Psychic Possession MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
| Released | 2006-05-05 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Dissension |
| Set code | DIS |
| Number | 30 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Mark Tedin |
Key Takeaways
- Card advantage through opponent’s draw can significantly shift game balance in your favor.
- Resource acceleration is indirectly boosted by increased card access, propelling gameplay.
- Instant speed draw benefits pose a strategic edge by expanding your hand’s potential.
Text of card
Enchant opponent Skip your draw step. Whenever enchanted opponent draws a card, you may draw a card.
"You will do the thinking for the both of us!"
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Psychic Possession offers a unique twist on drawing cards. Once attached to an opponent’s hand, you skip your draw step, but in return, you draw a card every time your opponent draws. This can lead to massive gains in card advantage over the course of a game, particularly in formats where your opponents are drawing multiple cards per turn.
Resource Acceleration: Although Psychic Possession itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, the card advantage it provides can indirectly lead to resource acceleration. More cards in hand means more land drops and spells, which contributes to escalating your board state and available mana faster than your opponents.
Instant Speed: While Psychic Possession must be cast at sorcery speed, it allows you to benefit from all your opponent’s instant speed draws. Any card they draw on your turn, their turn, or in response to actions effectively increases your hand, setting you up for uninterrupted plays during your own turns.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Psychic Possession necessitates discarding another card during your draw step, presenting a hurdle particularly when your hand is already depleted.
Specific Mana Cost: This enchantment requires both blue mana and generic mana, potentially constricting its inclusion to decks with a significant blue aspect.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at two blue plus two other mana, it’s considered a costly investment in the early game when compared to other cards providing similar draw advantages.
Reasons to Include Psychic Possession in Your Collection
Versatility: Psychic Possession offers a unique advantage in any blue-focused deck that prizes staying ahead in card advantage. Its ability to draw cards while skipping your draw step can slide into a variety of game plans, from control to combo.
Combo Potential: This card excels in combinations that prevent deck depleting or when paired with strategies that punish opponents for drawing cards. It turns your opponents’ card-draw into your resource, enhancing your strategic depth.
Meta-Relevance: In environments heavy with draw-go decks, Psychic Possession gains additional value. It can shift the tides of a game by leveraging the card-drawing tactics of the current meta, potentially providing you with a constant flow of new options while disrupting your opponent’s strategies.
How to Beat Psychic Possession
Psychic Possession stands out in MTG with its unique ability to let you draw cards in place of your opponent during their draw step. This can create a significant card advantage, turning the tide of the game. However, this advantage doesn’t come without its risks and drawbacks, as you skip your own draw step. To effectively counteract this card, consider using strategies that minimize the benefit that Psychic Possession can provide to your opponent.
One strategy is to limit the number of cards your opponent draws. Employing card effects that restrict draw abilities or using cards that punish the opponent for drawing too many cards can be effective here. Another approach is to increase the number of cards you draw, thereby diluting the impact of Psychic Possession. By focusing on bolstering your own card draw engine or incorporating cards that benefit from a fuller hand, you can offset the advantage that Psychic Possession usually offers.
Ultimately, beating Psychic Possession requires an understanding of the intricacies of card advantage and a well-thought-out deck that can either neutralize the card’s benefits or punish the opponent for relying on it too heavily. Keep these strategies in mind, and you may well find yourself outpacing a Psychic Possession play with ease.
Cards like Psychic Possession
Psychic Possession stands as a unique enchantment in Magic: The Gathering, often drawing comparisons with other blue draw cards. When looking at Arcanis the Omnipotent, we see a creature that allows you to draw three cards at your leisure with a tap. While potent, it doesn’t have the potential continuous card advantage granted by Psychic Possession as it’s limited by summoning sickness and the necessity to survive on the battlefield.
Consecrated Sphinx is another peer in card advantage, doubling the draw when an opponent draws. Psychic Possession differs as it takes over the draw step entirely, which can be an advantage or a disadvantage depending on the board state and current match strategy. Rhystic Study allows you to draw whenever an opponent casts a spell, giving a more steady stream of advantage without relying on the opponent’s draw steps. However, it lacks the surprise element of Psychic Possession which can quickly turn the tides if placed on an opponent’s deck with heavy draw mechanics.
Ultimately, while these cards share the goal of increasing card advantage, Psychic Possession offers a distinctive approach that can exploit an opponent’s strategy, providing a potential deluge of drawing power your way in the vast sea of card interaction possibilities within Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Psychic Possession by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Psychic Possession MTG card by a specific set like Dissension, 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 Psychic Possession and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Psychic Possession has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Psychic Possession card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2006-05-01 | An Aura with enchant opponent can’t be attached to a permanent. |
| 2006-05-01 | Enchanting an opponent works very much like enchanting a permanent. The Aura spell targets the opponent. When it resolves, it enters the battlefield “attached” to that player. Once it’s on the battlefield, it no longer targets that player. |
| 2006-05-01 | If Psychic Possession’s controller ever happens to be the player it’s enchanting, Psychic Possession will be put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action. |
| 2006-05-01 | In a multiplayer game, if the enchanted opponent leaves the game, Psychic Possession will be put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action. If Psychic Possession’s owner leaves the game, Psychic Possession immediately leaves the game; this is not a state-based action. |
| 2006-05-01 | Psychic Possession’s controller, not the enchanted player, skips their draw step. |
