Master Warcraft MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Grants command over combat phases, securing a strategic upper hand during crucial turns.
  2. Instant speed casting adds an element of surprise, disrupting enemy plans effectively.
  3. While color-specific and mana-intensive, it compensates with versatility and combo potential.

Text of card

({GU} can be paid with either or .) Play Master Warcraft only before attackers are declared. You choose which creatures attack this turn. You choose how each creature blocks this turn.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Master Warcraft grants you the ability to dictate the course of one full combat phase, effectively tilting the battlefield to your favor. This strategic edge can equate to gaining card advantage by outmaneuvering your opponent and potentially neutralizing their key creatures without losing any of yours.

Resource Acceleration: While Master Warcraft does not directly accelerate resources in the form of mana or tokens, its tactical use can accelerate your game plan. By controlling attacks and blocks, you can ensure that your most crucial resources – your creatures – survive to press your advantage in subsequent turns.

Instant Speed: The power to cast Master Warcraft at instant speed adds a layer of surprise and complexity to your plays. With the ability to wait until the most opportune moment, such as during the declare attackers step, you can disrupt your opponent’s strategy and gain control of the game’s pace, often turning the tides in your favor as you navigate towards victory.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Master Warcraft doesn’t necessitate a discard, but this point functions as a comparison. Unlike cards that have a balance between benefit and cost, including discarding as a downside, this card commits your resources without that immediate trade-off, sometimes pushing you towards less flexible strategic positions.

Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost of Master Warcraft includes both red and white, which constrains its playability to decks that run or splash these colors. Players running decks without red or white may find this card incompatible, affecting its overall utility and adaptability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost of four, including specific colors, Master Warcraft might feel costly compared to other cards offering immediate board impact. While the strategic advantage is clear, the cost can sometimes delay pivotal plays, especially in faster-paced games where mana efficiency is crucial.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Master Warcraft offers flexibility in both offensive and defensive situations. You can orchestrate the perfect attack, bypassing the usual blockers, or manipulate enemy creatures during their assault to mitigate damage to yourself.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks that focus on combat tricks or where commanding the flow of battle gives you the edge. It pairs well with cards that have abilities triggered by attacking or not attacking.

Meta-Relevance: Given the shift towards creature-based strategies in many metas, Master Warcraft becomes increasingly valuable as a tool to outmaneuver opponents and turn the tides in creature-heavy matchups.


How to beat

Master Warcraft is a unique card that allows a player to control combat on a crucial turn. Unlike many other cards in Magic: The Gathering that influence combat, Master Warcraft lets a player choose which creatures attack and which do not. This can leave an opponent’s game plan in disarray, especially if they’re relying on specific combat triggers or a formidable defensive setup.

To counteract Master Warcraft’s effect, it is essential to have a varied toolbox of responses. Instant speed removal spells are invaluable, as they can disrupt the opponent’s planned combat manipulation by removing key creatures before the declare attackers step. Counter spells can also negate the spell’s casting, preventing any alteration of the combat phase altogether. Moreover, cards that grant your creatures indestructible or protect them from being targeted provide resilience against such control tactics.

Evaluating your deck’s defensive capabilities and adjust according to your metagame can be pivotal. While Master Warcraft can be potentially game-changing, proper preparation and strategic play can mitigate its impact, revealing that it’s not unbeatable. Keep these tips in mind and your deck should hold its ground against this commanding card.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering combat is a cornerstone of success in MTG and Master Warcraft serves as a prime agent in swinging the tide of battle to your favor. Whether you’re aiming to outplay your opponent during a critical turn or hunting for versatile cards to expand your strategic depth, integrating this card into your collection can be game-changing. As you seek to refine your playstyle and adapt to your meta, consider the functionality of Master Warcraft and similar control spells. Dive deeper into the art of combat manipulation and discover new synergies to elevate your gameplay. Power up your deck and sharpen your skills with our insights today.


Cards like Master Warcraft

Master Warcraft is a unique control spell in Magic: The Gathering that allows players to disrupt the battlefield by dictating combat decisions for a turn. Cards comparable to this in terms of commandeering combat phases include Odric, Master Tactician, a creature that allows you to choose how the opponent’s creatures block, providing a similar level of control but with a continuous presence on the board.

Another relative is Invasion Plans, which also takes the combat phase into your hands but requires all creatures to block if able. While Master Warcraft offers a one-time definitive advantage during a crucial combat, Invasion Plans is a global enchantment that changes the rules of engagement for the duration of its stay on the field.

Furthermore, we have the card Duelist’s Heritage, which doesn’t control blocks or attacks but opens up the strategy of double strike to creatures of your choice when they attack, thus influencing combat indirectly. While Master Warcraft excels in its flexibility and surprise factor, the others provide their own strategic benefits that can be key in different situations.

Odric, Master Tactician - MTG Card versions
Invasion Plans - MTG Card versions
Duelist's Heritage - MTG Card versions
Odric, Master Tactician - Magic 2013 (M13)
Invasion Plans - Stronghold (STH)
Duelist's Heritage - Commander 2016 (C16)

Cards similar to Master Warcraft by color, type and mana cost

Warleader's Helix - MTG Card versions
War Flare - MTG Card versions
Heartwarming Redemption - MTG Card versions
Zenith Flare - MTG Card versions
Heroic Charge - MTG Card versions
Olórin's Searing Light - MTG Card versions
Take the Bait - MTG Card versions
Warleader's Helix - Ultimate Masters (UMA)
War Flare - Fate Reforged (FRF)
Heartwarming Redemption - War of the Spark (WAR)
Zenith Flare - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)
Heroic Charge - Dominaria United (DMU)
Olórin's Searing Light - Tales of Middle-earth Commander (LTC)
Take the Bait - Murders at Karlov Manor Commander (MKC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Master Warcraft MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds and Commander 2011, 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 Master Warcraft and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Master Warcraft Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2005-10-07 and 2020-11-20. Illustrated by 6 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12005-10-07Ravnica: City of GuildsRAV 2502003normalblackZoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai
22011-06-17Commander 2011CMD 2092003normalblackZoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai
32017-06-09Commander AnthologyCMA 2022015normalblackZoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai
42018-11-02GRN Guild KitGK1 922015normalblackZoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai
52020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 4472015normalblackZoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Master Warcraft has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2005-10-01 You choose attackers and make blocking assignments regardless of whether it's your turn and regardless of whether the creatures are attacking you. Your choices must be legal within the normal rules for attacking and blocking.
2006-01-01 You can decide that a creature won't block.
2008-04-01 If the defending player controls a planeswalker, the person who cast Master Warcraft first chooses the complete group of creatures that are going to attack. Then, for each of those creatures, the active player chooses who or what it's going to attack.
2013-09-20 If a turn has multiple combat phases, this spell can only be cast before the beginning of the Declare Attackers Step of the first combat phase in that turn.

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