Psychic Transfer MTG Card


Psychic Transfer offers notable card advantage by exchanging hands, disrupting opponent strategies effectively. Being instant speed, it allows strategic plays and sudden advantage gains during opponents’ turns. However, its mana cost and specificity pose limitations to deck versatility and early play.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Text of card

Compare your life total with target player's life total. If the difference is 5 or less and you have at least 1 life, exchange life totals with that player.

"The memory of your existence will fade like the final stars of morning." —Kaervek


Cards like Psychic Transfer

The analysis of Psychic Transfer in the world of Magic the Gathering Card reveals its unique position among cards that manipulate players’ libraries and hands. It stands in the same arena as Traumatize, a card renowned for its ability to halve a player’s library – an effect that significantly disrupts strategies reliant on a large deck. Unlike Psychic Transfer, which is primarily focused on transferring hand contents, Traumatize applies direct pressure on the deck itself.

Another card worth comparing is the notorious Jace’s Archivist, providing a repeatable effect that echoes Psychic Transfer’s one-time event. Though Jace’s Archivist affects all players equally and requires only to be tapped, it’s limited to the size of the smallest hand. Psychic Transfer, while a single-use, could see a greater disparity in hand sizes exchanged.

Delving further, we encounter Whispering Madness, which encapsulates aspects of both cards—disrupting hands and potentially milling by cycling through each player’s deck. However, as opposed to Psychic Transfer, Whispering Madness can affect all players and potentially multiple times with its cipher ability. Clearly, Psychic Transfer offers a targeted and decisive approach, steering clear of fraying the game state with communal effects.

Traumatize - MTG Card versions
Jace's Archivist - MTG Card versions
Whispering Madness - MTG Card versions
Traumatize - MTG Card versions
Jace's Archivist - MTG Card versions
Whispering Madness - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Psychic Transfer by color, type and mana cost

Library of Lat-Nam - MTG Card versions
Balance of Power - MTG Card versions
Cruel Fate - MTG Card versions
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Reverse Engineer - MTG Card versions
Essence Fracture - MTG Card versions
Rush of Knowledge - MTG Card versions
Temporal Fissure - MTG Card versions
Bribery - MTG Card versions
Acquire - MTG Card versions
Heed the Mists - MTG Card versions
Ribbons of the Reikai - MTG Card versions
Reduce to Dreams - MTG Card versions
Tidings - MTG Card versions
Traumatize - MTG Card versions
Capture of Jingzhou - MTG Card versions
Allied Strategies - MTG Card versions
Devastation Tide - MTG Card versions
Library of Lat-Nam - MTG Card versions
Balance of Power - MTG Card versions
Cruel Fate - MTG Card versions
Temporal Manipulation - MTG Card versions
Brilliant Plan - MTG Card versions
Time Warp - MTG Card versions
Reverse Engineer - MTG Card versions
Essence Fracture - MTG Card versions
Rush of Knowledge - MTG Card versions
Temporal Fissure - MTG Card versions
Bribery - MTG Card versions
Acquire - MTG Card versions
Heed the Mists - MTG Card versions
Ribbons of the Reikai - MTG Card versions
Reduce to Dreams - MTG Card versions
Tidings - MTG Card versions
Traumatize - MTG Card versions
Capture of Jingzhou - MTG Card versions
Allied Strategies - MTG Card versions
Devastation Tide - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Psychic Transfer shines in its potential for significant card advantage. It can enable players to swap a less desirable hand with their opponent’s potentially stronger set of cards, disrupting their plan and benefiting your game state.

Resource Acceleration: Beyond just exchanging hands, Psychic Transfer might lead to an indirect form of resource acceleration. Gaining access to a hand rich with land drops and mana resources can propel your board state and strategy forward more quickly than anticipated.

Instant Speed: The utility of Psychic Transfer being cast at instant speed cannot be understated. It offers the flexibility to wait until the most advantageous moment during an opponent’s turn, possibly after they’ve drawn for the turn, to exchange hands. This timing allows for greater strategic depth and surprise factor in gameplay.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Psychic Transfer necessitates the forfeiture of a card from your hand, which could strain your resources, especially in the crucial early or mid-game where maintaining card advantage is key.

Specific Mana Cost: The card requires a niche set of mana to cast, specifically blue. This can restrict its integration into multicolored decks or those not heavily invested in blue mana sources, potentially hampering its versatility in a broader range of strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Psychic Transfer’s mana cost is on the heftier side. Other options might provide more immediate or broader effects for the same or lessened mana investment, making them more appealing in a variety of gameplay situations.


Reasons to Include Psychic Transfer in Your Collection

Versatility: Psychic Transfer opens up a variety of strategic plays and fits seamlessly into decks focusing on life manipulation or alternate win conditions. Its capacity to swap life totals with an opponent can turn the tides in games where life points are a key focus.

Combo Potential: This card can be a cornerstone in combos that take advantage of life total exchanges. It pairs well with cards designed to lower your life for an advantage, enabling a surprise shift that can be difficult for opponents to counter.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where aggressive strategies might reduce life totals quickly, Psychic Transfer provides an unexpected form of defense and offense. Switching life totals at a critical moment can be a game-winning move, especially in formats where life swings are prevalent.


How to beat

Psychic Transfer is an intriguing card that can twist the tides of a game by allowing a player to swap life totals. This can be a formidable strategy, particularly if you’ve been cornered with a low life count. Defeating this tactic requires foresight and control. Firstly, maintaining a healthy life total is key, as it renders Psychic Transfer less impactful. Cards with life gain abilities can help cushion the effects of a life swap.

Secondly, counterplay is crucial. Counter spells such as Negate or Dovin’s Veto can stop Psychic Transfer before it takes effect. If Psychic Transfer does resolve, be prepared with a response. Damage-dealing spells or creatures with haste can take advantage of the abrupt life total change. Finally, hand disruption through thoughtseize or duress can preemptively remove Psychic Transfer from your opponent’s grip before they have a chance to cast it.

Taking preemptive strategies against Psychic Transfer is the best way to maintain the upper hand. Awareness, life management, and having the right counters at the right moment will ensure that your opponent’s Psychic Transfer doesn’t end the game in their favor.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Psychic Transfer MTG card by a specific set like Mirage and Classic Sixth Edition, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Psychic Transfer and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Psychic Transfer Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1996-10-08 and 1999-07-01. Illustrated by Dom!.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11996-10-08MirageMIR 851997NormalBlackDom!
21999-04-21Classic Sixth Edition6ED 901997NormalWhiteDom!
31999-07-01Starter 1999S99 461997NormalWhiteDom!

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Psychic Transfer has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Psychic Transfer card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2008-08-01 If one of the players has a negative life total, you use their actual life total for determining the difference. If that difference is five or less, then the other player receives the negative life total.
2011-01-01 If an effect says that a player can’t lose life, that player can’t exchange life totals with a player who has a lower life total; in that case, the exchange won’t happen.