Better Than One MTG Card
Text of card
A person outside the game becomes your teammate. (Choose any number of cards in your hand, on top of your library, or on the battlefield under your control. Those cards become your teammate's hand, library, and permanents, respectively.)
Cards like Better Than One
The Better Than One card is a unique concept within the vast arsenal of Magic: The Gathering. It captures the spirit of cooperation by allowing players to team up and take turns controlling another player’s turn. While this concept is rare, there are some cards that stir up a mutualistic approach. Assist cards like Play of the Game allow one player to benefit from another player’s mana. In terms of gameplay, it’s a mechanic that forges alliances and combines resources, albeit temporarily.
Another comparable card is Duelist’s Heritage, which can be used to give any attacking creature double strike as long as it’s not attacking you, promoting a sort of camaraderie against a common enemy. Though it does not create a tandem like Better Than One, it also involves strategic partnerships. Then, there is Sovereign’s Realm, from the Conspiracy set, encouraging a completely different deck construction angle and shared gameplay, but does not directly involve partnership during turns. These cards echo the collaborative essence to varying degrees, yet Better Than One stands alone in its unique approach to team play within the game.
When analyzing the mechanics and social implications, Better Than One certainly carves out its niche in Magic: The Gathering, offering a rare and communal gaming experience that distinguishes itself from similar cooperative cards.
Cards similar to Better Than One by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Embracing the cooperative spirit, Better Than One allows you to introduce a second player into the game under your command. This unique twist provides a significant boon as it effectively doubles the resources at your disposal, including the number of cards drawn per turn. This could exponentially increase the card advantage you hold over a single opponent.
Resource Acceleration: With two players acting as one, the card paves the way for rampant resource acceleration. Managing two mana pools and land drops can quickly outpace an opponent’s ability to keep up, giving you an edge in deploying threats and responding to the game’s evolving state.
Instant Speed: Although the card doesn’t operate at instant speed, the instantaneous impact of adding another player can’t be overstated. The surprise factor and immediate presence of another ally can shift the tide of the game, especially if coordinated strategically during your turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: When playing Better Than One, a player must partner with another player who isn’t already your partner. This rule implies a discard-like action as it requires a specific setup outside of your control, potentially leaving you exposed if you cannot find an ally.
Specific Mana Cost: Better Than One’s mana cost is strictly in the green and white mana identity, which restricts its adoption only to decks that contain these colors, potentially excluding a significant portion of MTG deck styles from utilizing this card’s abilities.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana cost sitting at four mana—one of which is the hybrid green/white mana—this card’s activation isn’t the most efficient in comparison to other cards with similar functions. It’s often less than ideal in fast-paced games where mana conservation can be crucial for gameplay dynamics.
Reasons to Include Better Than One in Your Collection
Versatility: Better Than One is a unique card that can be seamlessly integrated into various deck types. Its ability to potentially double your strategic options makes it a game-changer during play, catering to diverse gameplay styles.
Combo Potential: This card synergizes exceptionally well with effects that benefit from increased creature counts or that trigger upon entering the battlefield, opening the door for inventive and potent combo plays.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that’s heavy on multiplayer formats or where partner strategies can thrive, Better Than One becomes an instrumental addition, enhancing both resilience and offensive capabilities within these dynamics.
How to Beat
Better Than One presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. This intriguing card from Magic: The Gathering allows a pair of players to team up and play as if they were a single player, sharing a life total and taking turns together. This can create an imposing advantage, as two minds work as one to strategize and execute plays normally not possible in a singular turn.
To effectively tackle this opponent, focus on strategies that disrupt player synergy. Consider cards that force each player to act independently, like single-target removals, or employ effects that limit card draw or actions per turn. Additionally, cards that penalize or control player actions, such as stax effects or cards imposing additional costs on spells and abilities, can level the playing field against the cooperative might of Better Than One.
Truly, understanding the dynamics of your own deck and reading the game state are crucial. By carefully navigating the challenges posed by Better Than One, players can outmaneuver this unique partnership mechanic and maintain control of the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Better Than One MTG card by a specific set like Unstable and The List (Unfinity Foil Edition), 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 Better Than One and other MTG cards:
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- 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
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Printings
The Better Than One Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-12-08 and 2022-10-07. Illustrated by Alex Konstad.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-12-08 | Unstable | UST | 128 | 2015 | Normal | Silver | Alex Konstad | |
| 2 | 2022-10-07 | The List (Unfinity Foil Edition) | ULST | 44 | 2015 | Normal | Silver | Alex Konstad |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Better Than One card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-01-19 | For game purposes, your new teammate becomes the owner of the cards you give them for their library, hand, and permanents. Remember to get your cards back after the game. |
| 2018-01-19 | If there’s no one around to make a decision, you can call or text someone if you need to. If there’s a physical action required, such as high-fiving, you’ll need someone there. |
| 2018-01-19 | It doesn’t have to be someone who plays Magic. This may be fun. |
| 2018-01-19 | You and your new teammate become a Two-Headed Giant team and play under Two-Headed Giant rules from that point forward. Similarly, if you pick up a second teammate, you and your two teammates becomes a Three-Headed Giant team, and so on. |
| 2018-01-19 | You can choose any player not currently in your game. This includes people who used to be in your game but left it. |
| 2018-01-19 | You can give your new teammate Contraptions you control. You can also give them face down cards from your Contraption deck so they can form their own Contraption deck. |
| 2018-01-19 | Your new teammate must agree to play with you, although they don’t necessarily need to know how to play. |
| 2018-01-19 | Your new teammate must be someone not already in your game, although it can be someone who was once in your game but left. |