Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Thornscape Battlemage: A Green Body with Red and White Kickers and Long-Term Value
In the evergreen halls of green creatures, Thornscape Battlemage stands out not for raw power alone, but for the clever interplay of its kickers and ETB effects. This 3-mana Elf Wizard from Modern Masters 2017 is a tidy 2/2 for {2}{G}, but what truly ignites its flavor—and its potential value—is the optional extra costs: you may pay {R} and/or {W} as you cast it. When it enters the battlefield, the card checks which kickers were paid and triggers accordingly: a kick with {R} delivers 2 damage to any target, while a kick with {W} destroys a target artifact. If you manage to pay both kickers, you unlock both effects on the same ETB, because the card says “if it was kicked with its {R} kicker” and “if it was kicked with its {W} kicker.” That layered utility makes Thornscape Battlemage a delightful pick for multicolor splash decks and casual table banter 🧙♂️🔥.
From a design perspective, Thornscape Battlemage embodies the classic kicker mechanic in a compact, budget-friendly package. The green body provides acceleration into a respectable body, while the red and white kickers unlock two separate, highly relevant effects. The red trigger taps a creature or planeswalker threat, or finishes a stubborn pin with direct damage, while the white trigger addresses artifacts—one of the most persistent permanent types in many archetypes across formats. The art and flavor tie the card to elven cunning and battlefield shenanigans, giving it a nostalgic wink to players who remember the era when kicker decks felt like discovering a hidden door in a familiar forest 🧩🎨.
Where Thornscape Battlemage fits in modern MTG finance and long-term value
On the price wall, Thornscape Battlemage sits in the budget-to-midrange spectrum. According to market snapshots, nonfoil copies hover around a few pennies to a few dimes, while foil copies see a modest premium. The card’s current price point—low for nonfoil, a touch higher for foil—reflects several factors: it’s from a Masters reprint set (MM3), it’s uncommon, and its power level doesn’t push it into the backbone of power-nine-level competitiveness. But in MTG finance, that’s not the whole story. Scarcity, reprint risk, and real-world utility in both draft and EDH contribute to long-term value, even for cards that aren’t slam-dunk top-tier staples 🔮💎.
First, reprint dynamics matter. Thornscape Battlemage is part of Modern Masters 2017, a set designed to reprint coveted cards at higher rarity while preserving draft-friendly power. This approach tends to flatten price spikes in the near term, which is a net positive for casual players and multi-format enthusiasts. Long-term, the foil version can become a small niche collectible, especially for players who adore kicker mechanics or elf-wue. The card’s ability to scale with both red and white kickers keeps it relevant in a variety of quirky tribal or artifact-heavy builds, creating a modest but steady demand stream for those with a particular taste for clever ETB tempo plays 🧙♂️⚔️.
Second, the EDH (Commander) community adds a persistent value floor. Thornscape Battlemage isn’t the most obvious commander option, but its flexibility makes it a plausible 99-card inclusion in multi-color greens with red or white splash. The occasional two-kicker ETB can generate surprising value in a game’s early stages, and removal or damage through the red kicker can feel especially satisfying in EDH’s longer, more social games. As long as you have a green mana base with access to red and/or white, this card remains an entertaining sidenote that can swing a board state when the stars align 🧙♂️🎲.
Third, the art and nostalgic pull aren’t to be underestimated. Matt Cavotta’s illustration for Thornscape Battlemage captures a moment of elven ingenuity in a lush, nature-drenched frame. For collectors who chase iconic art or want a conversation piece to pair with a deckbox, the card’s foil versions can hold a steady if modest premium. In investing terms, that’s a small but meaningful premium on the long horizon, driven not just by raw power but by the enjoyment a card brings to a player’s desk and shelf 🔥🎨.
Strategically, the practical use-case is clear: Thornscape Battlemage is a value proposition for players who enjoy hybrid mana and multi-color options without breaking the bank. The chopping block is real, as you’ll often see it in budget green decks that want a little extra splash without paying a steep price. The kicker adds a potential reach in games where artifact-heavy decks dominate or where burn damage can finish off a stubborn threat. It isn’t a turn-one kill or a stalwart staple in top-tier formats, but its charm lies in the surprise ETB utility and the joy of executing well-timed kickers ⚔️🧙♂️.
For readers chasing the next big MTG finance move, Thornscape Battlemage is a reminder that value isn’t always about crushing power on a single card. It’s about versatility, accessibility, and the delight of a well-timed ETB line. It fits into a broader philosophy: build around clever synergies that don’t require three premium cards to function. In a market where most players chase the flashiest myths and mythics, a thoughtful, budget-friendly pick with an elegant mechanical kicker can become a quiet anchor in your collection—especially as masters-era reprint cards cycle through different formats and demand ebbs and flows over the years 🧙♂️💎.
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Embrace the charm of Thornscape Battlemage as you plan your next tabletop conquest. Whether you’re curating a green-heavy shell with well-timed red damage or weaving artifact-control into a broader strategy, this little elf wizard reminds us that clever design often yields enduring appeal. And if you enjoy peeking behind the curtain at how cards influence markets, you’ll love the ongoing conversations across MTG finance communities about set design, rarity, and reprint risk—a dance as intricate as any spell you’ll cast 🎲⚔️.