Winds of Change MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Winds of Change is a game-altering card, offering unique strategies by reshuffling hands and disrupting opponents.
  2. This card is pivotal in decks focused on hand rotation and benefits from instant-speed play to maximize its impact.
  3. Collector interest in Winds of Change is high due to its impact on gameplay and limited print runs.

Text of card

All players shuffle their hands into their libraries, and then draw the same number of cards they originally held.

"'Tis the set of sails, and not the gales,/ Which tells us the way to go." —Ella Wheeler Wilcox


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Winds of Change is a potent conduit for card advantage. It lets you jettison your current hand and draw a new one equal in size, which can mean a new arsenal of options, especially when your hand is low.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly creating mana, Winds of Change can allow you to dig deeper into your deck for your mana acceleration cards. It helps to shuffle your deck, optimizing chances to draw lands or dorks, thereby ramping up your mana resources indirectly.

Instant Speed: Technically, Winds of Change falls into the more flexible category of sorceries. While it can’t be played on your opponent’s turn, the reshuffling it offers can still be exploited strategically before your own draw phase, depending on the circumstances of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Even though Winds of Change isn’t a card that needs discarding as part of its process, the shuffle and redraw mechanism might result in discarding valuable cards. If you’re short on pivotal cards, this could become a considerable disadvantage.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Winds of Change demands one red mana. This strict requirement might pose a limitation, limiting its application to decks that either rely heavily on red mana or employ a significant number of multicolor lands.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Though one mana may seem low, given the card’s effect of reshuffling and redrawing, other alternatives may provide more efficient card draw mechanisms or better resource management. Especially so in scenarios where the redrawn hand isn’t as beneficial as expected.


Reasons to Include Winds of Change in Your Collection

Versatility: Winds of Change is a card that lends itself to a variety of deck types, from aggressive burn decks to strategic control decks that thrive on manipulating the playing field. It has the unique ability to refresh your hand and disrupt your opponent’s strategy in one fell swoop.

Combo Potential: This card holds great potential when used in combination with draw or discard triggers. It works to your advantage, allowing you to draw and shufflle cards, while forcing your opponents to do the same, often disrupting their plans.

Meta-Relevance: Given that many current meta-game strategies are centered around hand control and strategic placement, Winds of Change can stand as a formidable disruption card. It can make your games unpredictable and keep your tactics fresh round after round.


How to beat

Winds of Change is an intriguing card in Magic: The Gathering due to its shuffle and draw mechanic. Its effect can be game-changing, requiring stratagems for countering it. A card like Leyline of the Void, which exiles cards as they’re put into a player’s graveyard, is helpful here. When Winds of Change forces a player to shuffle their hand into their library, Leyline would exile those cards instead, effectively reducing the new draw.

In the same manner, Notion Thief can also be an efficient frontline defense against Winds of Change. When an opponent activates Winds of Change, Notion Thief can change the tides, making you draw the cards instead of them, stripping them of their potential new hand while augmenting your own.

Besides, a deck focusing on discard mechanics could resist Winds of Change. As the amount drawn by Winds of Change is based on the number of cards in your hand, having a low card number when Winds of Change is activated reduces its impact.

In conclusion, card choices that control the graveyard, shift benefits, or minimize hand size are efficient measures to counter the Winds of Change effect in Magic: The Gathering.


BurnMana Recommendations

As you venture through the dynamic world of Magic the Gathering, adapting your strategy is key to claiming victory. The Winds of Change card can be a powerful tool, offering a fresh draw to revitalize your hand and disrupt your opponents’ plans. Always consider the synergy between your cards and the timing of playing your spells to maintain an edge over your adversaries. Diverse strategies and well-constructed decks pave the way to success.

Embrace the ever-evolving meta and stay ahead by integrating classic cards with new tactics. Our insights are tailored for MTG players seeking to enhance their deck-building skills and gameplay. Keep an eye on the meta, adjust your strategies, and remember, foresight is just as important as the cards in your hand. Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the battlefield, we are here to support your journey to become an adept and feared planeswalker.


Cards like Winds of Change

Exploring the realm of card draw in Magic: The Gathering reveals several pertinent parallels to Winds of Change. An interesting comparison arises with Wheel of Fortune. Both spells have the potential to modify players’ hands significantly, but the Wheel of Fortune, unlike Winds of Change, comes with a higher mana cost and allows players to draw seven new cards, more than the Winds of Change.

Reforge the Soul is another similar card within this comparison. It operates in quite the same vein as Wheel of Fortune, with a rare attribute – the Miracle cost – that allows it to cost incredibly less mana when drawn at the right time. Nonetheless, it remains less predictable compared to Winds of Change.

Lastly, we consider Wheel of Fate. It’s a slower alternative as it operates on a delay mechanic or ‘suspend’. This lack of speed contrasts with the instant effect of Winds of Change, which may be preferable during fast-paced gameplay.

Assessing these alternatives, Winds of Change confidently holds its rank in the realm of reshuffle spells in Magic: The Gathering, due to its mana efficiency and instant reshuffling ability.

Wheel of Fortune - MTG Card versions
Reforge the Soul - MTG Card versions
Wheel of Fate - MTG Card versions
Wheel of Fortune - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Reforge the Soul - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Wheel of Fate - Time Spiral (TSP)

Cards similar to Winds of Change by color, type and mana cost

Disintegrate - MTG Card versions
Fireball - MTG Card versions
Earthquake - MTG Card versions
Mana Clash - MTG Card versions
Detonate - MTG Card versions
Blaze - MTG Card versions
Gamble - MTG Card versions
Meltdown - MTG Card versions
Goblin Grenade - MTG Card versions
Landslide - MTG Card versions
Tremor - MTG Card versions
Ghitu Fire - MTG Card versions
Tahngarth's Glare - MTG Card versions
Lava Burst - MTG Card versions
Overmaster - MTG Card versions
Devil's Play - MTG Card versions
Firebolt - MTG Card versions
Crack the Earth - MTG Card versions
Meteor Shower - MTG Card versions
Burning Inquiry - MTG Card versions
Disintegrate - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Fireball - The List (PLST)
Earthquake - Tales of Middle-earth Commander (LTC)
Mana Clash - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Detonate - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Blaze - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
Gamble - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Meltdown - Urza's Saga (USG)
Goblin Grenade - Arena New Player Experience Extras (XANA)
Landslide - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Tremor - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Ghitu Fire - Invasion (INV)
Tahngarth's Glare - Apocalypse (APC)
Lava Burst - Deckmasters (DKM)
Overmaster - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Devil's Play - Shadows of the Past (SIS)
Firebolt - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Crack the Earth - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Meteor Shower - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Burning Inquiry - Magic 2010 (M10)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Winds of Change MTG card by a specific set like Legends and Fourth Edition, 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 Winds of Change and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Winds of Change Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 1994-06-01 and 2019-12-02. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11994-06-01LegendsLEG 1721993normalblackJustin Hampton
21995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 2321993normalwhiteJustin Hampton
31995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 2321993normalblackJustin Hampton
41995-08-01RenaissanceREN 981993normalblackJustin Hampton
51997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 2751997normalwhiteBlackie del Rio
61997-05-01PortalPOR 1561997normalblackAdam Rex
72007-09-10Masters EditionME1 1111997normalblackJustin Hampton
82019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 11282015normalborderlesskozyndan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Winds of Change has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2007-09-16 Each player draws a number of cards equal to the number of cards they shuffled into their own library.

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