Strange Inversion MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Instant — Arcane |
| Abilities | Splice |
| Released | 2004-10-01 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Champions of Kamigawa |
| Set code | CHK |
| Number | 192 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Khang Le |
Key Takeaways
- Strange Inversion’s instant speed allows surprise tactics altering combat outcomes significantly.
- Its discard requirement can be costly, making casting decisions critical.
- The card’s versatility and meta-relevance make it valuable for tactical decks.
Text of card
Switch target creature's power and toughness until end of turn. Splice onto Arcane (As you play an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Strange Inversion offers a unique edge by allowing you either to disrupt your opponent’s strategy or enhance your own creatures. This flexible utility can often equate to gaining card advantage by preserving your resources while hindering your adversary’s board state.
Resource Acceleration: Although Strange Inversion does not directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense, it can indirectly influence mana efficiency by making combat math more favorable or depriving your opponent of a significant blocker, potentially conserving the mana you would have spent on other removal or combat tricks.
Instant Speed: The ability to cast Strange Inversion at instant speed gives you the tactical edge of surprise, allowing you to wait for the most opportune moment during your opponent’s turn to twist the game’s outcome in your favor, be it during combat or in response to an opponent’s spell.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Strange Inversion is its discard requirement for activation. This can be particularly disadvantageous for players who may be holding onto a key card in their hand, making the decision to cast Strange Inversion a potentially costly one.
Specific Mana Cost: Another limitation of Strange Inversion is its specific mana cost, including both black and red. This inherent color combination can make it less flexible, restricting it primarily to multicolor decks that can accommodate both mana types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Furthermore, with a somewhat high casting cost, Strange Inversion can be considered inefficient in terms of mana expenditure. For the mana investment required, players may find other cards that can achieve similar or even more powerful effects without as significant a cost.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Strange Inversion boasts an adaptability that allows it to seamlessly integrate into various deck archetypes. This card can be a game-changer whether you’re looking to switch up your creature’s stats for defense or amplify them for an aggressive attack.
Combo Potential: Its ability to instantly modify power and toughness makes it an excellent tool for combo plays. It pairs exceptionally well with cards that thrive on power shifts or have damage-based abilities that benefit from sudden stat changes.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where combat tricks and creature matchups play a pivotal role, Strange Inversion can serve as both a surprise blocker enhancer and a swift finisher, making it a potent addition in the current competitive scene.
How to beat
Strange Inversion is a unique twist on the dynamics of creature control in the realm of Magic: The Gathering. With the ability to either boost your own creature or weaken an opponent’s, managing this card’s impact becomes crucial on the battlefield. To effectively counter Strange Inversion, consider using instant-speed removal spells that can disrupt the card’s switching power before it takes effect.
Alternatively, leveraging hexproof or shroud abilities can protect your key creatures from being targeted. Cards like Blossoming Defense not only shield your creatures but also provide a power boost as a defensive measure. Furthermore, countermagic is another pathway, with spells like Negate which can directly counter Strange Inversion and other noncreature spell threats.
Adaptability is paramount in MTG, and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of Strange Inversion allows you to fortify your strategy against it. Introducing versatile cards that offer multiple modes of response will ensure you keep your creatures safe and maintain control over the fluctuating tide of creature power in your games.
Cards like Strange Inversion
Strange Inversion joins the versatile world of combat trick cards in MTG, offering a unique spin in this strategic category. It has a kinship with cards like Giant Growth, which traditionally enhances a creature’s power and toughness. Nonetheless, Strange Inversion flips the script by temporarily weakening an opponent’s creature, reducing its strength and resilience, which can be just as pivotal during battle.
Another card that echoes this effect is Shrivel, which decreases the power and toughness of multiple creatures. While Shrivel has the potential to impact the board more extensively, Strange Inversion allows for more precision by targeting a single adversary. In comparison, however, Eyeblight’s Ending eliminates the need to attack or block by outright destroying a creature with a certain keyword, though this immediate removal comes at the cost of being slightly more restrictive in its usage.
Taking it all in, Strange Inversion stands out for its tactical edge in combat. Its ability to temporarily alter the dynamics on the board, combined with a lower mana cost and instant speed, carves a niche for it amongst MTG’s pantheon of creature affecting spells, making it a subtle but powerful tool in player arsenals.
Cards similar to Strange Inversion by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Strange Inversion MTG card by a specific set like Champions of Kamigawa, 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 Strange Inversion and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Strange Inversion has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Strange Inversion card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-04-15 | Effects that switch power and toughness apply after all other effects that change power and/or toughness, regardless of which effect was created first. |
| 2013-04-15 | Switching a creature’s power and toughness twice (or any even number of times) effectively returns the creature to the power and toughness it had before any switches. |
| 2013-06-07 | A card with a splice ability can’t be spliced onto itself because the spell is on the stack (and not in your hand) when you reveal the cards you want to splice onto it. |
| 2013-06-07 | If all of the spell’s targets are illegal when the spell tries to resolve, it won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. |
| 2013-06-07 | You choose all targets for the spell after revealing cards you want to splice, including any targets required by the text of any of those cards. You may choose a different target for each instance of the word “target” on the resulting spell. |
| 2013-06-07 | You reveal all cards you intend to splice at the same time. Each individual card can be spliced only once onto any one spell. |
