Ancestral Tribute MTG Card

Ancestral Tribute adds a considerable lifeline and card advantage during gameplay with its graveyard-dependent effects. While powerful, its high mana cost and color specificity may limit its deck compatibility and timing. Opponents can counteract Ancestral Tribute by employing graveyard hate and strategic hand disruption tactics.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	7
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery
Abilities	Flashback
Released	2001-10-01
Set symbol
Set name	Odyssey
Set code	ODY
Number	2
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Edward P. Beard, Jr.

Text of card

You gain 2 life for each card in your graveyard. Flashback o9o Wo Wo W (You may play this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then remove it from the game.)

Cards like Ancestral Tribute

Delving into the realm of life gain spells in Magic: The Gathering, Ancestral Tribute stands out for its substantial one-time boost in player health. Let’s compare that to Heroes’ Reunion, another card in the life gain category. While Heroes’ Reunion provides a quick and efficient gain of seven life at only two mana, Ancestral Tribute requires a larger investment of nine mana but can potentially skyrocket a player’s life total based on the number of cards in their graveyard.

Looking at another parallel, we have Beacon of Immortality, which doubles a player’s life total; unlike Ancestral Tribute, this happens immediately without the graveyard card count dependency. Beacon of Immortality can be a game-changer in a tight match. Additionally, unlike Ancestral Tribute, Beacon of Immortality may shuffle back into the library, offering another chance to dramatically alter life totals later in the game.

In the end, while each of these cards serves the life gain strategy with their nuances, Ancestral Tribute’s high reward potential is evident in games where graveyards are brimming with cards, presenting a significant advantage in long and drawn-out battles.

Beacon of Immortality - MTG Card versions

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ancestral Tribute facilitates a significant card advantage by providing a potential route to refill your hand, depending on the number of creature cards in your graveyard, thus bolstering your options for upcoming turns.

Resource Acceleration: By converting each creature card in your graveyard into a source of life gain, this card enhances your resources, not only in terms of health but also as a strategic advantage in life-centric decks or synergies.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Ancestral Tribute at instant speed grants you the flexibility to respond to your opponent’s moves. It also allows you to end your turn with options, potentially baiting out counterspells or other responses before committing to the Tribute.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Ancestral Tribute requires a player to discard a card upon utilization. This could be particularly detrimental during gameplay when card advantage is critical, potentially leading to a disadvantageous position if not managed wisely.

Specific Mana Cost: Building a deck around Ancestral Tribute demands careful mana base planning, as the card’s necessity for specific mana types could pose a deck building challenge, potentially limiting its inclusion to decks that can accommodate the color requirements efficiently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Commanding a significant mana investment, Ancestral Tribute may be overshadowed by other cards with lower costs for similar effects. Players might opt for alternatives that allow for a more versatile and faster-paced strategy, particularly in environments where tempo plays a crucial role.

Reasons to Include Ancestral Tribute in Your Collection

Versatility: Ancestral Tribute offers flexibility in various deck builds. It’s particularly useful in formats where lifegain can stabilize your position or in decks that focus on life as a resource.

Combo Potential: Given the right setup, Ancestral Tribute’s potential to restore a significant amount of life makes it a potent piece in combinations aimed at turning high life totals into a winning advantage.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where longer matches and controlling strategies dominate, Ancestral Tribute can be a key card. It allows players to survive aggressive onslaughts and outlast their opponents, making it a smart inclusion against a prevailing attrition-based meta.

How to beat

Ancestral Tribute is a card that offers players a substantial life gain based on the number of cards in their graveyard. While this can be a significant advantage, overcoming Ancestral Tribute requires strategic play. Focus on limiting the number of cards that go into your opponent’s graveyard throughout the game. Use graveyard hate cards like Relic of Progenitus or Tormod’s Crypt to disrupt their strategy and remove cards from the graveyard before Ancestral Tribute can be activated.

Maintaining pressure is also key. Apply continuous aggression to quickly reduce your opponent’s life total, diminishing the impact of their life gain. Alternatively, consider using cards that can negate the spell, such as Counterspell or Dovin’s Veto, which not only prevent the life gain but also keep the battlefield in your favor. Finally, utilize hand disruption like Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek to remove Ancestral Tribute from your opponent’s hand before they have a chance to play it, thereby preserving your path to victory.

In summary, by employing disruption, pressure, and control elements within your MTG deck, you’ll improve your ability to effectively counteract the benefits that Ancestral Tribute offers to your opponent.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ancestral Tribute MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey, 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 Ancestral Tribute and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ancestral Tribute has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2021-03-19	A spell cast using flashback will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack in some other way.
2021-03-19	If a card with flashback is put into your graveyard during your turn, you can cast it if it’s legal to do so before any other player can take any actions.
2021-03-19	To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a flashback cost) you’re paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was.
2021-03-19	You can cast a spell using flashback even if it was somehow put into your graveyard without having been cast.
2021-03-19	You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions, including those based on the card’s type. For instance, you can cast a sorcery using flashback only when you could normally cast a sorcery.
2021-03-19	“Flashback -ost]” means “You may cast this card from your graveyard by paying -ost] rather than paying its mana cost” and “If the flashback cost was paid, exile this card instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack.”