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Mastering Aura Synergy with Auratouched Mage
If you’ve ever built around a tutor effect, you know the thrill of turning a park bench into a power spike. Auratouched Mage, a white creature from Planechase Anthology, costs {5}{W} for a sturdy 3/3 body and drops a built-in aura-searching engine the moment it enters the battlefield. 🧙♂️ When this creature hits play, you search for an Aura card that could enchant it, and if the Mage remains on the battlefield, you attach that Aura for free—otherwise you reveal and draw it. That single line of text can snowball into a game of magic where a single play unlocks an entire toolbox of aura-based strategies. 🔥💎
How the card works in practice
Think of Auratouched Mage as a dynamic, mana-hungry aura tutor with a battlefield tumbleweed of potential. On entry, you don’t just fetch any aura—you fetch an aura that could enchant the Mage. Once attached, your aura-improved‑Mage becomes a moving piece of a broader plan: you’re not just casting a spell; you’re setting up a sequence of enchantment-driven plays that can swing the entire game. And because the aura itself is a separate card, you may use blink effects or bounce spells to re-trigger the Tutor ability later in the game, effectively netting you multiple auras over the course of the match. This is the kind of card that invites you to embrace white’s long-standing love affair with protective auras, lifelink, and selective card draw. 🧙♂️⚔️
Best aura categories to fetch
- Buffing Auras that push the Mage into power territory. Auras that grant substantial +/+ boosts (and sometimes evasion) help your 3/3 become a credible threat. With the Tutor in play, you can fetch a buff that stacks as you cast additional auras, creating a formidable frontline late in the game. 🎨
- Evasion and protection auras—think flying, hexproof, or shroud variants. Squads of attackers that can’t be easily blocked or removed give your ETH (early tempo) a new bounce, forcing opponents to answer the Mage rather than your other threats. 🧭
- Card-draw or advantage auras that grant you extra draws, or replace themselves when they leave the battlefield. Because Auratouched Mage fetches an aura that could enchant it, you can pivot into a draw engine or a way to refill your hand as the game unfolds. 💎
- Protective and board-control auras that slow opponents or shield your board from mass removal. In many games, a well-timed protective aura turns a temporary lull into a long-term advantage, letting you stabilize while you assemble your win condition. 🛡️
Three practical aura combo ideas you can pursue
- Combo through re-enters: Play Auratouched Mage, tutor for a potent buff aura, attach it, then blink the Mage out and back in with a flicker effect. When it re-enters, you tutor again for a second aura—potentially stacking two or more auras onto a single creature over time. This line rewards repetition and careful timing, especially in decks that run plenty of blink or bounce options. 🌀
- Protection-forward tempo: Start with an aura that provides solid protection or hexproof/shroud and then fetch another aura that adds evasion or continued protection. The Mage becomes an anchor that you protect while your other threats build pressure. The result is a patient, attrition-style win that converts incremental advantages into a crushing final blow. 🛡️⚔️
- Buff-and-draw engine: Fetch an aura with a card-draw or replacement effect when it enters the battlefield. Layer more auras as the game goes on, and you’ll find yourself drawing into answers or threats on a regular cadence—turning a heavy six-mana investment into sustained card advantage. This is especially potent in Commander or casual multiplayer where value-on-value lines tend to thrive. 🎲
Win conditions and deck-building notes
While Auratouched Mage isn’t a one-card win condition, it serves as a powerful catalyst for aura-centric decks. The win line often looks like: deploy Mage early, fetch a high-impact aura, attach, and then leverage the aura’s bonus to threaten or close out the game. With multiple auras attached over the course of a game (via re-entrants or recasts), you can outrun removal and apply continuous pressure. In multiplayer formats, the Mage’s ability to tutor for auras that affect multiple opponents or swing stability in your favor is a strong equity play that scales with your board presence. 🧙♂️🔥
From a design perspective, Auratouched Mage showcases a classic white strategy: convert a card-draw of tempo into an aura-driven resource engine. The flavor here is a mage who bends enchantments to her will, binding protective wards and battle magic to her practice. The artwork by Jeff Miracola captures that cerebral, studious vibe—perfect for a card that feels part librarian, part battlefield tactician. The Planechase Anthology set framing gives this card an extra layer of nostalgic charm, reminding players of the many temporary, planeshifted threats that can turn a match on a whim. 🎨
Budget and collector notes
As a mid-pack uncommon from Planechase Anthology, Auratouched Mage sits in an accessible price range for budget decks, with prices often hovering around a few quarters depending on the market. Its reprint status means you’re likely to see copies across various printings if you’re chasing a specific look or edition. For collectors, the card’s enduring viability in Modern-legal and Eternal formats—paired with its iconic tutor mechanic—adds a layer of desirability that many white auras fans appreciate. The card’s official artwork and the Mirage of its plane-chasing world make it a favorite for players who value both function and flavor. 💎
“Auras don’t merely cling to a creature; they tell a story about how the battlefield should be shaped.”
If you’re curious to explore other deck-building angles or want to test these aura-driven lines, there’s no better way than to buckle in for a few sessions and let Auratouched Mage do the talking. The card’s flexibility makes it a satisfying centerpiece for players who love to fuse tutor effects with evergreen aura power. 🧙♂️🎲
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