Spoils of the Vault MTG Card


Offers card advantage by pinpointing key cards in your deck, facilitating game-changing plays and tactics. Instant speed capability allows strategic plays at critical junctures, enhancing its tactical value. While powerful, carries inherent risks including potential life loss and deck depletion.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityRare
TypeInstant

Text of card

Name a card. Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal the named card, then put that card into your hand. Remove all other cards revealed this way from the game, and you lose 1 life for each of the removed cards.


Cards like Spoils of the Vault

Spoils of the Vault stands out in MTG as a unique instant that delves deep into a player’s library at the cost of potential life. Its closest relatives in terms of digging through the deck are cards like Demonic Consultation or Plunge into Darkness. Both share the element of high risk for a potentially high reward. Demonic Consultation, for instance, also sacrifices safety for deck manipulation but exiles cards instead of revealing them, which can be a double-edged sword.

Note the subtle differences with Lim-Dûl’s Vault, another card with a similar look-ahead ability. Although Lim-Dûl’s Vault doesn’t cost life directly, it does offer the ability to sift through the top cards of your library and rearrange them, ensuring the next draws are orchestrated. Spoils of the Vault is more of a gamble, focused on finding a specific card and potentially paying a massive life toll, which showcases its unique role in combo decks that are well-prepared to mitigate such risks.

Assessing these options, Spoils of the Vault is a testament to MTG’s strategic depth, offering a high-stakes option for players willing to leverage their life total for the perfect card to secure victory or enable a combo.

Demonic Consultation - MTG Card versions
Plunge into Darkness - MTG Card versions
Lim-Dûl's Vault - MTG Card versions
Demonic Consultation - MTG Card versions
Plunge into Darkness - MTG Card versions
Lim-Dûl's Vault - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Spoils of the Vault by color, type and mana cost

Howl from Beyond - MTG Card versions
Dark Ritual - MTG Card versions
Sacrifice - MTG Card versions
Darkness - MTG Card versions
Marsh Gas - MTG Card versions
Gravebind - MTG Card versions
Misinformation - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Tutor - MTG Card versions
Dredge - MTG Card versions
Coffin Purge - MTG Card versions
Defile - MTG Card versions
March of Wretched Sorrow - MTG Card versions
Fatal Push - MTG Card versions
Foulmire Knight // Profane Insight - MTG Card versions
Fade from Memory - MTG Card versions
Duh - MTG Card versions
Aesthetic Consultation - MTG Card versions
Stop That - MTG Card versions
Disembowel - MTG Card versions
Surgical Extraction - MTG Card versions
Howl from Beyond - MTG Card versions
Dark Ritual - MTG Card versions
Sacrifice - MTG Card versions
Darkness - MTG Card versions
Marsh Gas - MTG Card versions
Gravebind - MTG Card versions
Misinformation - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Tutor - MTG Card versions
Dredge - MTG Card versions
Coffin Purge - MTG Card versions
Defile - MTG Card versions
March of Wretched Sorrow - MTG Card versions
Fatal Push - MTG Card versions
Foulmire Knight // Profane Insight - MTG Card versions
Fade from Memory - MTG Card versions
Duh - MTG Card versions
Aesthetic Consultation - MTG Card versions
Stop That - MTG Card versions
Disembowel - MTG Card versions
Surgical Extraction - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Spoils of the Vault. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Ad NauseamAd Nauseam ModernAd NauseamModern Challenge 64 2024-04-14
Beseech StormBeseech Storm LegacyBeseech StormLegacy League 2024-04-24
Oracle SpoilsOracle Spoils ModernOracle SpoilsModern League 2024-04-30
WUBGWUBG ModernModern Challenge 64 2024-04-14
Esper ComboEsper Combo ModernAd Nauseam$10K RCQ - Modern - SCG CON Atlanta - Saturday - 9:00 am (Gold)
Mono-Black ScamMono-Black Scam ModernMono-Black ScamModern League 2024-04-10
Golgari ScamGolgari Scam ModernGolgari ScamModern Showcase Challenge 2024-04-13

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Spoils of the Vault is a unique tool that can be a potential game-changer due to its ability to search for a specific card, therefore guaranteeing that you find exactly what you need at a crucial moment, from combo pieces to an answer for whatever is threatening you on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: While not a direct source of mana, Spoils of the Vault can expedite access to key cards that may otherwise take multiple turns to draw. This acceleration in resource availability can significantly tip the scales in your favor during a match.

