable.

Single protection to consider, Mithril Coat is amazing, Commander's Plate always pulls a ton of weight in mon color (may hurt commander's unblockable agaimst another monoblue but otherwise really helps), Dive Down not amazing, just a pet card when it was in standard.

DrSnipy on Nin, the Dragon Summoner

3 years ago

Thanks for the time to write a comment, but Graceful Adept is already in the deck... I will think about Triskaidekaphile however.

TrillIBloom on Nin, the Dragon Summoner

3 years ago

May I suggest replacing Graceful Adept with Triskaidekaphile, and it adds another win con to the deck, as well as a secondary mana sink.

PorygonDust on SakasTymna of the Weaver Faces

4 years ago

I would remove Cancel for Dovin's Veto, Crux of Fate for Torment of Hailfire, Diabolic Tutor for Beseech the Queen, Diabolic Edict for Go for the Throat, Personal Tutor for Lim-Dul's Vault, Laboratory Maniac for Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, Graceful Adept for Archon of Emeria, Blood Seeker for Judge's Familiar, Strionic Resonator for Isochron Scepter, Baleful Strix for Windfall, Nadier's Nightblade for Dramatic Reversal, and Revel in Riches for Basalt Monolith

omega1563 on Azami's Wizard Gang

5 years ago

Planned Changes:

• Coming Out:

  • Sphinx of Uthuun: Not a wizard. Already have draw elsewhere.
  • Gather Specimens: Fairly expensive. Most of the time just gets one creature. Feels bad to play against.
  • Clone: Not a wizard (unless we clone one of our wizards)
  • Willbender: Can't use for draw unless face up, at which point it's just a body.
  • Voidmage Apprentice: Can't use for draw unless face up, at which point it's just a body.
  • Deadeye Navigator: Not a wizard. Offers some protection for VIPs and synergy with ETB effects, but we can probably find more utility elsewhere.
  • Thassa, God of the Sea: Not a wizard. Scry is ok, but we have draw elsewhere. Not swinging, so the unblockable component isn't used much.
  • Ixidron: Not a wizard. Hides our wizards. We have other boardwipe options.
  • Skullclamp: We prefer to keep our wizards on the board, and we don't have many tokens to sac to this, so we can get more draw elsewhere.
  • Ancestral Memories: Decent filtering, but we can get more draw and other utility elsewhere.
  • Simic Manipulator: Slow to build up. Not many big bodies to keep him growing.
  • Urza's Bauble: Just filler.
  • Fact or Fiction: We get enough draw elsewhere, we don't really need conditional draw.
  • Treasure Cruise: Potentially cheap draw is good, but we don't fill up our graveyard quickly and we generally want to keep things in there if we can.
  • Guile: Not a wizard. Fairly big body, and synergy with counters, but a bit too threatening. Want to keep a lower profile.

• Going In:

  • Stonybrook Banneret: Make all of our wizards cheaper.
  • Thassa's Oracle: Make draw a win condition
  • Laboratory Maniac: Make draw a win condition.
  • Dakra Mystic: Some group hug to make as a less likely target.
  • Baral, Chief of Compliance: Value without tapping. Synergy with spells and counters.
  • Ertai, Wizard Adept: Counterspells on a stick.
  • Naban, Dean of Iteration: Value without tapping. Synergy with ETB effects.
  • Graceful Adept: Value without tapping. Uncaps hand size.
  • Patron Wizard: All wizards are now cheap counterspells.
  • Portal Mage: Send a big bad away. Synergy with Naban.
  • Sage of Fables: Makes wizards bigger. Allows for more draw, without needing to tap. Synergy with Naban.
  • Glen Elendra Archmage: Repeatable counters when combined with Sage of Fables.
  • Surgespanner: Repeatable bounce when combined with Azami, Lady of Scrolls or Patron Wizard
  • High Tide: Instant speed ramp. Cheap enough to throw on Isochron Scepter
  • Cyclonic Rift: Clear the board. Roughly replaces Ixidron

ThunderThighs on Mill, Steal, and Kill

6 years ago

Nice deck, maybe try Reliquary Tower , Graceful Adept , or Laboratory Maniac