Qarsi Deceiver MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Naga Wizard
Released	2015-03-27
Set symbol
Set name	Dragons of Tarkir
Set code	DTK
Power	0
Toughness	4
Number	71
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Raymond Swanland

Key Takeaways

Qarsi Deceiver excels in decks using untap mechanics, offering significant card advantage and synergy.
Its ability might limit card choices, potentially impacting the deck’s versality and strategy.
When wielded effectively, this card can be a lynchpin in control decks and intricate combos.

Text of card

: Add to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast a face-down creature spell, pay a mana cost to turn a manifested creature face up, or pay a morph cost. (A megamorph cost is a morph cost.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Qarsi Deceiver can play a pivotal role in decks that benefit from untapping lands or creatures. This ability not only facilitates greater maneuverability but can also be paired with cards that allow you to draw more cards when lands are untapped, enhancing your card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: This card assists in resource acceleration by efficiently untapping a land that produces two or more mana, or even a creature that could potentially generate additional resources. This can be a game-changer in mana-hungry decks or when swift deployment of high-cost cards is crucial.

Instant Speed: While Qarsi Deceiver’s untap ability isn’t an instant itself, it synergizes well with cards that operate at instant speed. By untapping a land at the right moment, you ensure that mana is available to cast instants or activate abilities, thereby maximizing the flexibility and responsiveness of your strategy.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Qarsi Deceiver necessitates that you discard another card to utilize its ability. This can deplete your hand, leaving you with fewer options and potentially hindering your ability to respond to an opponent’s threats or to maintain momentum.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature demands blue mana, which can be restrictive. Decks not centered around blue mana might find it challenging to accommodate Qarsi Deceiver, affecting the card’s versatility and potentially disrupting your mana curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that is on the higher side for its abilities, Qarsi Deceiver can be viewed as inefficient. Other creatures or spells at a similar cost might provide greater impact or utility on the battlefield, leading to it being overlooked in favor of cards that provide a better mana-to-effectiveness ratio.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Qarsi Deceiver can seamlessly adapt to numerous deck archetypes in MTG. This card shines in decks that leverage tap and untap mechanics or require mana fixing. Its ability to untap another target creature or land provides a subtle yet powerful form of resource manipulation.

Combo Potential: This creature’s unique untap ability can be a key component in intricate combo chains. For instance, pairing Qarsi Deceiver with cards that benefit from being untapped multiple times per turn can create surprising advantages and swing the game in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where games tend to drag on or in a meta with a focus on control, Qarsi Deceiver’s capacity to untap important resources can help maintain the pace or outmaneuver opponents. This could be particularly handy when facing decks that aim to lock down opponent’s mana or creatures.

How to beat

The Qarsi Deceiver is a nuanced card in the MTG universe that requires a specific approach to overcome. While it may not have formidable power or toughness stats, its ability to untap another target creature or land can be strategically advantageous during gameplay. Understanding the matchups and recognizing the moments when this ability has the potential to swing the game is key to mitigating its impact.

To effectively counter the Qarsi Deceiver, consider timing your removal spells or abilities to negate the advantage it provides. Additionally, keeping a watchful eye on the board state for creatures that could synergize with the Deceiver’s untapping ability will help in preemptively disrupting your opponent’s plans. Being vigilant about the card’s interaction with tap-and-untap mechanics is also crucial; being ready to alter your strategy can derail an opponent relying heavily on such combos.

Ultimately, beating the Qarsi Deceiver is about recognizing the indirect power it provides and dismantling synergistic plays before they become a threat. Careful play and strategic removals can effectively neutralize this deceptively powerful card.

Cards like Qarsi Deceiver

The Qarsi Deceiver card is a unique asset in Magic: The Gathering, presenting similarities to other mana-generating creatures within the game. This card distinguishes itself with the ability to untap a target land, but with the constraint that it can only be used to cast morph spells. Morph is a mechanic which allows you to cast creatures facedown as a 2/2 creature for three mana and then turn them face-up any time you could cast a sorcery by paying their morph cost.

Reflecting on other creatures that aid in mana acceleration, we have cards like Vine Trellis and Axebane Guardian. Vine Trellis, furnishing players with a dependable green mana source, does so without restrictions. Axebane Guardian, on the flip side, grants mana based on the number of defenders you control, offering potentially greater acceleration yet relying on a defender-centric deck architecture.

What sets Qarsi Deceiver apart is its focused utility in decks that heavily feature the morph mechanic. While it may not offer the breadth of utility Vine Trellis or Axebane Guardian could potentially provide in any deck, for a player strategically centered around morph, Qarsi Deceiver could indeed become an adept enabler of pivotal game plays.

Cards similar to Qarsi Deceiver by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Qarsi Deceiver MTG card by a specific set like Dragons of Tarkir, 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 Qarsi Deceiver and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Qarsi Deceiver has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2015-02-25	If a face-down creature with megamorph is turned face up some other way (for example, if you manifest a card with megamorph and then pay its mana cost to turn it face up), you won’t put a +1/+1 counter on it.
2015-02-25	Megamorph is a variant of the morph ability. You can find more information on morph on cards with morph from the Khans of Tarkir set.
2015-02-25	The mana produced by Qarsi Deceiver can’t be used to cast a spell that instructs you to manifest cards.
2015-02-25	Turning a face-down creature with megamorph face up and putting a +1/+1 counter on it is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to.