Dark Intimations MTG Card

Dark Intimations grants card advantage, disrupts opponents, and helps revive powerful Planeswalkers. Its specific mana cost can pose a challenge, with a high cost for some faster-paced formats. Combos well within Grixis decks and against control archetypes, offering a unique strategic edge.

Aether Revolt (AER)
2017-01-20 - Number 128

Dark Intimations - Aether Revolt Promos (PAER)

Aether Revolt Promos (PAER)
2017-01-20 - Number 128s

Dark Intimations - Kaladesh Remastered (KLR)

Kaladesh Remastered (KLR)
2020-11-12 - Number 191

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery

Text of card

Each opponent sacrifices a creature or planeswalker, then discards a card. You return a creature or planeswalker card from your graveyard to your hand, then draw a card. When you cast a Bolas planeswalker spell, exile Dark Intimations from your graveyard. That planeswalker enters the battlefield with an additional loyalty counter on it.

Cards like Dark Intimations

Dark Intimations finds its niche among the multicolored sorceries in Magic: The Gathering. It’s often compared to Cruel Ultimatum, a spell that has a larger impact on the game in terms of raw card advantage and resource disruption. While both cards require a commitment to three colors and wield the power to tilt the game in your favor, Cruel Ultimatum is more mana-intensive and lacks the ability to potentially interact with a Planeswalker card from your hand or graveyard, unlike Dark Intimations.

Another card that parallels Dark Intimations is Slave of Bolas. This card shares the act of gaining control of an opponent’s creature, albeit temporarily. However, Slave of Bolas limits its effect to a single creature and destruction post-control, foregoing the additional layer of strategy that comes with Dark Intimations’ range of effects on the battlefield, hand, and graveyard.

Analyzing the strategic depth and versatility, Dark Intimations holds a noteworthy position among its peers for MTG players who appreciate complex plays. Its orchestration of multiple resource-based effects in a single card offers a tactical edge that can be cultivated in the right deck environment.

Cards similar to Dark Intimations by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Dark Intimations, you can expect a promising boost in card advantage. Upon playing this multifaceted spell, you gain the upper hand by drawing a card. In a game where every card counts, this aspect of Dark Intimations can provide the much-needed edge to outmaneuver your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: Dark Intimations not only affects the battlefield but also ramps up your resources by forcing each opponent to discard a card. This effect indirectly accelerates your resource gain by reducing the pressure your adversaries can apply, equalizing the ground if you are behind or solidifying your lead when ahead.

Instant Speed: Though Dark Intimations is a sorcery, it hints at instant speed value by returning a Planeswalker card from your graveyard to your hand when it resolves. This rebirth of a powerful ally at the right moment can be as impactful as playing an instant, catching opponents off guard and shifting the tide of the match in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Dark Intimations necessitates that an opponent discards a card, but its impact may be negligible if your opponent has an empty hand or cards with graveyard synergy they can leverage to their advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana cost includes blue, black, red, and generic mana, which might be challenging to produce in a timely manner, especially in decks that run more than two colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total converted mana cost of five, including three different colors, it demands a substantial mana investment. This could deter players when considering the card for inclusion in a deck, given the faster pace of many formats where lower cost spells are often prioritized.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Dark Intimations is multi-faceted, fitting snugly into Grixis (blue, red, black) Commander or Bolas-themed decks. Its ability to affect multiple facets of the game – from card advantage to board presence – makes it a smart inclusion for players seeking flexible options.

Combo Potential: Its synergistic potential is significant, particularly in decks designed around planeswalkers or strategies involving sacrificing permanents. The card can set up rewarding play sequences that utilize discarded cards or capitalize on effects triggered by creatures leaving the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: As metas evolve, Dark Intimations can counter prevalent control archetypes by providing incremental advantage while disrupting opponents. In a meta defined by intricate interplays and prolonged matches, it’s an asset for outmaneuvering adversaries and keeping your strategies one step ahead.

How to beat

Dark Intimations is a versatile and powerful card in the MTG realm that can swing the game in your favor if played correctly, or against you if you’re on the receiving end. Situated in a space similar to that of other multifaceted spells, this card can be daunting to overcome when it resolves, boasting the ability to disrupt opponents by forcing them to sacrifice and granting you an array of benefits.

Nonetheless, there are strategies you can employ to outmaneuver Dark Intimations. Key would be employing countermeasures such as instant-speed removal to deal with the creatures before they’re sacrificed for value. Additionally, utilizing graveyard hate to stifle the return of the targeted card from the graveyard can greatly diminish the card’s impact. Knowing when to hold back your spells and creatures to avoid giving your opponent an advantage can also be instrumental in mitigating the effects of Dark Intimations.

By carefully considering the timing and sequencing of your plays, you can effectively navigate around the challenges presented by Dark Intimations. The key lies in devising a strategy that minimizes the sacrifice’s impact while maximizing your board state and hand, accounting for the shift in card advantage that it can produce.

BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deep into the strategic play with Dark Intimations, a card that commands attention on any MTG battlefield. If you’re crafting a Grixis deck or focusing on a Bolas-themed build, this card is a linchpin that offers versatility and disruption in equal measure. With the possibility to upset your opponent’s plans while bolstering your own resources, it deserves a spot in your arsenal. Mastery over MTG involves not just collecting cards but understanding their synergy and potential. Harness the power of Dark Intimations and continue to spellbind your opponents. For broader insights and strategies to optimize your deck with Dark Intimations, we welcome you to learn more and refine your gameplay.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dark Intimations MTG card by a specific set like Aether Revolt and Aether Revolt Promos, 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 Dark Intimations and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Dark Intimations Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2017-01-20 and 2020-11-12. Illustrated by Chase Stone.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2017-01-20	Aether Revolt	AER	128	2015	Normal	Black	Chase Stone
2	2017-01-20	Aether Revolt Promos	PAER	128s	2015	Normal	Black	Chase Stone
3	2020-11-12	Kaladesh Remastered	KLR	191	2015	Normal	Black	Chase Stone

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dark Intimations has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2017-02-09	Each opponent chooses a permanent to sacrifice from among the creatures and planeswalkers that player controls. You don’t choose which type of permanent the player has to sacrifice.
2017-02-09	If an opponent can’t sacrifice a creature or planeswalker, that player still discards a card if able. You still return a creature or planeswalker card to your hand if able, even if no opponent sacrifices a permanent and/or discards a card. You still draw a card even if you can’t return a card to your hand.
2017-02-09	If two or more Dark Intimations are in your graveyard when you cast a Bolas planeswalker spell, you’ll exile each of them and that planeswalker will enter the battlefield with that many additional loyalty counters.
2017-02-09	The draconic Planeswalker Nicol Bolas is not featured in the Aether Revolt set. He must be up to something nefarious elsewhere.
2017-02-09	When Dark Intimations resolves, first the player whose turn it is (if that player is an opponent) chooses which creature or planeswalker they will sacrifice, then each other opponent in turn order does the same, then all chosen permanents are sacrificed at the same time. Then each opponent in the same order chooses a card in their hand without revealing it, then all chosen cards are discarded at the same time.
2017-02-09	You choose the creature or planeswalker card to return to your hand while Dark Intimations is resolving. No player may take actions between the time you choose one and the time you put it into your hand.
2018-01-19	There are many important moments in the story, but the most crucial—called “story spotlights”—are shown on cards. These cards have the Planeswalker symbol in their text box; this symbol has no effect on gameplay. You can read more about these events in the official Magic fiction at http://www.mtgstory.com.