Memory Plunder MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Card plays opponents’ spells, offering a strategic edge and resource gain without additional mana cost.
  2. Instant speed activation disrupts opponents’ strategies, making it a powerful reactive tool.
  3. Demands careful play due to its specific mana cost and reliance on opponents’ graveyards.

Text of card

You may play target instant or sorcery card in an opponent's graveyard without paying its mana cost.

"Vengeance is the echo of the victim's own crime." —Grensch, merrow cutthroat


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Memory Plunder shines in creating card advantage by enabling you to cast any instant or sorcery from an opponent’s graveyard without paying its mana cost. This essentially grants you access to additional spells and can prime you for a game-winning move by leveraging your opponent’s resources.

Resource Acceleration: While Memory Plunder itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources in terms of mana, it does allow for a sort of “tempo acceleration.” By casting a spell from an opponent’s graveyard, you save the mana you would have spent on a similar effect, thus indirectly accelerating your available resources for the turn.

Instant Speed: The power of instant speed cannot be overstated with Memory Plunder. This allows you to react in real-time to the board state and possibly turn the tide of the game by casting a pivotal spell during an opponent’s turn. The strategic flexibility it offers will enable you to maximize your turn while disrupting your opponent’s plays.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Memory Plunder obliges players to have a spell in an opponent’s graveyard to target, which can be restrictive if opponents are utilizing strategies that don’t fill their graveyard effectively or if graveyard hate is prevalent in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Memory Plunder demands a specific split mana cost which includes both blue and black mana, potentially limiting its integration in multicolored decks that may not have the flexibility or resources to accommodate such requirements consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a four mana cost, specifically two blue and two black, Memory Plunder stands at a comparatively high investment for the ability to play a single spell from an opponent’s graveyard. Some may find this cost steep, especially in formats where mana efficiency is critical for outpacing opponents.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Memory Plunder allows players to immediately cast any instant or sorcery from an opponent’s graveyard without paying its mana cost. This adaptability makes it a valuable addition for control and midrange decks that can benefit from a wide array of spells.

Combo Potential: This card opens up a range of combo possibilities, especially in decks that strategically mill or discard cards. It can unexpectedly turn the tide by utilizing the spells of opponents against them.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where high-impact instants and sorceries are frequently played, Memory Plunder shines by offering an opportunity to access those powerful effects without the usual mana investment, potentially outmaneuvering opponents during key turns.


How to Beat Memory Plunder

Overcoming Memory Plunder in Magic: The Gathering relies on strategic foresight and careful graveyard management. As a unique card that allows a player to cast an instant or sorcery card from an opponent’s graveyard without paying its mana cost, it can turn the tide of a game when used effectively. To mitigate the impact of Memory Plunder, keep your graveyard tidy and consider employing cards with graveyard hate effects.

One approach involves using cards that exile target spells or entire graveyards, such as Tormod’s Crypt or Relic of Progenitus. These cards can remove key spells from your graveyard that an opponent could leverage with Memory Plunder. Furthermore, playing around potential Memory Plunders means being judicious with high-impact instants and sorceries, only using them when necessary or when you’re confident your opponent can’t utilize Memory Plunder to their advantage.

It’s also worthwhile to incorporate counterspells into your deck to directly thwart a Memory Plunder cast. Counters like Negate or Dovin’s Veto provide security, particularly during pivotal moments when your opponent might aim to harness the power of your own spells against you. By implementing these tactics, you can ensure Memory Plunder doesn’t become a game-defining threat.


BurnMana Recommendations

The dynamic gameplay of MTG provides an arena where skillfully leveraging cards like Memory Plunder can lead to victory. Its ability to exploit an opponent’s spells offers both a surprise element and game-changing interactions. As we’ve discussed its pros, cons, and potential, consider how this card can elevate your strategy and disrupt those of your rivals. Keep in mind the importance of adaptable deck-building and foresight in gameplay to mitigate its weaknesses. Intrigued by the strategic depth Memory Plunder introduces? Dive deeper with us into building winning synergies and evolving your MTG knowledge to ensure your success in every match. Learn more with BurnMana, your go-to guide in mastering the art of MTG.


Cards like Memory Plunder

Memory Plunder stands out among the intriguing instant spells capable of harnessing opponents’ cards in Magic: The Gathering. It allows players to cast any instant or sorcery from an opponent’s graveyard without paying its mana cost, offering a significant advantage by utilizing the resources of others. Spells like Diluvian Primordial share this graveyard interaction, although the Primordial requires a creature to be in play and targets each opponent’s graveyard instead of just one, giving a potential wider range of options.

When evaluating Yawgmoth’s Will, a classic and powerful card that permits the casting of multiple cards from your own graveyard for a single turn, we see a different approach. Memory Plunder focuses solely on a single card and on an opponent’s strategy, which could occasionally provide more strategic disruption or advantages. Additionally, Spelltwine also mirrors the concept, enabling the casting of a spell from both the player’s and an opponent’s graveyard, but it comes with a heftier mana cost and as a sorcery, it lacks the surprise element intrinsic to instant spells like Memory Plunder.

Clearly, Memory Plunder holds a valuable spot in the realm of graveyard-utilizing cards in Magic: The Gathering. Its capacity to turn an opponent’s past plays into a sudden advantage gives it a unique and potentially game-altering role.

Diluvian Primordial - MTG Card versions
Yawgmoth's Will - MTG Card versions
Spelltwine - MTG Card versions
Diluvian Primordial - Gatecrash (GTC)
Yawgmoth's Will - Urza's Saga (USG)
Spelltwine - Magic 2013 (M13)

Cards similar to Memory Plunder by color, type and mana cost

Clutch of the Undercity - MTG Card versions
Induce Paranoia - MTG Card versions
Mystical Teachings - MTG Card versions
Ancient Excavation - MTG Card versions
Artful Takedown - MTG Card versions
Spellscorn Coven // Take It Back - MTG Card versions
Clutch of the Undercity - The List (PLST)
Induce Paranoia - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Mystical Teachings - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)
Ancient Excavation - Commander Anthology Volume II (CM2)
Artful Takedown - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)
Spellscorn Coven // Take It Back - Wilds of Eldraine (WOE)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Memory Plunder MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor and Commander 2017, 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 Memory Plunder and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Memory Plunder Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2008-05-02 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by Dan Scott.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12008-05-02ShadowmoorSHM 1692003normalblackDan Scott
22017-08-25Commander 2017C17 1782015normalblackDan Scott
32022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 8492015normalblackDan Scott

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Memory Plunder has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2008-05-01 If you are unable to cast the card (there are no legal targets for the spell, for example), nothing happens when Memory Plunder resolves, and the card remains in its owner's graveyard.
2008-05-01 If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” you can't pay any alternative costs. On the other hand, if the card has additional costs (such as conspire), you may pay those.
2008-05-01 If you want to cast the card, you cast it as part of the resolution of Memory Plunder. Timing restrictions based on the card's type are ignored if it's a sorcery. Other casting restrictions are not (such as “Cast
-his card] only during combat”).

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks