Ambition's Cost MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 16 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Drawing three cards with Ambition’s Cost can dramatically improve hand options and upcoming turn strategies.
  2. Its high mana cost and discard requirement demand substantial investment and can shape deck building choices.
  3. Inclusion in decks hinges on its ability to fit within certain strategies and mana bases effectively.

Text of card

Draw three cards. You lose 3 life.

"When you give offense to heaven, to whom can you pray?" —Cao Cao, quoting Confucius


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ambition’s Cost is a potent card when it comes to gaining card advantage. It lets you draw three cards which can significantly increase your hand size, providing more options and strategies for your turns ahead.

Resource Acceleration: While Ambition’s Cost itself does not directly accelerate resources such as mana, the cards drawn can lead to resource acceleration if they include land cards or artifacts that generate mana. This can potentially facilitate playing high-cost cards much earlier than expected.

Instant Speed: Despite being a sorcery, Ambition’s Cost allows for strategic timing in mono-black decks or others that can generate large amounts of mana. Although it can’t be cast at instant speed, its effect can quickly restock your hand on your turn, providing you the resources possibly just after an opponent’s board wipe or at a moment when drawing cards will be most advantageous.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the chief drawbacks of Ambition’s Cost in your deck is the requirement to discard three cards. This condition can be quite restrictive, rapidly depleting your hand and potentially discarding key pieces of your strategy. For players who prioritize card advantage, this downside could be a significant setback during gameplay.

Specific Mana Cost: Ambition’s Cost also demands a specific mana composition to be played. With a cost that includes two black mana, it necessitates a strong commitment to black within your mana base, possibly restricting its inclusion to mono-black or two-color decks that heavily favor black mana resources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: In terms of mana investment, Ambition’s Cost is on the higher end for card-drawing effects, coming in at a total of four mana. When evaluating options for drawing additional cards, there are alternatives in the game that come at a lower mana cost and with less severe conditions, which may lead players to consider other options over Ambition’s Cost for more mana-efficient turns.


Reasons to Include Ambition’s Cost in Your Collection

Versatility: Ambition’s Cost offers a straightforward and potent effect for drawing cards. This black spell is flexible enough to be included in various deck archetypes that prioritize hand replenishment, such as control or combo decks that need to maintain card advantage.

Combo Potential: Ambition’s Cost provides fuel for graveyard-based strategies, allowing you to draw into key pieces while also stocking the graveyard for recursive plays or to enable delve and other mechanics that benefit from a well-stocked graveyard.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where keeping a healthy hand size can mean the difference between victory and defeat, Ambition’s Cost remains relevant. Particularly in formats where the pace allows for a three-mana investment in card draw, it can be a crucial component of maintaining pressure and resource advantage.


How to beat

Ambition’s Cost is a well-known card in Magic: The Gathering, allowing players to draw three cards at the exchange of losing 3 life. Its draw power is undeniable, echoing effects seen in comparable cards like Ancient Craving, which mirrors its draw and life-loss mechanics. Still, Ambition’s Cost sits at a higher mana bracket, which sometimes deters players looking for faster gameplay dynamics.

To effectively tackle Ambition’s Cost, one needs to anticipate the boost it gives your opponent by refilling their hand and act accordingly. Consider using cards that capitalize on an opponent’s full hand, like Underworld Dreams or Liliana’s Caress, which punish the opponent for drawing or holding many cards. Another strategy is to employ rapid pressure and aggressive plays to overshadow the benefits your opponent gains from their larger hand. Counterspells like Negate or Dovin’s Veto can also stop Ambition’s Cost in its tracks, preventing the draw altogether.

Remember to monitor your opponent’s life total as well since the life loss from Ambition’s Cost can be significant. Exploiting their reduced health post-casting with burn spells or direct attacks could turn the tide in your favor, proving that ambition indeed comes at a cost.


BurnMana Recommendations

Diving deep into the realm of MTG, the strategic nuances of Ambition’s Cost highlight its potential in certain decks. Whether replenishing your hand after a devastating sweep or looking for that graveyard synergy in black-centric decks, this card can pivot your game to new heights. As we dissect its pros, cons, and adaptability across various formats, the importance of contextual gameplay comes into sharp focus. If your MTG journey is driven by strategic deck building and keen gameplay insights, we invite you to further your mastery with our comprehensive guides and analysis. Elevate your card knowledge and refine your strategies to outmaneuver the competition on the battlefield.


Cards like Ambition's Cost

Ambition’s Cost is a powerful choice for players seeking to gain an advantage by drawing cards in Magic: The Gathering. It stands alongside other impactful card draw spells such as Ancient Craving which presents nearly identical effects – both cards allow a player to draw three cards at the cost of three life. The difference lies in the set and flavor of the cards, with Ambition’s Cost offering a thematic touch to decks that emphasize the cost of greed and power.

Expanding the comparison, Night’s Whisper and Sign in Blood emerge as less costly options, both requiring just two mana and two life to draw two cards. Though they draw one card fewer than Ambition’s Cost, their efficiency in terms of mana cost can make them preferable in decks that require a lower curve. Read the Bones is another relative, providing two cards for three mana like the previous spells, but with the added benefit of scrying 2, thus offering card quality alongside the quantity.

Overall, Ambition’s Cost aligns with the needs of players who are not afraid to pay a higher price for a deeper dive into their deck. Within the realm of Black’s philosophy in Magic: The Gathering that values sacrifice for gain, Ambition’s Cost is a testament to the lengths a player will go to seize victory.

Ancient Craving - MTG Card versions
Night's Whisper - MTG Card versions
Sign in Blood - MTG Card versions
Read the Bones - MTG Card versions
Ancient Craving - Portal Second Age (P02)
Night's Whisper - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Sign in Blood - Magic 2010 (M10)
Read the Bones - Theros (THS)

Cards similar to Ambition's Cost by color, type and mana cost

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Final Strike - MTG Card versions
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Stench of Evil - Ice Age (ICE)
Fatal Lore - Alliances (ALL)
Mind Warp - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Final Strike - Portal (POR)
Persecute - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Ancient Craving - Crimson Vow Commander (VOC)
Unmask - From the Vault: Lore (V16)
Reprocess - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Befoul - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Mutilate - Warhammer 40,000 Commander (40K)
Extinction Event - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)
Terisiare's Devastation - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Zombify - Masters 25 (A25)
Cranial Extraction - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Aphetto Dredging - Premium Deck Series: Slivers (H09)
Agonizing Memories - Tenth Edition (10E)
Diabolic Tutor - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Memoricide - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Massacre - Magic Online Theme Decks (TD0)
All Hallow's Eve - Magic Online Theme Decks (TD0)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ambition's Cost MTG card by a specific set like Portal Three Kingdoms and Magic Online Promos, 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 Ambition's Cost and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ambition's Cost Magic the Gathering card was released in 15 different sets between 1999-05-01 and 2023-04-21. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11999-05-01Portal Three KingdomsPTK 671997normalwhiteJunko Taguchi
22002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 625232015normalblackZezhou Chen
32003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 118★2003normalblackJunko Taguchi
42003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 1182003normalwhiteJunko Taguchi
52015-11-13Commander 2015C15 1132015normalblackJunko Taguchi
62016-09-02Duel Decks: Nissa vs. Ob NixilisDDR 382015normalblackZezhou Chen
72017-06-09Commander AnthologyCMA 462015normalblackJunko Taguchi
82017-08-25Commander 2017C17 952015normalblackZezhou Chen
92018-07-14Arena New Player Experience ExtrasXANA 252015normalblackZezhou Chen
102020-04-17Commander 2020C20 1292015normalblackZezhou Chen
112021-02-05Kaldheim CommanderKHC 472015normalblackZezhou Chen
122021-04-23Commander 2021C21 1342015normalblackZezhou Chen
132022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 1102015normalblackZezhou Chen
142022-07-07Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's GateHBG 1402015normalblackZezhou Chen
152022-09-09Dominaria United CommanderDMC 1102015normalblackZezhou Chen
162023-04-21March of the Machine CommanderMOC 2462015normalblackZezhou Chen

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ambition's Cost has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal

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