Wish MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Wish empowers strategic gameplay with mid-game sideboard access, enriching your options without drawing extra cards.
  2. Accommodates faster play by providing access to powerful cards ahead of mana curve without natural draws.
  3. Operates at instant speed for tactical plays, offering seamless adaptation during critical moments.

Text of card

You may play a card you own from outside the game this turn.

"If you had just one wish, what would it be? Gold, or angel song? Finding a lost love, or finding your way back home? Let me sing a song about one wish that came true . . ." —Ellywick Tumblestrum


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Empowers you to access your sideboard mid-game, effectively broadening your strategic options and boosting your hand without drawing from your deck.

Resource Acceleration: Facilitates faster gameplay, potentially giving you access to powerful spells or creatures ahead of the usual mana curve by bypassing the need to draw them naturally.

Instant Speed: Operates at instant speed, allowing you to adapt seamlessly to the flow of the game, making a critical move without telegraphing your strategy to your opponent.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While the Wish card enables flexibility in accessing your sideboard, it comes with the steep price of discarding a card. This mandatory trade-off means sacrificing valuable hand presence, potentially leaving you at a disadvantage if your hand is already depleted or if each card holds significant strategic importance for upcoming turns.

Specific Mana Cost: The Wish card’s utility is somewhat limited by its particular mana requirements. As it demands both generic and colored mana to cast, it might not seamlessly fit into decks with a strained or highly varied mana base, especially those that can’t reliably produce the specified colors early in the game.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While being able to cherry-pick from your sideboard is advantageous, the Wish card carries a mana cost that is relatively high for such an effect. Considering the pace of the game and the competitive landscape where mana efficiency is paramount, the cost of deploying the Wish card could limit its appeal, particularly when cheaper alternatives for sideboard access are available.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Wish has the unique capability to pull from outside the game, giving players access to a broader suite of tools to answer a multitude of in-game scenarios. This makes it a powerful addition to sideboard strategies, as it can retrieve the perfect solution no matter what deck you’re up against.

Combo Potential: With its ability to fetch virtually any card you need, Wish can serve as a linchpin in many combo decks. It is excellent for assembling pieces of a combo or for finding that one card that can turn the tide of the game.

Meta-Relevance: As the meta shifts, having a card that can adapt and counteract new threats is invaluable. Wish ensures that your deck can remain relevant and competitive by providing access to your meticulously curated sideboard, tailored to combat the prevailing decks you encounter.


How to beat

Confronting a Wish card during a game of MTG can be a daunting task due to its powerful ability to fetch virtually any card from outside the game. However, there are strategic approaches to undermine this potent card. First and foremost, countering the Wish card with spells like Negate or Disallow can nip the problem in the bud by preventing the search ability from resolving. The timing is critical; you need to act while the Wish is on the stack.

Alternatively, if the Wish card does resolve, it’s crucial to apply pressure to your opponent’s life total or develop an overwhelming board presence. This strategy can force your opponent to search for answers or defensive resources instead of game-winning bombs. Discard tactics, enabled by spells such as Thoughtseize or Duress, can also be employed to strip key cards from your opponent’s hand before they have a chance to use them. Lastly, cards that restrict the ability to search libraries, like Ashiok, Dream Render, and Leonin Arbiter, offer a permanent solution to repeatedly neutralize the Wish card’s primary advantage.

In sum, while the Wish gives players freedom to adapt to various game states, it’s not invincible. Countering the spell, applying game pressure, leveraging discard options, or deploying search-restriction cards are all part of a robust strategy to overcome the challenges posed by a Wish card in an MTG match.


Cards like Wish

Wish is an intriguing spell in Magic: The Gathering that allows players to choose a nonland card they own from outside the game and reveal that card. This introduces a strategic depth, not unlike Mastermind’s Acquisition which grants similar outside game access, yet also includes the option to search your library. Wish’s simplicity is contrasted by Burning Wish, another similar spell, granting the ability to fetch specifically sorcery cards from the sideboard.

Glittering Wish differentiates itself by focusing only on multicolored cards, while Cunning Wish exclusively targets instant cards. These wishes each have their restrictions but allow for more specific deck customization around their particular strengths. Where Wish shines is in its broad scope, giving deck builders the freedom to pull any nonland card without color or type limitation, making it adaptable to a variety of strategies.

In assessing similar option spells, Wish stands out for its versatility and potential to unlock any single card solution that may be pivotal in a player’s game plan. This makes Wish a valuable inclusion in MTG decks designed for flexibility and unexpected play.

Mastermind's Acquisition - MTG Card versions
Burning Wish - MTG Card versions
Glittering Wish - MTG Card versions
Cunning Wish - MTG Card versions
Mastermind's Acquisition - Rivals of Ixalan Promos (PRIX)
Burning Wish - Judgment (JUD)
Glittering Wish - Future Sight (FUT)
Cunning Wish - Judgment (JUD)

Cards similar to Wish by color, type and mana cost

Stone Rain - MTG Card versions
Game of Chaos - MTG Card versions
Evaporate - MTG Card versions
Pillage - MTG Card versions
Steam Blast - MTG Card versions
Goblin Offensive - MTG Card versions
Desert Sandstorm - MTG Card versions
Arc Lightning - MTG Card versions
Search for Survivors - MTG Card versions
Searing Rays - MTG Card versions
Rupture - MTG Card versions
Tundra Fumarole - MTG Card versions
Browbeat - MTG Card versions
Erratic Explosion - MTG Card versions
Threaten - MTG Card versions
Sizzle - MTG Card versions
Hammer of Bogardan - MTG Card versions
Fiery Gambit - MTG Card versions
Flamebreak - MTG Card versions
Panic Attack - MTG Card versions
Stone Rain - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Game of Chaos - Ice Age (ICE)
Evaporate - Homelands (HML)
Pillage - Arena League 2000 (PAL00)
Steam Blast - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Goblin Offensive - Urza's Saga (USG)
Desert Sandstorm - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Arc Lightning - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Search for Survivors - Prophecy (PCY)
Searing Rays - Invasion (INV)
Rupture - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Tundra Fumarole - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Browbeat - Masters 25 (A25)
Erratic Explosion - Planechase 2012 (PC2)
Threaten - Tenth Edition (10E)
Sizzle - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Hammer of Bogardan - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Fiery Gambit - Mirrodin (MRD)
Flamebreak - Darksteel (DST)
Panic Attack - Ninth Edition (9ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wish MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos, 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 Wish and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Wish Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-07-23 and 2021-07-23. Illustrated by Ekaterina Burmak.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 927462015normalblackEkaterina Burmak
22021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten Realms PromosPAFR 166p2015normalblackEkaterina Burmak
32021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten RealmsAFR 1662015normalblackEkaterina Burmak
42021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten Realms PromosPAFR 166s2015normalblackEkaterina Burmak
52021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten Realms PromosPAFR 166a2015normalblackEkaterina Burmak
62021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten RealmsAFR 3822015normalblackEkaterina Burmak

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wish has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-07-23 In a casual game, a card you choose from outside the game comes from your personal collection. In a tournament event, a card you choose from outside the game must come from your sideboard. In Limited events, your sideboard includes an arbitrary number of basic lands. You may look at your sideboard at any time.
2021-07-23 You choose the card to play from outside the game at the time you are playing it, not at the time Wish resolves.
2021-07-23 You still need to pay all costs to play a card this way, and you must follow all normal timing rules.

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