Contest of Claws MTG Card
2023-11-17 - Number 12
2023-11-17 - Number 24
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Discover |
Text of card
Target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to another target creature. If excess damage was dealt this way, discover X, where X is that excess damage. (Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with that mana value or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Contest of Claws card shines by giving players a chance to transform their weaker creatures into potentially game-changing beasts. This not only contributes to an improved board presence but also ensures a strategic upper hand by altering the number of formidable creatures you have at your disposal.
Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t produce mana directly, by upgrading creatures, Contest of Claws effectively acts as a catalyst for resource acceleration. Stronger creatures often lead to faster victories, which is its own form of accelerating your win condition.
Instant Speed: The sheer utility of being able to cast Contest of Claws at instant speed cannot be overstated. This flexibility means you can adapt to the evolving battle at a moment’s notice, whether it’s during a crucial combat phase or in response to an opponent’s play, ensuring tactical advantage and element of surprise.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Contest of Claws card necessitates the sacrifice of a valuable card from your hand to fuel its ability, which can be tricky when your hand is already depleted or when every card in hand is crucial for your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: With a cost that includes both red and green mana, Contest of Claws can be challenging to cast on curve outside of decks that are heavily committed to those colors, hindering its flexibility across various deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Contest of Claws carries a notably higher mana cost for its effect, especially when considering alternative creature or token generation spells in the MTG pool that may provide a similar or greater impact for less mana, thus affecting its efficiency and playability in a fast-paced game.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Contest of Claws is a dynamic card that can be seamlessly integrated into a variety of deck builds. It excels in decks that capitalize on creature statistics and combat outcomes, offering critical advantages when timing is key.
Combo Potential: This card promises to shine in strategies that rely on creature-based synergies. It enables creative combinations by altering the tide of battle in your favor, potentially overturning the game state with proficient play.
Meta-Relevance: Depending on shifts in the competitive environment, Contest of Claws can become an essential tool against creature-heavy decks. Its capacity to sway combats makes it a sensible pick for players looking to tip the scales in their favor in a creature-centric meta.
How to beat
Contest of Claws is an impactful card in the MTG universe, popular among players for its unique ability to change the tide of a game. To effectively neutralize this card, one must be strategic and proactive. Players should consider maintaining a strong board presence with creatures that can withstand the power shift caused by Contest of Claws. Removal spells that can target multiple creatures in one go, such as Wrath of God or Blasphemous Act, can be essential to clear the battlefield before your opponent gets to benefit from their Contest of Claws turn.
Hand disruption techniques, such as Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek, are valuable tools as well. These spells allow you to preemptively strip this card from your opponent’s grasp, thus preventing them from executing their game plan. Additionally, counter spells like Counterspell or Negate should be kept at the ready to intercept Contest of Claws directly from the stack, stifling your opponent’s attempts to gain the upper hand.
Overall, dealing with Contest of Claws is about anticipating your opponent’s moves and employing the right countermeasures at critical moments. With calculated play and suitable answers in your deck, you can neutralize this game-changer and maintain dominance on the battlefield.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Contest of Claws MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander, 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 Contest of Claws and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
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- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
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- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Contest of Claws Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-11-17 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by Cristi Balanescu.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-11-17 | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander | LCC | 12 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Cristi Balanescu | |
| 2 | 2023-11-17 | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander | LCC | 24 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Cristi Balanescu |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Contest of Claws has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Contest of Claws card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-11-10 | "Discover N" means "Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value N or less. That card is the "discovered" card. You may cast that card without paying its mana cost if the resulting spell's mana value is less than or equal to N. If you don't cast it, put that card into your hand. Put the remaining exiled cards on the bottom of your library in a random order." |
| 2023-11-10 | A spell's mana value is determined only by its mana cost. Ignore any alternative costs, additional costs, cost increases, or cost reductions. |
| 2023-11-10 | Excess damage has been dealt to a creature if the damage dealt to it is greater than lethal damage. Usually, this means damage greater than its toughness, although damage already marked on the creature is taken into account. |
| 2023-11-10 | If the discovered card has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. |
| 2023-11-10 | If you can't cast the discovered card (perhaps because there are no legal targets for the spell), you'll put it into your hand. |
| 2023-11-10 | If you cast a spell "without paying its mana cost", you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the spell has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those to cast it. |
| 2023-11-10 | If you discover an adventurer card, split card, or modal double-faced card, you might be able to cast that card with either set of characteristics depending on the effect's discover value. For example, if you discover 4 and reveal Galvanic Giant (an adventurer card from Wilds of Eldraine with a mana value of 4), you could cast Galvanic Giant, but not Storm Reading (its Adventure, which has a mana value of 7). If you discover 7 and reveal Galvanic Giant, you could cast either Galvanic Giant or Storm Reading. |
| 2023-11-10 | Some spells and abilities that cause you to discover may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve and you won't discover. |
| 2023-11-10 | The mana value of a split card is determined by the combined mana cost of its two halves. If discover allows you to cast a split card, you may cast either half (as long as its mana value is less than or equal to the effect's discover value) but not both halves. |
| 2023-11-10 | When you discover, you must exile cards. The only optional part of the ability is whether you cast the exiled card or put it into your hand. |
| 2023-11-10 | You exile the cards face up. All players will be able to see them. |