Cloaked Cadet Mulligan Timing: When to Keep or Ship

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Cloaked Cadet card art from Innistrad: Crimson Vow

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Mulligan Wisdom for Cloaked Cadet

When you sit down to a game with Cloaked Cadet, you’re not just staring at a 5-drop green creature—you’re eyeing a tempo engine that rewards careful hand evaluation. This Innistrad: Crimson Vow uncommon Human Ranger lands with a sturdy 2/4 body and a two-part engine: Training on attack with a bigger ally, and a built-in card draw trigger that tugs you toward proactive play. The cards of the green spectrum love a servant on the board who grows as your Humans groan under pressure, and Cloaked Cadet deliberately invites a counter-push strategy. 🧙‍♂️🔥

Training is the centerpiece. If Cloaked Cadet attacks alongside another creature with greater power, it puts a +1/+1 counter on itself. That’s not just a line on a card; it’s a signal to you that your board is starting to snowball. The little counter becomes a feedback loop: bigger Cadet means more sustained board presence, which means more opportunities to push damage or pressure the opponent’s life total. And while that counter climbs, the second part of the card’s text keeps the wheels turning: whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are placed on one or more Humans you control, you draw a card—this ability triggers only once per turn, but it can be a crucial tempo swing in the right stack of plays. The moment you’ve got a couple of Humans on the battlefield and a plan to place counters, you’re knitting together a small but serious advantage engine. ⚔️

Keep-worthy patterns to look for in your opening hand

  • Green mana density and acceleration. Cloaked Cadet is a 5CMC threat, so you want the mana base to enable casting it by turn 4 or 5. If your opening hand has at least two green sources and a ramp or mana-fixing piece, that’s a strong argument to keep. Otherwise, you risk being forced to stall while your opponent climbs the ladder of inevitability. 💎
  • A credible attacker that can pair with Cadet for Training. Since the trigger requires attacking with a creature that has greater power, you’ll want a partner—something around 3/3 or 4/4 on the board early enough to satisfy the condition. If your hand lacks that potential, you might be better off reshuffling and hunting for a more synergistic start. 🧭
  • Counter-pumping or Human-centric payoff. The draw trigger benefits from any +1/+1 counters landing on Humans you control. If your deck plan includes other Humans or counters-per-pump effects (even as part of a broader creature-counter theme), you’re maximizing the value of that draw. A hand with a few Humans or counter-enablers increases your odds of hitting a meaningful string of turns. 🎨
  • Protection and stabilization. A few early removal spells or a sturdy blocker can buy you the time needed to deploy Cadet and start Training. If your hand is jam-packed with high-cost spells but little in the way of defense, consider shipping for a cleaner, more resilient draw-go start. 🎲

When it’s worth shipping a hand

If your opening grip leans into high-mana spells without the ramp to reach four mana quickly, you’re asking for trouble. A hand that can’t reliably cast Cloaked Cadet by turn 4 might stall you into long-term disadvantage, letting your opponent establish an advantage you’ll struggle to overcome. In those cases, a fresh seven can reset the tempo and offer a clearer path to a proactive, counter-driven game plan. Remember: the training payoff is most potent when you’re able to attack with at least one bigger partner and push counters onto Humans you control. If the math doesn’t add up, it’s usually better to redraw. 🧪

On the table, Cloaked Cadet shines when your plan includes acceleration, a couple of sturdy attack options, and a few counter-pumping moments. But don’t mistake a chunky 2/4 with great late-game scaling for an auto-include in every green ramp deck. It’s a strategic piece—one that rewards thoughtful mulligans and precise timing. When you do keep, position Cadet as the cornerstone of a board that’s getting stronger with every swing, with your card draw keeping you ahead on resources. It’s a little ninja of a card: not the flashiest on 2, but the moment he steps forward, you’re in for a satisfying cat-and-mouse tempo game. 🏹

“Training is a reminder that growth can be gradual and relentless—each attack adds a counter, and each counter adds another card.”

Crimson Vow’s green spectrum loves a long game where patience pays off. Cloaked Cadet embodies that ethos: a creature who rewards you for building a wider, deeper, counter-rich field. The mulligan decision is your first test of whether you’ve built the right foundation for that longer, smarter play. If your opening hand includes solid green mana and a plan to attack with a bigger partner, you’re probably in for a fun ride. If not, it’s okay to reshuffle and chase a cleaner route to a Cadet-powered crescendo. 🧙‍♂️

As you refine your approach, you’ll also want to keep your workspace in top form for the long nights of planning and play-testing. For a desk that matches the focus of your MTG sessions, check out the Foot Shape Neon Ergonomic Mouse Pad with Memory Foam Wrist Rest—designed to keep you comfortable as you map out your next Training-driven sequence. The combination of thoughtful ergonomics and bright neon flair is a perfect fit for the vibrant, card-drawn hours of deck-building and test games.

Foot Shape Neon Ergonomic Mouse Pad with Memory Foam Wrist Rest

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