Catch // Release MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	9
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery
Abilities	Fuse
Released	2013-05-03
Set symbol
Set name	Dragon's Maze
Set code	DGM
Number	125
Frame	2003
Layout	Split
Border	Black
Illustred by	Kev Walker

Key Takeaways

Gain card advantage and disrupt opponents by controlling their key permanents with Catch // Release.
Flexibility in game plan is essential due to the specific mana requirements and discard cost.
Catch // Release is a game-changer when well-timed, fitting into versatile strategies and various decks.

Text of card

Each player sacrifices an artifact, a creature, an enchantment, a land, and a planeswalker. Fuse (You may cast one or both halves of this card from your hand.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Release half of Catch // Release grants you the ability to potentially draw multiple cards, offering a significant boost in card advantage by letting you reach into your deck for more options.

Resource Acceleration: The Catch aspect of the card can disrupt your opponent by taking control of their most valuable permanent, potentially accelerating your board state while depleting theirs.

Instant Speed: While Catch // Release operates at sorcery speed, its flexibility allows you to plan strategic plays for your turn while navigating around your opponent’s threats, setting you up for the optimal use of your mana and resources.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Catch // Release demands that you discard another card if you’re casting it for its Fuse cost. In some situations, this can set you back, particularly if your hand is already stretched thin managing other threats on the battlefield.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Release requires a precise combination of colors, which can be challenging if you’re running a multicolored deck and find yourself missing the necessary mana. It’s especially tough if your mana base isn’t perfectly tuned to accommodate such costs.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a combined mana cost that reaches six—three of which must be red and white—for the Release half, this card can be quite costly. When you consider the speed of some formats, there could be more tempo-friendly options available that could allow for a more efficient use of your mana and resources during a game.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Catch // Release offers dual utility and flexibility, allowing players to either gain control of target permanent or perform a wide-scale effect, adaptable to various board states and decks.

Combo Potential: The Release side has significant synergy in decks that capitalize on sacrifice effects or take advantage of global resets, providing a strategic edge when timing is crucial.

Meta-Relevance: In a competitive landscape filled with heavy permanents and complex board setups, the disruption potential of Catch // Release can pivot the game in your favor and is a strategic inclusion against a range of popular deck archetypes.

How to Beat Catch // Release

Catch // Release stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a split card offering versatile options. Dealing with it can be tricky due to its dual nature: Catch allows a temporary control of an opponent’s permanent, whereas Release provides a symmetrical sacrifice effect. To counter this card successfully, one can employ instant-speed removal or counterspells to disrupt the Catch side before it takes effect. A card like Negate is excellent since it specifically targets noncreature spells.

Addressing the Release side requires a different strategy – keep your board presence minimal or populated with expendable creatures or permanents to diminish the impact of the mass sacrifice. Another approach is to take advantage of indestructible creatures or use spells like Boros Charm to grant indestructibility in response. Control decks with a focus on counterspells and removal are typically well-equipped to handle the multifaceted challenge posed by Catch // Release.

Ultimately, the key to besting this card is anticipation and timing. With the right strategy and knowledge of your opponent’s arsenal, you can ensure that Catch // Release becomes more of a minor obstacle than a game-changer in your MTG battles.

Cards like Catch // Release

Catch // Release is an interesting split card from the Magic: The Gathering multiverse with a versatile nature, allowing players to choose between commandeering an opponent’s creature or artifact, or conducting a sweeping impact across the board. It shares functional similarities with cards such as Zealous Conscripts, which also takes control of any target creature or artifact temporarily, though it doesn’t offer a second option like Release.

When we look at the Release aspect, its nearest relative could be Austere Command, offering the players the power to decide which types of permanents to destroy. However, Release is inflexible in its targets, affecting all permanents of certain types, which is a stark contrast to the selective control afforded by Austere Command. Additionally, Catch // Release is unique in its dual utility, with the option to either disrupt an opponent’s field significantly or to turn the tide with sudden control of a formidable creature or an essential artifact.

Ultimately, comparing the duality and utility of Catch // Release against similar MTG cards, it stands out due to its strategic flexibility, giving players the capacity to adapt to various board states and leverage the conditions to their advantage.

Cards similar to Catch // Release by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Catch // Release MTG card by a specific set like Dragon's Maze, 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 Catch // Release and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Catch // Release has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2013-04-15	Catch can target any permanent, including one that’s untapped or one you already control.
2013-04-15	If a player names a card, the player may name either half of a split card, but not both. A split card has the chosen name if one of its two names matches the chosen name.
2013-04-15	If you cast Catch/Release as a fused split spell, you can sacrifice the permanent you just gained control of.
2013-04-15	If you cast a split card with fuse from your hand without paying its mana cost, you can choose to use its fuse ability and cast both halves without paying their mana costs.
2013-04-15	If you control an artifact creature, a nonartifact creature, and no other artifacts or creatures, you must sacrifice both permanents. You must choose the artifact creature as the artifact and the nonartifact creature as the creature. The same is true for any combination of types—you sacrifice a number of permanents as close to five as possible.
2013-04-15	If you’re casting a split card with fuse from any zone other than your hand, you can’t cast both halves. You’ll only be able to cast one half or the other.
2013-04-15	On the stack, a split spell that hasn’t been fused has only that half’s characteristics and mana value. The other half is treated as though it didn’t exist.
2013-04-15	Some split cards with fuse have two halves that are both multicolored. That card is multicolored no matter which half is cast, or if both halves are cast. It’s also multicolored while not on the stack.
2013-04-15	Some split cards with fuse have two monocolor halves of different colors. If such a card is cast as a fused split spell, the resulting spell is multicolored. If only one half is cast, the spell is the color of that half. While not on the stack, such a card is multicolored.
2013-04-15	To cast a fused split spell, pay both of its mana costs. While the spell is on the stack, its mana value is the total amount of mana in both costs.
2013-04-15	To resolve Release, the active player chooses a permanent they control for each of the listed types, then each other player in turn order does the same, then all the chosen permanents are sacrificed simultaneously.
2013-04-15	When a fused split spell resolves, follow the instructions of the left half first, then the instructions on the right half.
2013-04-15	When resolving a fused split spell with multiple targets, treat it as you would any spell with multiple targets. If all targets are illegal when the spell tries to resolve, the spell doesn’t resolve and none of its effects happen. If at least one target is still legal at that time, the spell resolves, but an illegal target can’t perform any actions or have any actions performed on it.
2013-04-15	You can choose the same object as the target of each half of a fused split spell, if appropriate.