Decoy Gambit MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Instant |
| Released | 2020-04-17 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Commander 2020 |
| Set code | C20 |
| Number | 32 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Ravenna Tran |
Key Takeaways
- Decoy Gambit forces opponents to choose between creature safety and granting you card draws.
- Its requirement for blue mana can limit its utility in non-blue-focused decks.
- Understanding gameplay context is critical for countering Decoy Gambit’s strategic impact.
Text of card
For each opponent, choose up to one target creature that player controls, then return that creature to its owner's hand unless its controller has you draw a card.
"We'll distract them. The rest of you, get out of here!" —Alux, Skysail defender
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Decoy Gambit offers a potential swing in card economy by encouraging opponents to make difficult choices – either allowing you to draw or neutralizing threats on the board.
Resource Acceleration: Though not directly a resource accelerator, the potential to clear the way for successful attacks can indirectly boost your resource efficiency by removing blockers or threats.
Instant Speed: As an instant, Decoy Gambit adds a layer of versatility to your plays, enabling you to disrupt your opponent’s strategy during their turn or at a moment when they’re most vulnerable.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Decoy Gambit calls for discarding a card, which might backfire if your hand is already depleted or the cards in hand are critical for your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: This card requires blue mana, thereby restricting its integration primarily to blue or multicolored decks, potentially excluding it from mono-colored or other deck types that can’t accommodate the blue mana cost.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that’s on the higher side for its effects, players may find themselves weighing whether Decoy Gambit is the most mana-efficient option, especially when compared to other lower-cost alternatives that disrupt opponents or provide card advantage.
Reasons to Include Decoy Gambit in Your Collection
Versatility: Decoy Gambit is a dynamic card that can adapt to a variety of game situations. Whether you’re looking to disrupt your opponent’s board or you want to draw cards, this card offers the flexibility to align with your immediate needs, making it a valuable addition to control and tempo decks alike.
Combo Potential: The beauty of Decoy Gambit lies in its ability to work in harmony with cards that thrive on either drawing or forcing the opponent to make difficult decisions. It can synergize with strategies focusing on bounce effects or those cards that benefit from opponents having to return creatures to their hand.
Meta-Relevance: In a metagame where players often deploy a barrage of creature-based strategies, Decoy Gambit proves to be particularly effective. Its role in providing extra draw or clearing the path for a winning attack can be crucial, elevating its status in a meta that favours smart, tactical plays.
How to beat
Decoy Gambit is an intriguing card in Magic: The Gathering, designed to disrupt your opponent’s board state and gain a tempo advantage. At the core of its strategy, Decoy Gambit forces your opponents to make tough decisions, either by bouncing their creatures back to their hand or granting you the chance to draw cards, depending on their response. To counteract Decoy Gambit, the key is to minimize the value your opponent can derive from it.
One effective approach to combat Decoy Gambit is by keeping a lean board presence, deploying only the creatures essential to your game plan. This way, if Decoy Gambit is cast, you minimize the potential card advantage your opponent could gain. Another tactic is maintaining open mana for instant-speed interaction, allowing you to respond to Decoy Gambit with removal spells or counterspells, negating its effect and preserving your board state while denying your opponent additional draws. Controlling the pace and maintaining flexibility in your plays can significantly reduce the impact of Decoy Gambit in a match.
Ultimately, understanding when to commit resources to the board and when to keep them in reserve is crucial in ensuring Decoy Gambit does not tip the scales in your opponent’s favor. By making strategic plays and considering potential outcomes, you can effectively mitigate the influence of Decoy Gambit in your games.
Cards like Decoy Gambit
Decoy Gambit is an engaging option for players looking to control the board in Magic: The Gathering. It bears a resemblance to other cards that compel opponents to make decisions, such as Propaganda, which puts the onus on opponents to pay mana in order to attack. Decoy Gambit, however, offers a unique twist by enabling the drafter to draw cards when opponents decline to let their creatures become the targets of this spell. This element of choice makes it especially tricky in a multiplayer setting.
Another card that operates within this tactical space is Expose to Daylight. While Expose to Daylight focuses on artifact and enchantment removal, Decoy Gambit pivots towards affecting creatures and drawing cards. It doesn’t have the direct removal power but compensates with potential card advantage. Meanwhile, Narset’s Reversal is a different beast, countering and copying spells. Yet, in the context of baiting reactions from the other side of the table, it can be part of the same strategic conversation.
Ultimately, Decoy Gambit stands out in its category for offering flexibility and an element of surprise. The ability to indirectly manage the board while refueling your hand makes it a card worth considering in the right deck.
Cards similar to Decoy Gambit by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Decoy Gambit MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2020, 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 Decoy Gambit 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 Decoy Gambit has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Decoy Gambit card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-04-17 | As the Decoy Gambit resolves, first the next opponent in turn order (or, if it’s an opponent’s turn, the opponent whose turn it is) chooses whether you’ll draw a card or return their creature that was targeted to its owner’s hand, then each other opponent in turn order does so knowing the choices made before them. After all choices are made, you draw the appropriate number of cards. After you’ve drawn, the appropriate creatures are all simultaneously returned to their owners’ hands. |
| 2020-04-17 | For each opponent, if you didn’t choose a target creature they control or if that creature has become an illegal target, that player can’t choose for you to draw a card. |
| 2020-04-17 | If a creature targeted by Decoy Gambit changes controller, it’s no longer a legal target. |
