Compelling Argument MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Cycling,Mill

Key Takeaways

  1. Cycling ability enables card replacement, helping to maintain card advantage and consistency in draws.
  2. Mills five cards from a library when cycled, which can synergize with graveyard-based strategies.
  3. Useful in diverse deck types, from mill decks to blue setups requiring flexible hand options.

Text of card

Target player puts the top five cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. Cycling (, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

"How can there be doubt in the presence of such blessings?" —Ukhat, vizier of initiation


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Compelling Argument enables you to cycle it from your hand, effortlessly replacing itself, and therefore smoothing out your draws while looking for key cards to advance your strategy.

Resource Acceleration: While the card itself does not provide direct resource acceleration, it can effectively fill your graveyard for mechanics that thrive on a robust graveyard, such as delve or threshold, indirectly expediting your gameplay.

Instant Speed: Operating at instant speed, Compelling Argument offers flexibility, allowing you to utilize your mana efficiently at the end of your opponent’s turn if more immediate threats don’t demand attention.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Casting Compelling Argument comes with the sticky situation of needing to discard a card. For players who are carefully managing their hand, this could mean sacrificing valuable momentum or parting with a key piece of their strategy. This is a steep price to pay, especially in close games where every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s effectiveness is sometimes shackled by its distinct mana cost, demanding both blue and colorless mana. This prerequisite can be a stumbling block for multi-color decks that might struggle to produce the necessary blue. This necessity can thwart plays, particularly when mana flexibility is paramount.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: A closer look reveals that Compelling Argument’s mana valuation may not be as economical as some players would wish. With a casting cost that could be deemed hefty for its mill effect, it faces fierce competition from other cards that could propel a player further ahead for the same or even less mana investment. This can make it a less desirable choice when deck building and optimizing mana curve efficiency.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Compelling Argument offers utility across various deck types. This card can be slotted into mill decks for its primary function or used as a cycling option to draw a card in any blue setup craving for bigger hand flexibility.

Combo Potential: Besides fueling the graveyards for delve or reanimator strategies, Compelling Argument amplifies synergy in mill-centric combos, setting the stage for a devastating finisher like a well-timed “Fraying Sanity”.

Meta-Relevance: With mill decks periodically appearing in the meta, having Compelling Argument on hand means you’re prepared to pivot your strategy and exploit the tactical shifts in the landscape of MTG play.


How to beat

Compelling Argument is a versatile card used in Magic: The Gathering, primarily in blue mill decks that focus on putting a significant portion of the opponent’s library into their graveyard. This card forces a player to mill five cards from their deck, drawing them closer to losing the game by not being able to draw a card. However, beating Compelling Argument can involve a few strategic approaches.

One effective method is to use cards that reshuffle your graveyard back into your library, such as Elixir of Immortality or Gaea’s Blessing. These reset the number of cards in your deck and mitigate the mill strategy. Additionally, using instant-speed draw effects can help you find these or other important cards faster. Moreover, employing graveyard synergies to benefit from having a stocked graveyard is an alternative strategy. Cards like Dig Through Time or Tasigur, the Golden Fang can turn the downside into an advantage. Lastly, be vigilant for an opportune moment to counter or preemptively manage blue mana resources, limiting your opponent’s ability to cast Compelling Argument in the first place.

Understanding your deck and having a game plan against mill strategies is crucial. If you can anticipate a Compelling Argument, you’re one step closer to securing victory in your Magic: The Gathering matchups.


Cards like Compelling Argument

Compelling Argument finds its niche in the world of cycling cards within Magic: The Gathering. Like other cards with the cycling ability, it offers players the chance to draw a new card for a small fee, but what sets Compelling Argument apart is its secondary utility. Where many cycling cards simply replace themselves in your hand, Compelling Argument provides the additional functionality of milling five cards from a player’s library into their graveyard when cycled.

This compares interestingly with cards such as Hieroglyphic Illumination, which also has a cycling cost that allows for card draw. However, Hieroglyphic Illumination can be cast for its alternate effect to draw two cards outright, without the milling advantage. Censor is another card to consider; it offers the utility of countering a spell unless its controller pays the mana cost, or it can be cycled to draw a card. While it doesn’t directly impact a library like Compelling Argument, it adds a layer of control over the game’s flow.

Assessing the practical applications, Compelling Argument holds value in strategies focused on rapidly depleting an opponent’s library or enhancing one’s graveyard mechanics. Its unique blend of cycling and milling propels it into a functional realm that few similar cards occupy, marking its importance in deck building with specific strategies in Magic: The Gathering.

Hieroglyphic Illumination - MTG Card versions
Censor - MTG Card versions
Hieroglyphic Illumination - Amonkhet (AKH)
Censor - Amonkhet (AKH)

Cards similar to Compelling Argument by color, type and mana cost

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Time Walk - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Braingeyser - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Drain Power - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Transmute Artifact - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Forget - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Paradigm Shift - Weatherlight (WTH)
Piracy - Starter 1999 (S99)
Strategic Planning - Strixhaven Mystical Archive (STA)
Wind Sail - Starter 1999 (S99)
Mana Vapors - Prophecy (PCY)
Turbulent Dreams - Torment (TOR)
Quiet Speculation - Judgment (JUD)
Muse Vortex - Commander 2021 (C21)
See the Truth - Core Set 2021 (M21)
Fae of Wishes // Granted - Throne of Eldraine Promos (PELD)
Maddening Cacophony - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Silver Scrutiny - Dominaria United Promos (PDMU)
Reshape - The List (PLST)
Eye of Nowhere - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Train of Thought - Guildpact (GPT)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Compelling Argument MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Mystery Booster, 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 Compelling Argument and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Compelling Argument Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Lucas Graciano.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-04-28AmonkhetAKH 472015normalblackLucas Graciano
22019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 3262015normalblackLucas Graciano
32020-08-13Amonkhet RemasteredAKR 552015normalblackLucas Graciano
42020-09-26The ListPLST AKH-472015normalblackLucas Graciano

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Compelling Argument has restrictions

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

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