Trostani's Judgment MTG Card
2012-10-05 - Number 28
2019-08-23 - Number 77
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
| Abilities | Populate |
Key Takeaways
- Exile ability neutralizes graveyard-dependent strategies, providing valuable control in certain MTG matchups.
- Populate mechanic enhances token strategies by accelerating board presence in creature-focused decks.
- Instant speed allows players to respond strategically to threats, maintaining an element of surprise.
Text of card
Exile target creature, then populate. (Put a token onto the battlefield that's a copy of a creature token you control.)
"Some cannot be saved as they are, but all can serve the Worldsoul." —Trostani
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When played, Trostani’s Judgment serves not just as removal but also gives an edge by exiling the target creature. This can be particularly beneficial in matchups where graveyard recursion is prominent, effectively negating any future value your opponent might have gained from said creature.
Resource Acceleration: As a part of its populate mechanic, this card can ramp your presence on the board by copying a creature token you already control. This form of resource acceleration is especially powerful in token-centric decks, potentially doubling your most valuable token’s impact on the game state.
Instant Speed: This removal piece operates at instant speed, offering the flexibility to react swiftly to threats during your opponent’s turn. Such timing permits strategic play where you can wait for the opponent to commit to an action or tap out before you decide to remove their key creature, ensuring that your turn is as productive and as safe as possible.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Trostani’s Judgment doesn’t require a card to be discarded, cards with this type of requirement can strain hand resources which makes it important to strategize its play effectively within your deck.
Specific Mana Cost: Trostani’s Judgment requires a specific combination of colors to cast—white and green (Selesnya), which can limit its inclusion to only those decks that can reliably produce both mana types. This makes it less flexible for decks that run on a different color base or multicolor strategies that don’t focus on Selesnya.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of six mana total, including one white and one green, Trostani’s Judgment is on the higher end of the mana curve for removal spells. This can often be a drawback because it may take several turns to gather the necessary resources to play, leaving you potentially vulnerable in the early stages of the game where faster, cheaper removal could be more beneficial.
Reasons to Include Trostani’s Judgment in Your Collection
Versatility: Trostani’s Judgment offers flexibility in gameplay, as it not only exiles a target creature but also provides you with a token, which can be crucial for decks that thrive on creature presence. This card seamlessly adapts to various in-game situations, making it a valuable asset for any collector or player.
Combo Potential: With the ability to populate—that is, to create a copy of a token you control—the combo potential of this card is significant. It can enhance strategies that capitalize on token generation or synergize with effects that trigger upon creating tokens, expanding the dynamic interactions within your deck.
Meta-Relevance: In an MTG environment where creatures play a dominant role, Trostani’s Judgment can act as a form of control, altering the battlefield to your favor. Its ability to remove key opposing threats and simultaneously bolster your own forces makes it a card worth considering, especially in a meta where creature strategies are prevalent.
How to Beat Trostani’s Judgment
Trostani’s Judgment is a unique spell that can significantly alter the board state in a game of Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to exile a target creature and populate makes it a potent tool, especially in decks that focus on token generation. To effectively counter Trostani’s Judgment, players must anticipate and disrupt this strategy.
Utilizing instant-speed removal or counterspells is an efficient tactic against Trostani’s Judgment. Cards like Negate or Disallow can prevent it from resolving, while Krosan Grip’s split second ability can be invaluable in stopping the populate mechanic. Rapid creature turnover through cards such as Murmuring Mystic can overwhelm the single-target nature of Trostani’s Judgment, diluting its impact.
Strategic planning is key. By applying pressure and forcing the Trostani’s Judgment wielder to use their spell prematurely, players can bait out removal and swing the game in their favor. Also, keeping in mind the six mana cost of Trostani’s Judgment allows for timing windows to outmaneuver and sequence spells in a way that minimizes its effectiveness. By understanding the strengths and timings of Trostani’s Judgment, players can craft a plan to withstand it and emerge victorious.
Cards like Trostani's Judgment
Trostani’s Judgment stands out in the vast library of removal spells available to players in Magic: The Gathering. A notable comparison can be made with Swords to Plowshares, another highly regarded removal spell. Swords to Plowshares is renowned for its efficiency, exiling any creature at the mere cost of one white mana and giving its controller life equal to the creature’s power. However, it lacks the populate mechanic that Trostani’s Judgment offers.
Then there’s the card Sundering Growth. Like Trostani’s Judgment, it has a populate mechanic but it focuses on destroying artifacts and enchantments rather than exiling creatures. This provides a different kind of utility, yet it also highlights the versatility that populate cards offer in token strategies. Conclave Tribunal is another similar spell that allows for the exiling of nonland permanents, but it sacrifices instant speed for convoke, a mechanic that can reduce the spell’s cost by tapping creatures you control.
The distinguishing feature of Trostani’s Judgment is its ability to turn a temporary advantage into a permanent board presence. While other removal spells may offer lower casting costs or broader targets, the synergistic potential of Trostani’s Judgment with token-generating strategies gives it a unique position in the MTG landscape.
Cards similar to Trostani's Judgment by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Trostani's Judgment MTG card by a specific set like Return to Ravnica and Commander 2019, 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 Trostani's Judgment 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
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Printings
The Trostani's Judgment Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2012-10-05 and 2019-08-23. Illustrated by Christopher Moeller.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2012-10-05 | Return to Ravnica | RTR | 28 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Christopher Moeller | |
| 2 | 2019-08-23 | Commander 2019 | C19 | 77 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Christopher Moeller |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Trostani's Judgment 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 Trostani's Judgment 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 choose a creature token you control as the target, it will be exiled before you populate and you won’t be able to choose that creature to copy. |
| 2012-10-01 | You must target a creature to cast Trostani’s Judgment. If that creature is an illegal target when Trostani’s Judgment tries to resolve, it won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. You won’t populate. |
| 2013-04-15 | Any “as -his creature] enters the battlefield” or “ -his creature] enters the battlefield with” abilities of the new token will work. |
| 2013-04-15 | If you choose to copy a creature token that’s a copy of another creature, the new creature token will copy the characteristics of whatever the original token is copying. |
| 2013-04-15 | If you control no creature tokens when you populate, nothing will happen. |
| 2013-04-15 | The new creature token copies the characteristics of the original token as stated by the effect that put the original token onto the battlefield. |
| 2013-04-15 | The new token doesn’t copy whether the original token is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras and Equipment attached to it, or any noncopy effects that have changed its power, toughness, color, and so on. |
| 2013-04-15 | You can choose any creature token you control for populate. If a spell or ability puts a token onto the battlefield under your control and then instructs you to populate (as Coursers’ Accord does), you may choose to copy the token you just created, or you may choose to copy another creature token you control. |
