Book of Rass MTG Card


Delivers card advantage and maintains options through drawing extra cards during crucial gameplay moments. Provides resource acceleration by enabling additional land drops or spells that can increase mana. Flexible usage at instant speed allows players to optimize mana and react with a full hand of cards.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact

Text of card

: Pay 2 life to draw one card. Effects that prevent or redirect damage may not be used to counter this loss of life.


Cards like Book of Rass

The Book of Rass is a unique artifact in the MTG universe, offering a distinct draw mechanism. It’s akin to Greed, which allows card drawing at the expense of life and mana. Like Greed, the Book of Rass permits players to trade life points for the crucial advantage of new cards in hand. Both demand payment of life to fuel their abilities, essential for control decks needing to maintain card advantage.

Staff of Domination emerges as another relative, albeit with a more versatile toolbox. While it shares the card draw ability at a cost, it also presents options for mana generation, gaining life, and untapping creatures or itself. This versatility can be crucial in games where flexibility is as valuable as card quantity. Tower of Fortunes represents a higher-cost alternative, demanding a substantial mana investment for a larger card yield. Although it provides a sizeable card boost, its activation cost is restrictive compared to the life cost of the Book of Rass which can be more manageable in the late game.

Overall, when examining these artifacts side by side, the Book of Rass maintains a valuable spot amongst MTG card drawing options, particularly for players willing to gamble with their life total to sustain a persistent flow of cards.

Greed - MTG Card versions
Staff of Domination - MTG Card versions
Tower of Fortunes - MTG Card versions
Greed - MTG Card versions
Staff of Domination - MTG Card versions
Tower of Fortunes - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Book of Rass by color, type and mana cost

Clockwork Beast - MTG Card versions
Triskelion - MTG Card versions
Armageddon Clock - MTG Card versions
Mirror Universe - MTG Card versions
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Celestial Sword - MTG Card versions
Joven's Tools - MTG Card versions
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Flowstone Sculpture - MTG Card versions
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Well of Discovery - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Hulk - MTG Card versions
Wurmcoil Engine - MTG Card versions
Brass Herald - MTG Card versions
Mirror Golem - MTG Card versions
Razor Golem - MTG Card versions
Mycosynth Lattice - MTG Card versions
Clockwork Beast - MTG Card versions
Triskelion - MTG Card versions
Armageddon Clock - MTG Card versions
Mirror Universe - MTG Card versions
Sword of the Ages - MTG Card versions
Planar Gate - MTG Card versions
Urza's Avenger - MTG Card versions
Bronze Tablet - MTG Card versions
Celestial Sword - MTG Card versions
Joven's Tools - MTG Card versions
Serpent Generator - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Sculpture - MTG Card versions
Workhorse - MTG Card versions
Well of Discovery - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Hulk - MTG Card versions
Wurmcoil Engine - MTG Card versions
Brass Herald - MTG Card versions
Mirror Golem - MTG Card versions
Razor Golem - MTG Card versions
Mycosynth Lattice - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Book of Rass offers a substantial boost to your hand by giving you the option to draw additional cards, thus ensuring you rarely run out of options during crucial moments of the game.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, this artifact can pay dividends by offering a steady flow of new cards, which could lead to resource acceleration through additional land drops or spells that ramp your mana.

Instant Speed: The beauty of this card lies in its flexibility, allowing you to utilize your mana efficiently. You can end your opponent’s turn and convert unused mana into valuable cards at instant speed, keeping you primed to react with a full grip of cards.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of the Book of Rass is its demand for a card discard in order to use its ability. This can potentially lead to a significant loss of hand advantage, especially in game scenarios where maintaining a variety of options is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: The artifact requires six generic mana to come into play, which doesn’t conform to any rapid deployment strategy. Its activation cost is also specific, needing two mana that have to be paid each time, which can be a taxing expense over the course of a match.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: In a game where efficiency is key, the high mana investment to both cast and use the Book of Rass can be a hurdle. Other cards in the same mana value range can potentially offer more immediate or impactful effects without the additional cost of paying life and mana for card draw.


Reasons to Include Book of Rass in Your Collection

Versatility: Book of Rass is a unique addition to decks that thrive on steady card advantage. Its ability to draw cards at will makes it a flexible tool for any game stage, catering to various strategies that hinge on maintaining hand size.

Combo Potential: This artifact is not just a solitary performer; it shines in combos. It works well with cards that capitalize on life totals or benefit from numerous draws, enabling a breadth of synergistic plays.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where attrition wars are commonplace, Book of Rass provides persistent access to resources that can outlast opponents. It’s a powerhouse in formats where the right card can tilt the scales in longer, more grueling matches.


How to beat

Confronted with the relentless abilities of the Book of Rass in Magic: The Gathering, players often search for strategies to nullify its pesky life-draining and card-drawing combination. To effectively counter this artifact’s powers, consider running removal spells or abilities tailored to artifacts, such as Disenchant, Naturalize, or Shatter. These can dispatch the Book of Rass directly from the battlefield and prevent your opponent from gaining undue card advantage. Additionally, employing cards with direct life gain can also help offset the health cost paid by your adversary to draw from the Book of Rass, thereby mitigating its impact over time.

Beyond destruction, another tactic includes the use of counter-magic when the book is being cast. Cards like Counterspell or Negate can stop the artifact from ever hitting the table. Damping Matrix is another excellent tool as it can negate the activated abilities of artifacts, neutralizing the Book of Rass’ threat without needing to remove it. By anticipating your opponent’s moves and keeping a tight control of the board, maintaining a healthy life total, and wisely choosing removal or disruption, you can ensure the Book of Rass doesn’t turn the tide against you.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Book of Rass MTG card by a specific set like The Dark and Chronicles, 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 Book of Rass and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Book of Rass Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1994-08-01 and 2011-01-10. Illustrated by Sandra Everingham.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11994-08-01The DarkDRK 981993NormalBlackSandra Everingham
21995-07-01ChroniclesCHR 951993NormalWhiteSandra Everingham
32011-01-10Masters Edition IVME4 1831997NormalBlackSandra Everingham

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Book of Rass has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Book of Rass 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 spend yourself to below zero life. You can’t spend life you don’t have.