Bronze Tablet MTG Card

Bronze Tablet’s instant speed activation can disrupt an opponent’s strategy and shift game balance. The cost of using Bronze Tablet includes exiling a permanent you control, which can be steep. Despite a high mana cost, its unique ante ability remains a potential game-changer in MTG.

Antiquities (ATQ)
1994-03-04 - Number 42

Bronze Tablet - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)

Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
1995-04-01 - Number 303

Fourth Edition (4ED)
1995-04-01 - Number 303

Renaissance (REN)
1995-08-01 - Number 115

Rinascimento (RIN)
1995-08-01 - Number 106

Card sets	Released in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Rare
Type	Artifact

Text of card

o4: Target any card opponent has in play; remove it and Bronze Tablet from game. You become owner of that card, and your opponent becomes owner of Bronze Tablet. Exchange is permanent; play as interrupt. Opponent can prevent exchange by spending 10 life; this discards Bronze Tablet. Damage-preventing effects cannot counter such loss of life. Bronze Tablet comes into play tapped. Remove this card from deck if not playing for ante.

Cards like Bronze Tablet

Bronze Tablet is an intriguing artifact that nestles into the realm of Magic: The Gathering’s powerful card-removal tools. It finds its peers in iconic spells like Oblivion Stone, known for its sweeping ability to clear the board. Bronze Tablet differs with its unique ante mechanic, allowing players to potentially own the targeted card if conditions are met. While Oblivion Stone demands a significant mana investment to activate, Bronze Tablet can be outright disruptive by targeting individual cards without mass removal.

Comparable to Bronze Tablet in its card-targeting ability is the spell Gilded Drake, which exchanges control of creatures. Although Gilded Drake acts exclusively on creatures and has a lower casting cost than Bronze Tablet, it doesn’t carry the potential of affecting card ownership in the same permanent way. Nor does it grant the same level of intimidating psychological effect that ante cards like Bronze Tablet can impose, shifting an opponent’s strategy and decision-making.

Evaluating these alternatives, Bronze Tablet stands out in MTG for its combination of card removal and the rare ante mechanic, even with the limitation of not being legal in every format. Its distinctive effects make it an interesting choice for specific deck strategies and a niche card in the trading card game.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Bronze Tablet offers a unique method of potentially removing an opponent’s key piece while simultaneously adding that card to your own arsenal, subtly shifting the balance of power and card resources in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: While Bronze Tablet doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense, leveraging it correctly could grant you access to additional resources pivotal to your strategy. By incorporating the opponent’s assets into your gameplay, you harness a form of indirect resource acceleration.

Instant Speed: The fact that Bronze Tablet can be activated at instant speed adds a layer of unpredictability and flexibility to your game. This allows you to alter game dynamics decisively, right on the cusp of an opponent’s move which can potentially disrupt their strategy.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Bronze Tablet demands an additional price — upon activation, not only do you have to exile it, but also another permanent you own. This can prove to be a significant setback since it narrows down the options of cards you can keep in play.

Specific Mana Cost: At six colorless mana, the Bronze Tablet isn’t tied to a color, yet its activation requirement needs an investment of two mana of any color. This necessity can interrupt your mana curve, particularly in multicolor decks that might prioritize mana for other spells.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the card offers a unique exchange effect that could potentially disrupt your opponent’s board, the initial investment is hefty. There are numerous cards with lower mana requirements that can yield more immediate or impactful results, making the Bronze Tablet a less appealing choice when constructing a mana-efficient deck.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Bronze Tablet offers a unique dimension to gameplay, allowing you to exchange it with an opponent’s non-creature permanent. This can significantly shift board dynamics, fitting into strategies that manipulate both your own and your opponent’s resources.

Combo Potential: Given its ability to potentially remove key pieces from your opponent’s side, Bronze Tablet works well in combinations where board control is elemental. It also synergizes with decks that capitalize on artifact manipulation for either offensive or defensive purposes.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where players heavily rely on important non-creature permanents, Bronze Tablet has the potential to disrupt strategies and turn the tide of the game in your favor, making it a card worth considering when building to counter specific meta decks.

How to beat

The Bronze Tablet is a unique piece in the realm of MTG that offers players a powerful exchange mechanic with the potential to change the tide of the game. Players can use the artifact to exchange it with a card under an opponent’s control, provided both players agree. However, should the opponent decline, they must force the Bronze Tablet out of the game and take damage equivalent to its cost in their subsequent turn.

To effectively counter this artifact, thoughtful deck construction and strategic play are vital. Cards that offer artifact removal, such as Disenchant or Naturalize, can dismantle the threat of Bronze Tablet before its effect takes place. Alternatively, strategies that limit your opponent’s choices can ensure the Tablet becomes more of a burden to them than to you. Tactics involving graveyard manipulation, or utilizing cards that allow you to bring back removed artifacts, can turn the tables on the Bronze Tablet, transforming it from a threat to an asset in your gameplay strategy.

Adjusting your strategy to prepare for potential exchanges and having a plan in place for artifact threats can neutralize the Bronze Tablet and maintain your position in the game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bronze Tablet MTG card by a specific set like Antiquities and Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border, 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 Bronze Tablet and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Bronze Tablet Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 1994-03-04 and 1995-08-01. Illustrated by Tom Wänerstrand.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1994-03-04	Antiquities	ATQ	42	1993	Normal	Black	Tom Wänerstrand
2	1995-04-01	Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border	4BB	303	1993	Normal	Black	Tom Wänerstrand
3	1995-04-01	Fourth Edition	4ED	303	1993	Normal	White	Tom Wänerstrand
4	1995-08-01	Renaissance	REN	115	1993	Normal	Black	Tom Wänerstrand
5	1995-08-01	Rinascimento	RIN	106	1993	Normal	Black	Tom Wänerstrand

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bronze Tablet has restrictions

Format	Legality
Oldschool	Banned
Commander	Banned
Legacy	Banned
Oathbreaker	Banned
Premodern	Banned
Vintage	Banned
Duel	Banned
Predh	Banned

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Bronze Tablet 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	If the card being targeted by the Bronze Tablet is removed before Tablet takes effect, then the Tablet ability doesn’t resolve and it remains tapped.
2004-10-04	If using a copy of the Tablet, you must trade the copy card to your opponent just like you would have traded the Tablet.
2004-10-04	You can take control of your opponent’s Tablet and in the trade you only have to give them back their Tablet.
2004-10-04	You can’t choose to pay 10 life if you have less than 10 life, but you may choose to give up the game immediately. This has roughly the same effect.
2008-08-01	If the tablet is not still on the battlefield when the ability resolves, it is not exiled. The other player still has the choice to pay 10 life, and you still become the owner of their card if they choose not to do so.