Ruby Medallion MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeArtifact

Key Takeaways

  1. Ruby Medallion offers significant card advantage through cost reduction, allowing for more spell casts per turn.
  2. Its constant effect provides resource acceleration, crucial for outpacing opponents in aggressive gameplay.
  3. Instant speed spells gain economic efficiency, making the Medallion an asset for reactive strategies.

Text of card

Your red spells cost o1 less to play.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The adept player knows that optimizing your mana can translate into significant card advantage. Unlike spells that directly draw you cards, Ruby Medallion reduces the mana cost of red spells you cast, indirectly translating into an advantage by allowing you to cast more spells per turn than your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: Just like a treasure map leading to hidden gems, Ruby Medallion accelerates your resources by making your red spells cost 1 less to cast. This speed in casting can be the deciding factor in many matches, letting you outpace and overwhelm your opponents by deploying your threats or answers more efficiently.

Instant Speed: While Ruby Medallion itself may not be cast at instant speed, its cost-reducing effect is ever-present, providing you with the versatility to cast your instant-speed red spells more economically. This continuous effect ensures you’re always at the ready to respond to opponents’ actions with a flurry of magic without depleting your mana reserves.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Ruby Medallion can reduce the cost of red spells, its benefit is contingent on having a card-heavy hand. In situations where your hand is running empty, the Medallion’s value could diminish, as it offers no direct means of refilling your grip.

Specific Mana Cost: The efficiency of Ruby Medallion is dictated by its restriction to red mana. If your deck is not heavily red or if it relies on a wide color spectrum, the Medallion’s use becomes highly situational, potentially relegating it to the role of a dead draw in a multi-colored deck.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While paying two mana may seem modest, in the fast-paced and aggressive red decks, this upfront investment can be steep. Considering the opportunity cost, at two mana, you might be foregoing an early creature or another impactful play. Furthermore, the true benefit of Ruby Medallion scales with the number of red spells cast, which means it could take several turns to balance out the initial cost.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Ruby Medallion is a staple in red-centric decks for its cost reduction ability on red spells. This makes it a valuable addition to a wide range of strategies from aggressive burns to controlling builds.

Combo Potential: The card excels in reducing the cost of combo pieces, streamlining the execution of game-winning sequences. Its presence can be the difference in achieving a powerful combo turn earlier than usual.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where red spells dominate or are intrinsic to the meta, Ruby Medallion’s ability to make those spells more efficient cements its place as a must-have. It magnifies the threat of every red spell played, keeping your deck competitive.


How to beat

Ruby Medallion is a potent card frequently seen in red-based spell-slinging decks in Magic: The Gathering. This card functions as a cost reducer, making it easier for players to cast multiple spells in a single turn by decreasing the amount of red mana required. The key to overcoming the advantage that Ruby Medallion offers is to disrupt the cost-efficiency it provides. Artifacts removal spells are the clear first line of defense; cards like Naturalize or Disenchant allow you to remove Ruby Medallion from the battlefield, negating its benefits swiftly.

Another strategy involves adapting a control or counter-spell approach. By keeping mana open, you position yourself to counter pivotal spells that your opponent may attempt to cast at a discounted rate, thereby blunting the medallion’s impact. Additionally, consider adding versatile removal cards that can address a range of permanents, ensuring that you’re never caught off-guard by the medallion’s acceleration.

Maintaining pressure is also essential. By keeping a consistent threat on the board, you force the medallion’s user to answer your moves rather than establishing their tempo. In this equilibrium, the medallion’s advantage can sometimes be mitigated as the opponent struggles to manage the dual fronts of advancing their board state and addressing yours.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the flow of mana is key to expanding your plays and capitalizing on tempo. Ruby Medallion stands out as a strategic artifact in red-themed decks, performing as more than a simple cost reducer. It empowers a dynamic spell-slinging strategy, accelerating the casting of your arsenal and enabling a relentless pace that can catch opponents off guard. Insight into its strengths and limitations enhances your deck-building acumen. If you’re eager to harness the potential of your red spells and refine your mana management skills, delve deeper with us. Discover advanced strategies and optimize your collection for the battlefield. Ready to reshape your game flow with Ruby Medallion?


