Déjà Vu MTG Card
1997-05-01 - Number 53
1998-06-24 - Number 36
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
Text of card
Return any one sorcery card from your discard pile to your hand.
The past is a mirror of the future.
Cards like Déjà Vu
Déjà Vu is a unique card in the MTG universe, offering a twist on the conventional spell recursion. Comparable to other recursion spells such as Recollect, Déjà Vu provides the ability to return a card from your graveyard directly to your hand. While Déjà Vu focuses specifically on instant and sorcery cards, Recollect doesn’t discriminate, pulling any one card out of the graveyard regardless of type.
Looking at other spells in the same category, there’s Regrowth, another staple for players who want to retrieve their important spells. It’s similar to Déjà Vu but without the type restriction, giving it a broader application. Then you have Call to Mind, which, like Déjà Vu, requires three mana and solely targets instants and sorceries. The difference lies in the mana composition where Call to Mind requires one blue mana, suggesting a higher specificity in deck building compared to the more flexible mana requirement of Déjà Vu.
Ultimately, Déjà Vu’s efficiency depends largely on the construction of your deck and your strategy. It fits well in MTG environments where casting the right spell at the right time is paramount and can shine in decks focused on casting numerous instants and sorceries.
Cards similar to Déjà Vu by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Déjà Vu generates a benefit by permitting the retrieval of an instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand. This recursion allows players to reuse their most impactful spells, maintaining momentum and putting pressure on opponents through repeated use of powerful effects.
Resource Acceleration: While Déjà Vu itself doesn’t directly create mana or tokens, the ability to recycle mana-efficient or ramp spells from the graveyard can indirectly lead to a substantial increase in available resources, setting up for pivotal turns or enabling faster deployment of threats.
Instant Speed: This card’s flexibility is further enhanced given it can be cast at instant speed. This allows savvy players to respond to shifting game states, make the most of unused mana at the end of an opponent’s turn, or strategically time the return of a crucial spell to hand for maximum surprise and impact.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Déjà Vu means you’ll need to toss another card from your hand, which could be a setback when your hand size is dwindling or you’re aiming to maintain card advantage over your opponent.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise blend of blue mana, which might not always jive with your deck’s mana base, potentially causing it to be a dead draw in multicolored or splashy builds.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at three mana, Déjà Vu’s cost can be steep for the effect of returning a single card from your graveyard to your hand. For a similar investment, you might find spells that provide additional benefits or more flexible retrieval options.
Reasons to Include Déjà Vu in Your Collection
Versatility: Déjà Vu offers the ability to reclaim an instant or sorcery card from your graveyard, allowing it to adapt to various playstyles. Its flexibility in returning key spells to your hand makes it a valuable asset in many decks, serving diverse strategic needs.
Combo Potential: This card opens up possibilities for powerful combos by recycling spells that complement other cards or the overall deck theme. It synergizes well with strategies that revolve around casting numerous spells or ones that benefit from specific instant or sorcery cards being played repeatedly.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where certain spells can decisively impact the board, Déjà Vu gains importance by providing access to those pivotal spells more than once. This can be particularly effective against control decks or in situations where recurring specific answers or threats is crucial to maintaining an advantage over your opponents.
How to beat
Déjà Vu represents an intriguing aspect in Magic: The Gathering, bringing a touch of repetition to the game by allowing players to return a sorcery spell from their graveyard to their hand. The strategy to overcome this card intertwines with disrupting your opponent’s graveyard. Graveyard hate cards like Scavenging Ooze play a pivotal role, as they can remove key sorcery cards directly from the graveyard before your opponent has the chance to reuse them with Déjà Vu.
Another effective tactic involves countermagic. By keeping up mana for spells like Negate or Dovin’s Veto, you can counteract Déjà Vu directly, rendering the spell ineffective and maintaining control of the game pace. This proactive approach can hinder your opponent’s plan to capitalize on their past spells and maintain momentum in your favor. Hence, employing graveyard management or timely countermagic is essential in neutralizing the recursive power of the Déjà Vu card.
In essence, staying one step ahead of your opponent by managing the graveyard or utilizing counterspells is key to triumph against Déjà Vu’s potential to sway the tide of the game by replicating powerful spells.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Déjà Vu MTG card by a specific set like Portal and Portal Second Age, 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 Déjà Vu and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- eBay
- 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
Printings
The Déjà Vu Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1997-05-01 and 1998-06-24. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1997-05-01 | Portal | POR | 53 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Hannibal King | |
| 2 | 1998-06-24 | Portal Second Age | P02 | 36 | 1997 | Normal | Black | David Horne |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Déjà Vu has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |