Wandering Mage
~$1.90 TCGplayer
Multicolor. Creature — Human Cleric WizardReserved List
Alliances #111 · Illustrated by Pete Venters
Alliances #111 · Illustrated by Pete VentersWhat is Wandering Mage worth?
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TCGplayer market prices in USD, updated October 14, 2026. Each price is for one printing and one finish.
Oracle text
, Pay 1 life: Prevent the next 2 damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn.
: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to target Cleric or Wizard creature this turn.
, Put a -1/-1 counter on a creature you control: Prevent the next 2 damage that would be dealt to target player or planeswalker this turn.
0/3
Format legality
The only printing of Wandering Mage
| Printing | Rarity | Non-foil | Cardmarket (EUR) | My collection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Alliances all #111· 1996rare· Cardmarket €0.97 | rare | $1.90 | €0.97 |
Prices are TCGplayer market prices in USD for each printing and finish, via Scryfall. They are a guide, not an appraisal.
Where to buy Wandering Mage
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Card details
- First printed
- 1996
- Printings
- 1
- Mana value
- 3
- EDHREC rank
- #31,217 on EDHREC (Commander popularity)
- Artist
- Pete Venters
What the codes mean
The small print at the bottom of the Alliances card (#111).
Printed before collector numbers, which started with Exodus in 1998. The bottom shows only the artist credit ("Illus.") and the copyright. Set symbols were all black before Exodus, and core sets before Sixth Edition have none.
How to read a Magic card: every part and code, on real cards.
Card breakdown
The parts of Wandering Mage, read from the Alliances printing. How to read any Magic card.
- Name
- Wandering Mage. Rules use the English name in every language.
- Mana cost
- Mana value 3: the total mana in the cost, colors ignored.
- Type line
- Creature is the card type. Human, Cleric and Wizard are subtypes, after the dash.
- Text box
- What the card does.
- Power / toughness
- 0/3: power is the combat damage it deals; toughness is how much damage destroys it.
- Illustration
- By Pete Venters. The art has no effect on the game.
- Set symbol
- Alliances. Before Exodus (1998) every set symbol was black, whatever the rarity.
- Artist
- Pete Venters, after "Illus.".
- Copyright
- Wizards of the Coast's copyright notice, with the year.
Rulings (2)
2009-10-01
The second ability checks that the targeted creature is a Cleric or Wizard only at the time the ability is activated and at the time it resolves. It doesn’t check at the time the damage is actually prevented.
2009-10-01
If you activate Wandering Mage’s third ability, you put the -1/-1 counter on a creature you control as a cost. That means it happens when you activate the ability, not when it resolves. If paying the cost causes the only creature you control to have 0 toughness, it’s put into the graveyard before you can pay the cost again.
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