Refuse // Cooperate MTG Card
2017-07-14 - Number 156
2017-07-15 - Number 156s
2019-08-23 - Number 199
2020-08-13 - Number 255
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 7 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Instant |
| Abilities | Aftermath |
Key Takeaways
- The card’s dual nature offers players defensive damage redirection and offensive card draw options.
- High mana and specific color requirements restrict its use to certain deck archetypes.
- Its split card design provides flexibility, adapting to various in-game situations effectively.
Text of card
Aftermath (Cast this spell only from your graveyard. Then exile it.) Copy target instant or sorcery spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Refuse // Cooperate shines in scenarios where gaining card advantage is crucial. By providing an option to draw cards if Cooperate is copied, you can stay ahead in terms of resources and hand options.
Resource Acceleration: While Refuse part of the card doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it impacts the board by turning an opponent’s spell into a potential threat against their own life total, indirectly influencing resource management and the pace of the game.
Instant Speed: The flexibility offered by Refuse // Cooperate being instant speed is a massive pro. It allows players to react to opponents’ plays effectively, utilizing mana efficiently by waiting for the perfect moment to disrupt the opponent’s strategies or to capitalize on the card draw from Cooperate at the end of the opponent’s turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Refuse // Cooperate carves a slice out of your hand as it demands discarding a card, meaning you’re at a potential card disadvantage immediately after casting, especially during tight situations where every card in hand is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: This card calls for two specific mana types, blue and red, constraining deck building around a tight mana base. Not all decks can afford or wish to accommodate the stringent mana requirements, potentially restricting its inclusion to specific archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing four mana, Refuse // Cooperate sits at a mana range where players expect game-changing effects. In comparison to other spells available within the same cost bracket, its impact may not always justify its place in a fast-paced match where efficiency is key.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Refuse // Cooperate offers both a countermeasure and a means to turn an opponent’s spell to your advantage, making it adaptable to various situations on the battlefield. Its split card nature allows for flexibility in using just one side or both depending on the game state.
Combo Potential: With the capability to copy powerful spells, this card can amplify strategies that revolve around spell casting or copying. It pairs well with decks that seek to exploit the cast or copy of spells for incremental advantages.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where high-impact spells are prevalent, having Refuse // Cooperate can be a significant asset. It allows you to thwart an opponent’s key play or clone a crucial spell, giving it a solid foothold in various competitive scenes.
How to beat
Facing the card Refuse // Cooperate in Magic: The Gathering presents a unique challenge. This split card allows players to either deal damage to a spell’s controller equal to that spell’s mana value with Refuse or to draw cards through Cooperate under the right conditions. The key to overcoming this card is understanding the dual nature it holds and the right timing to play around it.
For the Refuse half, it’s important to minimize the number of high-cost spells you cast, as these are prime targets for your opponent and can lead to substantial life loss. Instead, focus on low-cost, efficient spells to mitigate the impact of Refuse. On the other hand, Cooperate requires a spell to be on the stack to copy, which means you should be cautious of casting spells with significant effects when Cooperate could be used to your opponent’s advantage.
In essence, playing against Refuse // Cooperate is a strategic balancing act. Pay attention to your opponent’s mana availability and apply pressure with spells that don’t leave you vulnerable to a Refuse backlash or give them an edge with Cooperate. By controlling the flow of the game and making calculated plays, you can navigate around the dangers of this versatile card and maintain the upper hand.
BurnMana Recommendations
Unlocking the complexities of Refuse // Cooperate adds a strategic edge to your MTG gameplay. Our insights reveal that mastering the timing and situational awareness of this card can turn the tides in your favor. By incorporating versatile cards like Refuse // Cooperate into your deck, you enhance your capability to dictate the pace and outcome of matches. Embrace the dual nature of this spell to disrupt your opponents’ strategies or to acquire valuable card advantage. Dive deeper with us into the art of using such dynamic cards effectively and refine your deck to capitalize on their potential. Enhance your collection and gameplay today.
Cards like Refuse // Cooperate
Refuse // Cooperate serves as an intriguing twist in the realm of instant spells within the world of MTG. It carries a duality that can be seen in cards like Expansion // Explosion, which provides both a copy effect and damage-dealing function. However, Refuse // Cooperate allows for redirection of damage while also enabling card draw under its Cooperate option. Expansion // Explosion lacks the capacity to redirect damage but compensates with its flexibility and potential for a larger card draw.
