Pay No Heed MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Pay No Heed counters potent attacks or spells efficiently, saving creatures or life totals as needed.
  2. It demands no extra cards while providing instant, flexible response to adversaries’ moves.
  3. Despite requiring a card discard, its unique benefits often justify its place in decks.

Text of card

Prevent all damage a source of your choice would deal this turn.

"Inhale life. Exhale pain." —Mystic elder


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Pay No Heed does not directly grant card advantage through drawing, but it offers a tactical edge by preventing damage from any source, essentially negating an opponent’s spell or attack without losing a card. This can be a form of virtual card advantage, saving key creatures or preserving life totals against potent threats.

Resource Acceleration: While this spell doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration, Pay No Heed requires only a single white mana to play. Its low cost enables players to efficiently manage their mana resources and potentially deploy multiple spells in a single turn or leave mana available for other interactions.

Instant Speed: The power of Pay No Heed is amplified by its instant speed, allowing players to respond to threats in real-time. This flexibility can catch opponents off-guard, protect valuable assets, or disrupt the timing of an opponent’s carefully laid plans—all at a moment’s notice.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Demanding a card discard from your hand, Pay No Heed might force you to make unwanted sacrifices during play. This can be especially detrimental if your hand is already running thin on options.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that requires white, Pay No Heed may not seamlessly fit into every deck’s mana base. Players operating multicolored or colorless decks could find its inclusion less feasible.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although not expensive, its cost is significant for a card with a one-time effect. In a game where efficiency is key, you may find other options that prevent damage for a lower mana investment or provide additional benefits.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Pay No Heed offers remarkable flexibility for any MTG deck looking to protect its creatures or life total. This single mana spell can be a crucial part of strategies aiming to nullify potentially game-changing damage without a significant investment.

Combo Potential: In decks that utilize life as a resource or those with mechanics around damage prevention, Pay No Heed serves as a functional combo piece. It can be the difference-maker in intricate plays that help stabilize the board or secure a win.

Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to counter direct damage spells and strategies, Pay No Heed remains relevant, especially in formats where burn decks are prevalent. It can effectively disrupt opponent plays and protect key pieces during pivotal turns in a match.


How to beat Pay No Heed

Overcoming the challenge presented by Pay No Heed in a game of Magic: The Gathering requires a strategic understanding of its mechanism. Pay No Heed stands out with its ability to nullify all damage from a single source for an entire turn at the low cost of one white mana. When facing this card, timing is critical. The goal is to bait out Pay No Heed during a less crucial phase or by presenting a less significant threat, thus conserving more impactful spells or creatures for later when the opportunity for protection is spent.

Goad your opponent to use Pay No Heed prematurely—this can be achieved by incrementally increasing threats or by luring them into a false sense of security. Additionally, integrating spells or abilities that offer multiple sources of damage can mitigate the effect of Pay No Heed, ensuring that at least some harm reaches the opponent. Use creatures with triggered abilities, or spells distributing damage across multiple instances, as Pay No Heed can only negate one source at a time. Outmaneuvering Pay No Heed is about prediction and patience; understanding when to hold back and when to unleash your most potent actions is key to neutralizing it.


Cards like Pay No Heed

Pay No Heed is a versatile damage prevention spell in MTG that stands out in the white spell lineup. It shares similarities with cards like Healing Salve, which can prevent damage or heal life, giving players a dual utility. However, Pay No Heed requires less commitment as it comes at a lower cost and focuses solely on damage prevention, a plus in situations where certainty is key.

Comparing it to a newer card like Gods Willing, we notice similarities in protection, but Pay No Heed does not offer the scry benefit that Gods Willing does, which potentially sets up future plays. Conversely, Pay No Heed has the advantage of preventing all damage from a single source, which can be a game-changer, especially in matches where massive damage is concentrated in a single blow.

Tallying up the strengths, Pay No Heed fits neatly into a niche of spells designed for players who want guaranteed damage mitigation without the complexity of additional effects. It’s this straightforward utility that positions Pay No Heed as a reliable protector in players’ MTG arsenals.

Healing Salve - MTG Card versions
Gods Willing - MTG Card versions
Healing Salve - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Gods Willing - Theros (THS)

Cards similar to Pay No Heed by color, type and mana cost

Death Ward - MTG Card versions
Blaze of Glory - MTG Card versions
Healing Salve - MTG Card versions
Purelace - MTG Card versions
Guardian Angel - MTG Card versions
Swords to Plowshares - MTG Card versions
Righteousness - MTG Card versions
Indestructible Aura - MTG Card versions
Glyph of Life - MTG Card versions
Warning - MTG Card versions
Heal - MTG Card versions
Anoint - MTG Card versions
Reaping the Rewards - MTG Card versions
Rally the Troops - MTG Card versions
Moment of Silence - MTG Card versions
Enlightened Tutor - MTG Card versions
Orim's Touch - MTG Card versions
Pollen Remedy - MTG Card versions
Sacred Rites - MTG Card versions
Path to Exile - MTG Card versions
Death Ward - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Blaze of Glory - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Healing Salve - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Purelace - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Guardian Angel - Limited Edition Beta (LEB)
Swords to Plowshares - Fallout (PIP)
Righteousness - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Indestructible Aura - Chronicles (CHR)
Glyph of Life - Legends (LEG)
Warning - Ice Age (ICE)
Heal - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Anoint - Tempest (TMP)
Reaping the Rewards - Exodus (EXO)
Rally the Troops - Portal Second Age (P02)
Moment of Silence - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Enlightened Tutor - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Orim's Touch - Invasion (INV)
Pollen Remedy - Planeshift (PLS)
Sacred Rites - The List (PLST)
Path to Exile - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Pay No Heed MTG card by a specific set like Torment and Magic 2014, 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 Pay No Heed and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Pay No Heed Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2002-02-04 and 2013-09-06. Illustrated by Adam Rex.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-02-04TormentTOR 121997normalblackAdam Rex
22013-07-19Magic 2014M14 272003normalblackAdam Rex
32013-09-06Duel Decks: Heroes vs. MonstersDDL 192003normalblackAdam Rex

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Pay No Heed has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Pay No Heed card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2013-07-01 If the chosen source is a permanent spell, damage dealt later in the turn by the permanent it becomes will also be prevented.
2013-07-01 Pay No Heed doesn’t target anything. You can choose a source with hexproof, for example. You choose the damage source as Pay No Heed resolves.

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