Skip to content
Commander Nexus
  1. Commander Nexus
  2. Commanders
  3. Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer

Command zone

Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer

Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer

Legendary Creature — Human Wizard Sorcerer

Johann wants a deck that casts extra spells for free off the top of its deck. It also works in a deck built around Humans, Library Manipulation or Sorcerers.

  • Mana cost2 genericbluered
  • Blue, Red ()
  • Power / toughness2 / 5
  • RarityUncommon

You may look at the top card of your library any time.

Once each turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library. (You still pay its costs. Timing rules still apply.)

Build a deck with Johann Find it in the app

Archetypes
Themes

Cards That Fit Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer

Picked for what they do in Johann's deck. When two cards do the same job, the one with the lower comes first. All of them fit Johann's color identity.Mana ValueThe total amount of mana a card costs, all added up. A card costing two generic and one green has a mana value of three. Wizards renamed this from "converted mana cost" in 2021, so older cards and articles may still use the old name.Sol RingOpen the full glossary

plan6

The 6 Cards

plan6

The 6 Cards

Rulings for Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer

explain how Johann works in tricky situations. They come from Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic.RulingThe official answer to how a card works in a tricky situation. Most rulings are written by Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic, and a few are notes from Scryfall, the card database Magic players use. A ruling explains a card. It does not change what the card says.Open the full glossary

Wizards of the Coast 1 Sep 2023

If Johann leaves the battlefield and returns to the battlefield in the same turn, or if Johann leaves and another Johann appears, the casting permission granted by the old one is different than the casting permission granted by the new one. On the turn in which the new Johann enters the battlefield, you may use its casting permission once, even if you used the old Johann's casting permission to cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library in that same turn. Note that if you control multiple Johanns you won't have the opportunity to cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library before the "legend rule" gets you down to one Johann.

Wizards of the Coast 1 Sep 2023

If the top card of your library changes while you're casting a spell, playing a land, or activating an ability, you can't look at the new top card until you finish doing so. This means that if you cast a spell from the top of your library, you can't look at the next one until you're done paying for that spell.

Wizards of the Coast 1 Sep 2023

If the top card of your library has an Adventure, you can cast the Adventure spell this way.

Wizards of the Coast 1 Sep 2023

You can look at the top card of your library whenever you want (with one restriction; see below), even if you don't have priority. This action doesn't use the stack. Knowing what that card is becomes part of the information you have access to, just like you can look at the cards in your hand.

Wizards of the Coast 1 Sep 2023

You must pay all costs and follow all timing rules for spells cast from the top of your library this way.

5 rulings, all written by Wizards of the Coast. Read the originals on Gatherer ↗

Similar Commanders

Commanders that share the most with Johann, and what they share.

Color identityEvery color of mana symbol on a card, in its cost and in its rules text. Your commander's color identity sets the limit for your whole deck: every other card has to fit inside it. A deck led by a green and white commander cannot play a card with any blue in its color identity.Open the full glossaryURPlayers write colors as letters: U for blue, R for red. Blue is U because B was already taken by black.Cascade/Free CastCascade decks cast extra spells for free, straight from the top of their deck, every time they cast the right card. Cascade turns over cards from the top of your library until it hits a cheaper spell, which you may cast without paying for it.Open the Cascade/Free Cast pagePlay from TopLets you play cards directly off the top of your deck, so your next draw is always available to cast. It pairs strongly with anything that controls what sits on top. Bolas's Citadel, Mystic ForgeOpen the Play from Top pageCard SelectionImproves what you draw rather than how much: you look at the top few cards of your library and decide what stays on top. Ponder lets you rearrange the top three, Serum Visions lets you scry, and Consider lets you surveil. It makes your draws more reliable without giving you extra cards.Open the Card Selection pageLibrary ManipulationCards that let you look at, rearrange or play from the top of your deck, so you control what you draw next.Open the Library Manipulation page