Another comparison can be made with Fork, a classic card that similarly copies an instant or sorcery spell but doesn’t offer the added utility of drawing cards. Meanwhile, the Drawn from Dreams spell lets players look deep into their library to select cards, though it doesn’t interact with spells on the stack as Refuse // Cooperate does.
Evaluating the strategic uses and potential of Refuse // Cooperate against its counterparts, one appreciates its unique positioning. With the ability to turn an opponent’s strength against them while still maintaining card advantage, Refuse // Cooperate adds a layer of versatility and surprise that is distinct in game dynamics.
Cards similar to Refuse // Cooperate by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Refuse // Cooperate MTG card by a specific set like Hour of Devastation and Hour of Devastation Promos, 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 Refuse // Cooperate 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 Magic products
Printings
The Refuse // Cooperate Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2017-07-14 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Yongjae Choi.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-07-14 | Hour of Devastation | HOU | 156 | 2015 | aftermath | black | Yongjae Choi | |
| 2 | 2017-07-15 | Hour of Devastation Promos | PHOU | 156s | 2015 | aftermath | black | Yongjae Choi | |
| 3 | 2019-08-23 | Commander 2019 | C19 | 199 | 2015 | aftermath | black | Yongjae Choi | |
| 4 | 2020-08-13 | Amonkhet Remastered | AKR | 255 | 2015 | aftermath | black | Yongjae Choi |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Refuse // Cooperate has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Refuse // Cooperate card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-04-18 | A spell with aftermath cast from a graveyard will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, it’s countered, or it leaves the stack in some other way. |
| 2017-04-18 | All split cards have two card faces on a single card, and you put a split card onto the stack with only the half you’re casting. The characteristics of the half of the card you didn’t cast are ignored while the spell is on the stack. For example, if an effect prevents you from casting green spells, you can cast Destined of Destined // Lead, but not Lead. |
| 2017-04-18 | Each split card has two names. If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose one, but not both. |
| 2017-04-18 | Each split card is a single card. For example, if you discard one, you’ve discarded one card, not two. If an effect counts the number of instant and sorcery cards in your graveyard, Destined // Lead counts once, not twice. |
| 2017-04-18 | If another effect allows you to cast a split card with aftermath from a graveyard, you may cast either half. If you cast the half that has aftermath, you’ll exile the card if it would leave the stack. |
| 2017-04-18 | If another effect allows you to cast a split card with aftermath from any zone other than a graveyard, you can’t cast the half with aftermath. |
| 2017-04-18 | If you cast the first half of a split card with aftermath during your turn, you’ll have priority immediately after it resolves. You can cast the half with aftermath from your graveyard before any player can take any other action if it’s legal for you to do so. |
| 2017-04-18 | Split cards with aftermath have a new frame treatment—the half you can cast from your hand is oriented the same as other cards you’d cast from your hand, while the half you can cast from your graveyard is a traditional split card half. This frame treatment is for your convenience and has no rules significance. |
| 2017-04-18 | While not on the stack, the characteristics of a split card are the combination of its two halves. For example, Destined // Lead is a green and black card, it is both an instant card and a sorcery card, and its converted mana cost is 6. This means that if an effect allows you to cast a card with converted mana cost 2 from your hand, you can’t cast Destined. This is a change from the previous rules for split cards. |
| 2017-07-14 | Cooperate can copy any instant or sorcery spell, not just one with targets. |
| 2017-07-14 | If a spell has in its mana cost, include the value chosen for that X when determining the converted mana cost of that spell. |
| 2017-07-14 | If the spell has damage divided as it was cast (like Chandra’s Pyrohelix), the division can’t be changed (although the targets receiving that damage still can). |
| 2017-07-14 | If the spell that’s copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast (like Torment of Hailfire does), the copy will have the same value of X. |
| 2017-07-14 | If the spell that’s copied is modal (that is, it says “Choose one —” or the like), the copy will have the same mode. A different mode can’t be chosen. |
| 2017-07-14 | If you copy a spell, you control the copy. It will resolve before the original spell does. |
| 2017-07-14 | Once you’ve started to cast a spell with aftermath from your graveyard, the card is immediately moved to the stack. Opponents can’t try to stop the ability by exiling the card with an effect such as that of Crook of Condemnation. |
| 2017-07-14 | The controller of a copy can’t choose to pay any alternative or additional costs for the copy. However, effects based on any alternative or additional costs that were paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy. |
| 2017-07-14 | The copy is created on the stack, so it’s not “cast.” Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won’t trigger. |
| 2017-07-14 | The copy will have the same targets as the spell it’s copying unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for one of the targets, you can’t choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal). |
