Bazaar of Baghdad MTG Card
1993-12-17 - Number 70
2003-01-01 - Number 2022A
2009-09-07 - Number 205
2014-06-16 - Number 294
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
Tap to take two cards from your library, after which you must immediately discard three from your hand to your graveyard. If you don't have three or more cards in your hand, discard your whole hand. No spells may be cast between drawing and discarding cards.
Cards like Bazaar of Baghdad
Bazaar of Baghdad stands out in the realm of card access tools in Magic: The Gathering. This vintage card allows a player to draw two cards and then discard three cards without the need to expend mana, differentiating it from most card-drawing mechanics. It plays a pivotal role in graveyard-centric decks, setting the stage for powerful plays by filling the graveyard rapidly.
Library of Alexandria is a card often mentioned in the same breath, offering the ability to draw a card, but only if you have exactly seven cards in hand. While the Library permits card advantage without the drawback of discarding, Bazaar’s ability to manipulate the graveyard offers a unique advantage for certain strategies. Then there’s the more recent addition of cards like Faithless Looting – a spell that allows you to draw two cards and then discard two, providing a balanced card-filtering effect. While Faithless Looting requires mana to play and doesn’t offer the same level of graveyard-filling efficiency, it doesn’t ask you to discard an extra card as Bazaar does.
Assessing the synergy and strategic implications, Bazaar of Baghdad’s distinctive ability to aggressively cycle through a deck places it in a revered position for decks designed to capitalize on graveyard resources.
Cards similar to Bazaar of Baghdad by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Bazaar of Baghdad. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Dredge | Vintage | Dredge | Vintage Challenge 32 2024-04-26 |
 | Counter Vine | Vintage | Counter Vine | Vintage Challenge 32 2024-04-26 |
 | Fastbond Lands | Vintage | Fastbond Lands | Vintage Challenge 32 2024-04-26 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Bazaar of Baghdad offers a unique twist on generating card advantage. Although it doesn’t directly add a card to your hand, it helps you dig through your library to find the resources you need, effectively drawing you into two new cards per activation.
Resource Acceleration: By giving you the liberty to access multiple new cards each turn, Bazaar of Baghdad accelerates your resource availability. This powerful capability can significantly outpace opponents by providing the selections necessary to fuel combo strategies or simply outmaneuver them.
Instant Speed: While Bazaar of Baghdad doesn’t operate at instant speed per se, its ability can be activated during any player’s turn, offering a form of speed and flexibility that’s critical in competitive play. The instant-like flexibility gives players the chance to adapt to rapidly changing game states.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Bazaar of Baghdad provides card selection, it also necessitates the disposal of two cards from your hand. This can be particularly taxing when your hand is already sparse, forcing tough decisions about which critical resources to surrender in the pursuit of drawing additional cards.
Specific Mana Cost: Despite Bazaar of Baghdad not requiring mana for activation, its presence in decks is often contingent upon a build that benefits from card discarding or graveyard synergy. Without such synergistic components, the card may not reach its full potential, and could lead to subpar gameplay experiences.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: As a land card, Bazaar of Baghdad doesn’t have a traditional mana cost. Nonetheless, in formats where card economy and speed are vital, the inclusion of non-mana producing lands can be seen as a high opportunity cost, potentially hindering your deck’s overall mana efficiency and pace, especially in the early game stages where setting up your mana base is crucial.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Bazaar of Baghdad offers an unparalleled advantage in decks that thrive on graveyard strategies. Its capacity to draw and then discard cards can set up your game for powerful plays, making it a useful asset across multiple deck archetypes.
Combo Potential: This card is a linchpin in various combo decks, enabling the assembly of complex card interactions. By filtering the deck’s contents with precision, it can help assemble the pieces needed for game-winning combinations efficiently.
Meta-Relevance: Within the ever-evolving competitive scene, Bazaar of Baghdad maintains relevance due to its ability to manipulate the graveyard—a resource that is often crucial in high-level play. It can tilt matches in your favor against a variety of popular strategies.
How to Beat
The Bazaar of Baghdad is a powerful land in Magic the Gathering, renowned for its unrivaled card selection capability. This card allows players to draw two additional cards at the cost of discarding three, which can be a massive advantage in the right deck. To counter it effectively requires understanding its synergies and exploiting its weaknesses.
One strategy to combat the Bazaar’s advantage is aggressive graveyard disruption. Employing cards that exile cards from your opponent’s graveyard can severely limit the benefits they derive from their discards, making cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void ideal countermeasures. Furthermore, since the Bazaar does not produce mana, pressuring your opponent’s mana base can also diminish their ability to capitalize on the card advantage gained.
Ultimately, depriving opponents of the resources they need to utilize the Bazaar effectively, either by restricting their graveyard or mana pool, can turn the tides in your favor. As such, when facing a deck with Bazaar of Baghdad, prioritize control over these elements to neutralize its potential impact on the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Bazaar of Baghdad MTG card by a specific set like Arabian Nights and Vintage Championship, 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 Bazaar of Baghdad and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Bazaar of Baghdad Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 1993-12-17 and 2014-06-16. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1993-12-17 | Arabian Nights | ARN | 70 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Jeff A. Menges | |
| 2 | 2003-01-01 | Vintage Championship | OVNT | 2022A | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Seaman | |
| 3 | 2009-09-07 | Masters Edition III | ME3 | 205 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Jeff A. Menges | |
| 4 | 2014-06-16 | Vintage Masters | VMA | 294 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Christopher Moeller |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Bazaar of Baghdad has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Banned |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Banned |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Bazaar of Baghdad card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | You can’t cast spells or activate mana abilities before discarding the extra cards. |