Instant Speed: The flexibility offered by Spoils of the Vault being an instant cannot be overstated. It allows players to wait until the end of an opponent’s turn to make a strategic decision, minimizing the potential risks associated with using the card and maximizing the element of surprise.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The casting of Spoils of the Vault necessitates a crucial component — the annunciation of a desired card name — which can lead to an involuntary discard of numerous cards if the named card doesn’t surface timely from the deck. This aspect could put players at a distinct disadvantage by substantially depleting their arsenal, especially if the library’s composition isn’t in their favor.

Specific Mana Cost: Spoils of the Vault demands an exacting mana cost — a single black mana. This requirement renders it less versatile, confining its strategic employment exclusively to decks heavily vested in or at least accommodating the black mana pool, thereby potentially excluding a variety of other deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While boasting only a single black mana requirement may seem cost-effective, the life points sacrificed during its execution can accumulate, metaphorically increasing its mana cost. Players must weigh the card’s actual cost against the potential to significantly impair their life total, presenting a risky proposition against more conservatively costing alternatives that tread less heavily on life points.


Reasons to Include Spoils of the Vault in Your Collection

Versatility: Spoils of the Vault is an ideal addition for players seeking adaptability in their deck. Its capacity to selectively search for a missing piece of your puzzle makes it valuable in a variety of strategies, from sharpening combos to retrieving a needed answer.

Combo Potential: With its ability to tutor any card name you declare, Spoils of the Vault shines within combo decks. It pairs exceptionally with cards that mitigate life loss or benefit from cards going into the graveyard, amplifying your overall gameplay.

Meta-Relevance: In an ever-changing competitive scene, this card’s utility in quickly finding key pieces makes it a contender in decks aiming to outpace the meta. Its relevance grows in environments where specific answers or combo pieces are essential for maintaining an edge over opponents.


How to beat

Spoils of the Vault is a unique instant that presents both high risk and high reward in MTG, allowing players to name a card and reveal cards from the top of their library until the named card is revealed. Every non-named card exiled this way amounts to life lost, which can be quite a gamble. Overcoming this card hinges on skillful prediction and disruption. It’s an intimidating card in the hands of an opponent who knows their deck intimately. To combat this, pressure your opponent early in the game to reduce their life total, thus making the gamble for them riskier. Thoughtseize and Duress are excellent examples of disruption cards that can strip Spoils of the Vault from your opponent’s hand before they get a chance to use it, significantly reducing their strategic options.

Counter spells also prove exceptionally efficient against Spoils of the Vault. Cards like Counterspell or Dovin’s Veto can stop it cold in its tracks, ensuring your opponent doesn’t get the chance to tilt the game in their favor. Lastly, graveyard manipulation cards like Leyline of the Void can exile cards as they hit the graveyard, thwarting any potential recursion advantage they might gain from the lost life points. Playing with foresight and disruption is key to dismantling an opponent relying on Spoils of the Vault.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spoils of the Vault MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin and Ultimate Masters, 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 Spoils of the Vault and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Spoils of the Vault Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2003-10-02 and 2018-12-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12003-10-02MirrodinMRD 782003NormalBlackThomas M. Baxa
22018-12-07Ultimate MastersUMA 1162015NormalBlackSteven Belledin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Spoils of the Vault has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2018-12-07 You don’t have to choose the name of a card that’s still in your library, or even a card that’s in your deck at all. If no card with the chosen name is in your library, you exile your library and lose 1 life for each of those cards.