Cards like Ruby Medallion

Ruby Medallion is an iconic artifact that has made waves among Magic: The Gathering players for its ability to reduce the cost of red spells. It’s often held in comparison to cards such as Sapphire Medallion which serves a similar purpose for blue spells. While Sapphire Medallion benefits control and combo decks by making their spells cheaper, Ruby Medallion tends to favor more aggressive strategies with its cost reduction for red spells.

Juxtaposed to the Emerald Medallion, another cost reducer for green spells, Ruby Medallion aligns with a different strategic approach. While Emerald might appeal to players looking to ramp up and deploy large creatures quickly, Ruby empowers swift and often devastating combos or a flurry of burn spells to overwhelm opponents.

Another relative in this family is Jet Medallion, which targets black spells. Though it caters to a distinctly different slice of the color pie, favoring creature recursion or powerful removal spells, Ruby Medallion shines in its unique environment where speed and explosive plays can define the game. The strategic nuances and deck-specific advantages provided by these medallions underscore their significance in deck building and gameplay strategies in Magic: The Gathering.

Sapphire Medallion - MTG Card versions
Emerald Medallion - MTG Card versions
Jet Medallion - MTG Card versions
Sapphire Medallion - Tempest (TMP)
Emerald Medallion - Tempest (TMP)
Jet Medallion - Tempest (TMP)

Cards similar to Ruby Medallion by color, type and mana cost

Chaos Orb - MTG Card versions
Winter Orb - MTG Card versions
Amulet of Kroog - MTG Card versions
Nacre Talisman - MTG Card versions
Howling Mine - MTG Card versions
Essence Bottle - MTG Card versions
Emerald Medallion - MTG Card versions
Scrying Glass - MTG Card versions
Cursed Totem - MTG Card versions
Tsabo's Web - MTG Card versions
Millikin - MTG Card versions
Ark of Blight - MTG Card versions
Surestrike Trident - MTG Card versions
Energy Chamber - MTG Card versions
Water Gun Balloon Game - MTG Card versions
Angel's Feather - MTG Card versions
Demon's Horn - MTG Card versions
Steel Overseer - MTG Card versions
Wurm's Tooth - MTG Card versions
Liquimetal Coating - MTG Card versions
Chaos Orb - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Winter Orb - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Amulet of Kroog - Rinascimento (RIN)
Nacre Talisman - Ice Age (ICE)
Howling Mine - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Essence Bottle - Tempest (TMP)
Emerald Medallion - Commander Anthology (CMA)
Scrying Glass - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Cursed Totem - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Tsabo's Web - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Millikin - Odyssey (ODY)
Ark of Blight - Scourge (SCG)
Surestrike Trident - Darksteel (DST)
Energy Chamber - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Water Gun Balloon Game - Unhinged (UNH)
Angel's Feather - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Demon's Horn - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Steel Overseer - Magic 2011 (M11)
Wurm's Tooth - Magic 2011 (M11)
Liquimetal Coating - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ruby Medallion MTG card by a specific set like Tempest and Commander 2014, 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 Ruby Medallion and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Ruby Medallion Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 1997-10-14 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11997-10-14TempestTMP 3051997normalblackSue Ellen Brown
22014-11-07Commander 2014C14 2652015normalblackDaniel Ljunggren
32018-06-08Commander Anthology Volume IICM2 2122015normalblackDaniel Ljunggren
42023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 4052015normalblackDaniel Ljunggren
52023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 6132015normalblackDaniel Ljunggren

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ruby Medallion has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 Can never affect the colored part of the cost.
2004-10-04 If this card is sacrificed to pay part of a spell’s cost, the cost reduction still applies.
2004-10-04 The effect is cumulative.
2004-10-04 The generic X cost is still considered generic even if there is a requirement that a specific color be used for it. For example, “only black mana can be spent this way”. This distinction is important for effects which reduce the generic portion of a spell’s cost.
2004-10-04 The lower cost is not optional like with some other cost reducers.
2004-10-04 This can lower the cost to zero, but not below zero.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks