Hand of Justice MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Avatar
Power 2
Toughness 6

Key Takeaways

  1. Enables selective creature removal, swinging board control in your favor.
  2. Synergy with token generators maximizes its ability at lower costs.
  3. Flexibility to respond to threats anytime heightens its gameplay impact.

Text of card

oc T: Tap three target white creatures you control to destroy any target creature.

"The Hand of Justice will come to cleanse the world if we are true." —Oliver Farrel


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Hand of Justice acts as a tactical eliminator on the battlefield, selectively removing creatures your opponents control, potentially tilting the board in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: By synergizing with decks that easily summon tokens or creatures, Hand of Justice can exploit these resources to activate its ability without substantial mana expenditure, enabling you to maintain a pace of development on other fronts.

Instant Speed: While Hand of Justice itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its ability can be activated anytime you could cast an instant, giving you the flexibility to disrupt your opponent’s strategy during their turn or respond to threats as they arise, keeping you one step ahead in the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Hand of Justice demands the sacrifice of another creature to activate its ability. For players seeking to maintain a strong board presence, this cost can be detrimental, often requiring key strategic decisions about the value of saving one creature over another.

Specific Mana Cost: This card taps for a white mana cost, which makes it a potentially challenging fit in multicolored decks. Players must ensure they have the correct mana allocation, or the card could be rendered unusable at critical moments.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a summoning cost of six mana, the Hand of Justice may arrive too late in the game to impact early aggressions or mid-game momentum, making its powerful ability somewhat mitigated by the speed of play in many current MTG strategies.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Hand of Justice offers varied utility in decks built around creature control. Its ability to tap and sacrifice a white creature for targeted creature removal can seamlessly integrate into white-based control or midrange strategies, enhancing the deck’s adaptability.

Combo Potential: When paired with an engine that produces numerous white creature tokens, Hand of Justice turns into a recycling removal machine. Linking it with cards that generate white creatures can potentially clear the board of your opponent’s threats consistently.

Meta-Relevance: As the competitive landscape evolves, having reactive tools becomes paramount. Hand of Justice holds significance in metas where creature-heavy decks prevail, giving players an added edge by being able to manage and dominate the battlefield tactically.


How to Beat Hand of Justice

Hand of Justice stands as a formidable creature card that can alter the battlefield dynamics in MTG. Its power lies in the ability to destroy target creatures by tapping and sacrificing three white creatures. To outmaneuver this card, you must disrupt its activation requirements. Strategies include removing white creatures from play, countering creature spells, and employing instant-speed removal when your opponent attempts to organize the required three creatures for the ability’s cost.

Consider utilizing sweepers like Wrath of God to clear the board or spot removal such as Path to Exile targeting creatures pivotal for the Hand of Justice activation. Counterspells also play a vital role, preventing your opponent from establishing the presence needed to use Hand of Justice’s ability effectively. Additionally, take advantage of cards that restrict tap abilities or prevent the opponent from sacrificing creatures. Through thoughtful strategy and timely interference, you can neutralize Hand of Justice’s impact on the game. Remember to prioritize maintaining control over the board state and to remain vigilant of opportunities to limit your opponent’s ability to satisfy Hand of Justice’s activation conditions.


Cards like Hand of Justice

Hand of Justice stands out among creatures in Magic: The Gathering with its unique ability to impose order on the battlefield at a moment’s notice. Its closest relatives within the multiverse include the iconic Royal Assassin, which also specializes in removing creatures but does so at a lesser mana investment and without the prerequisite of tapping allied creatures. However, unlike Hand of Justice, Royal Assassin cannot tackle artifacts or enchantments, making it less flexible.

Silverchase Fox presents another parallel, offering a creature-based removal mechanism at a low cost, though it restricts its scope to enchantments only. Hand of Justice, with a broader range of targets, boasts significant versatility despite its higher mana and boarding requirements. Then, there is the formidable Avatar of Woe: though it holds a steeper mana curve, it compensates with the advantage of acting as a repeatable, no-cost destruction tool against creatures, which can be pivotal in the late game.

Analyzing these options, Hand of Justice delivers a blend of control and creature interaction that makes it a noteworthy option among removal creatures in Magic: The Gathering for players who can marshal the necessary board presence.

Royal Assassin - MTG Card versions
Silverchase Fox - MTG Card versions
Avatar of Woe - MTG Card versions
Royal Assassin - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Silverchase Fox - Innistrad (ISD)
Avatar of Woe - Prophecy (PCY)

Cards similar to Hand of Justice by color, type and mana cost

Personal Incarnation - MTG Card versions
Pearl Dragon - MTG Card versions
Alabaster Dragon - MTG Card versions
Cho-Arrim Bruiser - MTG Card versions
Radiant Solar - MTG Card versions
Guardian Archon - MTG Card versions
Archon of Coronation - MTG Card versions
Shieldmage Elder - MTG Card versions
Noble Templar - MTG Card versions
Silverstorm Samurai - MTG Card versions
Oathsworn Giant - MTG Card versions
Kjeldoran Gargoyle - MTG Card versions
Duskrider Peregrine - MTG Card versions
Crovax, Ascendant Hero - MTG Card versions
Lairwatch Giant - MTG Card versions
Spirit of the Hearth - MTG Card versions
Sun Titan - MTG Card versions
Auriok Survivors - MTG Card versions
Aegis Angel - MTG Card versions
Auratouched Mage - MTG Card versions
Personal Incarnation - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Pearl Dragon - Mirage (MIR)
Alabaster Dragon - Weatherlight (WTH)
Cho-Arrim Bruiser - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Radiant Solar - Forgotten Realms Commander (AFC)
Guardian Archon - Commander 2021 (C21)
Archon of Coronation - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Shieldmage Elder - Onslaught (ONS)
Noble Templar - Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Kiora (DDO)
Silverstorm Samurai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Oathsworn Giant - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Kjeldoran Gargoyle - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Duskrider Peregrine - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)
Crovax, Ascendant Hero - Planar Chaos (PLC)
Lairwatch Giant - Lorwyn (LRW)
Spirit of the Hearth - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Sun Titan - Kaldheim Commander (KHC)
Auriok Survivors - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Aegis Angel - Magic Origins (ORI)
Auratouched Mage - Planechase 2012 (PC2)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hand of Justice MTG card by a specific set like Fallen Empires 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 Hand of Justice and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Hand of Justice Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1994-11-01 and 2007-09-10. Illustrated by Melissa A. Benson.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11994-11-01Fallen EmpiresFEM 51993normalblackMelissa A. Benson
22002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 2231997normalblackMelissa A. Benson
32007-09-10Masters EditionME1 151997normalblackMelissa A. Benson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hand of Justice has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 It can destroy one of the three creatures it taps.

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