Chemister's Trick MTG Card

Chemister’s Trick offers both offensive and defensive tactical advantages during combat phases. It fits well within Izzet decks, accentuating spell synergy and combo potential. The card can serve as a meta-relevant tool for control, disrupting opponents’ strategies effectively.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Abilities	Overload
Released	2012-10-05
Set symbol
Set name	Return to Ravnica
Set code	RTR
Number	149
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Christopher Moeller

Text of card

Target creature you don't control gets -2/-0 until end of turn and attacks this turn if able. Overload (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change its text by replacing all instances of "target" with "each.")

Cards like Chemister's Trick

Chemister’s Trick is an intriguing card within the array of control options in Magic: The Gathering. It holds a mirror to cards like Electrickery, which also deals damage across multiple targets. Yet, Chemister’s Trick comes with a unique flavor – its secondary effect of forcing creatures to turn against their controller on the next attack. Unlike Electrickery, which solely focuses on damage, Chemister’s Trick adds a strategic layer to battlefield manipulation.

Looking over to Izzet Charm, we see another card with versatility. Izzet Charm offers direct damage, creature control, or card filtering based on the need of the moment. While not identical, it’s in line with the flexibility that Chemister’s Trick provides. Then there’s Cackling Counterpart, creating a copy of any creature you control. Here we have a different kind of manipulation, one that can potentially double the effects of a creature with an enter-the-battlefield effect. Chemister’s Trick might not replicate creatures, but it similarly alters the state of the board.

Ultimately, each card shines in distinct scenarios, and discerning players in Magic: The Gathering will select Chemister’s Trick for its potential to both disrupt opponent plans and shift game momentum with a single cast.

Cackling Counterpart - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Chemister's Trick by color, type and mana cost

Accident-Prone Apprentice // Amphibian Accident - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Chemister’s Trick contributes to your card advantage, not by drawing more cards, but by potentially nullifying two attackers and transforming them into mere pawns for your strategic plays.

Resource Acceleration: This instant may seem like a simple combat trick, but it can drastically shift the pace of the game. By effectively delaying your opponent’s creatures, you gain precious time to accelerate your resources and advance your board state without the pressure from an aggressive assault.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of Chemister’s Trick being an instant cannot be overstated. It grants you the power to wait until the most opportune moment, like during the declare attackers step, to cast it. This unpredictability can lead to advantageous misplays by your opponent and tilt the game’s momentum in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One undeniable drawback of Chemister’s Trick is the requirement to discard a card to activate its overload ability. For players already struggling to maintain a healthy hand size, this can result in a significant strategic setback and resource drainage.

Specific Mana Cost: Chemister’s Trick demands a precise mix of blue and red mana to be cast. This rigid cost narrows its flexibility and can challenge players running multiple colors or those needing to maintain a diverse mana base for other spells in their arsenal.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an initial and overload cost that can be on the steep side, Chemister’s Trick is often overshadowed by alternative options. Players may find other cards at lower mana costs that provide more direct control or disruptive abilities, making Chemister’s Trick less appealing in fast-paced games where mana efficiency is key.

Reasons to Include Chemister’s Trick in Your Collection

Versatility: Chemister’s Trick offers flexibility in both defensive and offensive strategies. It can be used to deter attackers or to clear a path for your own creatures during combat phases.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize with decks focusing on instants and sorceries, potentially triggering multiple effects with its casting. It also works well within Izzet decks that capitalize on spell synergy.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment that values control and board manipulation, Chemister’s Trick can be an unexpected game-changer, disrupting opponent strategies and maintaining tempo.

How to beat

Chemister’s Trick emerges as a versatile card within Magic: The Gathering, presenting players with a dual-purpose ability. At its core, it serves to momentarily weaken your opponents’ creatures, giving you an edge during combat. To effectively counteract Chemister’s Trick, the key lies in maximizing the use of instant-speed removal or counterspells that can intercept and neutralize it before its impact is felt on the battlefield.

Take a card like Cancel, for instance; it straightforwardly negates any spell, including Chemister’s Trick, for a reasonable cost of three mana. Keeping mana available during your opponent’s turn allows for a swift response, showcasing the importance of being prepared for control strategies. Alternatively, cards with hexproof provide a robust defense against Chemister’s Trick by inherently shielding your creatures from targeted spells, diminishing the card’s efficacy.

In evaluating your approach to overcoming Chemister’s Trick, consider maintaining a balance between proactive board presence and reactive control elements. Employing this strategy within your MTG deck can decisively tilt matches in your favor, neutralizing threats such as Chemister’s Trick and maintaining dominance over the game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Chemister's Trick MTG card by a specific set like Return to Ravnica, 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 Chemister's Trick and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Chemister's Trick has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Chemister's Trick card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2012-10-01	If you cast Chemister’s Trick with overload, only creatures you don’t control that are on the battlefield when Chemister’s Trick resolves are affected. Creatures that come under another player’s control later in the turn are not.
2012-10-01	If, during a player’s declare attacker’s step, a creature is tapped, is affected by a spell or ability that says it can’t attack, or hasn’t been under that player’s control continuously since the turn began (and doesn’t have haste), then it doesn’t attack. If there’s a cost associated with having a creature attack, the player isn’t forced to pay that cost, so it doesn’t have to attack in that case either.
2012-10-01	The controller of a creature that attacks if able still chooses which player or planeswalker it attacks.
2013-04-15	Because a spell with overload doesn’t target when its overload cost is paid, it may affect permanents with hexproof or with protection from the appropriate color.
2013-04-15	Casting a spell with overload doesn’t change that spell’s mana cost. You just pay the overload cost instead.
2013-04-15	Effects that cause you to pay more or less for a spell will cause you to pay that much more or less while casting it for its overload cost, too.
2013-04-15	If you are instructed to cast a spell with overload “without paying its mana cost,” you can’t choose to pay its overload cost instead.
2013-04-15	If you don’t pay the overload cost of a spell, that spell will have a single target. If you pay the overload cost, the spell won’t have any targets.
2013-04-15	Note that if the spell with overload is dealing damage, protection from that spell’s color will still prevent that damage.
2013-04-15	Overload doesn’t change when you can cast the spell.