Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Optimal Mulligan Timing for Servant of the Conduit

If you’ve ever toppled into a game with Servant of the Conduit in your opening hand, you know the thrill and the pressure in equal measure 🧙‍♂️. This is a card that doesn’t just sit as a 2/2 on the battlefield; it launches you into an energy economy on Kaladesh’s windy path to color fixing and explosive plays. The question of when to mulligan isn’t just about keeping a creature; it’s about shaping a plan that uses two energy counters as a jumpstart for mana of any color. In most formats where Servant is legal, you’re looking to align your opening draw with a green source and a clear route to ramp or fix new colors. When you do, you’re not just playing a card—you’re starting a miniature engine that can propel you toward game-winning turns. 🔥

Understanding Servant of the Conduit at a glance

From Kaladesh, this uncommon Elf Druid arrives with a deceptively simple light that glows a lot brighter once you know how to use it. Mana cost {1}{G} for a 2/2 body is already a decent deal, but the real star is the ETB gift: you get two energy counters. Those counters aren’t filler; they’re a resource you can spend by tapping Servant to pay {E} and add one mana of any color. In practical terms, your opening plays aren’t just about hitting land drops—they’re about building a small color-fixing and ramp ecosystem right from turn two. Flavor text aside—"Creation without connection to nature is just manufacture."—the card embodies the Kaladesh ethos: invention with a green heartbeat. The card’s color identity is green, and it slots neatly into ramp and multi-color strategies that want to push into powerful spells on color-fixated footing. Its foil and nonfoil presence in Kaladesh further remind you that this is a kitchen-table staple, not a flash-in-the-pan mythic. 🧪🎨

• Mana cost: {1}{G} — a lean, Maya-leaning engine starter.
• Power/Toughness: 2/2 — tempo-friendly, not a wall, but sturdy enough to trade early with efficient pressure.
• ETB effect: You gain two energy counters — a resource you’ll harness in the next turns.
• Activated ability: Tap, Pay {E}: Add one mana of any color — the core of its fixing and ramp utility.
• Color identity: Green — the two-color world is your playground, and energy often nudges you toward multi-color lines.

Mulligan heuristics: when to keep or ship it back

In a vacuum, Servant operates best when you have a green source ready to cast it by turn two or three and enough fuel to accelerate from there. With that, here are practical heuristics you can apply across most formats where you’d consider playing Servant in a green-focused or energy-leaning shell:

• Rule of thumb: green access on turn two — If your opener includes a green-producing land or mana acceleration that can reliably hit by turn two, keep. You want to cast Servant early to start stacking energy and build toward your color-fixing plan.
• Look for ramp and fixing — Hands that have Servant plus another ramp spell or a mana-producing land pair tend to scale into dangerous turns. If your hand is heavy on action in later turns but light on early ramp, consider a mulligan to chase a smoother start.
• Don’t fear early mana denial primers — If your hand has multiple colorless lands with no green sources and a couple of high-cost threats, you’ll struggle to get the engine running. A mulligan to a green-friendly start often wins you tempo and resilience.
• Energy synergy cards — If you can pair Servant with energy-centric pieces (for example, cards designed to spend energy or to store it for later), you’ll find the two-energy start can compound quickly. In Kaladesh-era decks, the synergy between energy and colored mana is where the deck shines, not in isolation.
• Format and mulligan philosophy — In robust mulligan environments (London, Vancouver, etc.), a two- or three-card difference in the opening hand can be the difference between a smooth curve and a stumble. If your first hand can’t pivot toward a reliable ramp into Servant by turn two, trimming to a tighter, green-fixated starting hand is often best.

In the end, optimal mulligan timing for Servant of the Conduit means reading the battlefield before you draw. If you can confidently lay a green source and have a line to quickly generate energy—either through Servant itself or through a few synergy pieces—the hand deserves a keep. If not, trimming down to a hand with speed, color-fixing, and at least one energy-friendly future keeps your plans alive rather than letting a fragile engine stall out. And yes, if you’ve got a spicy Energy Reserve in the mix, that pairing can be a glorious boon to accelerate your colors and unleash bigger plays sooner. ⚡

Art, lore, and the broader Kaladesh mood

The Servant’s art by Magali Villeneuve captures that lush, industrious energy of Kaladesh—the clockwork green heart of invention beating under a thriving canopy. The elf-druid vibe mirrors a world where nature and machine are intertwined, and the flavor text seals the idea that invention without nature is empty. When you mulligan down for the right start, you’re not just seeking a card; you’re seeking that moment where the artwork’s narrative aligns with your plan to outplay your opponent with a well-timed energy spike. 🧙‍♂️💎

Collector value and meta presence

Servant of the Conduit sits as an Uncommon in Kaladesh with a modest market profile. Its price hovers around a few pennies in USD, with foil commanding a touch more. This is a card that players reach for not for heroic rarity but for dependable ramp and a clean mana-fixing line in multiple formats. Its EDHREC rank places it outside the top tier, but within reach for budget builds that want consistent energy-driven turns. If you’re building a lean energy or multi-color strategy, this is a dependable, repeatable engine that won’t blow your budget on the first day. 💎

More from our network

• https://crypto-acolytes.xyz/blog/post/nft-stats-nft-76-from-solana-terminals-collection/
• https://crypto-acolytes.xyz/blog/post/how-to-balance-accessibility-and-challenge-in-mmos/
• https://blog.crypto-articles.xyz/blog/post/nft-data-xp-138-from-xp-collection-on-magiceden/
• https://blog.crypto-articles.xyz/blog/post/nft-data-look-129-from-runway-show-collection-on-magiceden/
• https://crypto-acolytes.xyz/blog/post/cross-matching-a-37000-k-hot-giant-with-spectroscopic-surveys-reveals-color-discrepancy/