Gather Specimens MTG Card

Gather Specimens offers a unique advantage by capturing opponent creatures as they enter the battlefield. The card’s instant speed allows for surprise plays and can disrupt opponent strategies effectively. Despite its high mana cost, the card’s potential to shift a game’s momentum is unparalleled.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Rare
Type	Instant
Released	2008-10-03
Set symbol
Set name	Shards of Alara
Set code	ALA
Number	45
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Michael Bruinsma

Text of card

If a creature would come into play under an opponent's control this turn, it comes into play under your control instead.

"It's free to do whatever it wants. I've merely told it what that is." —Xorin, Architect of Will

Cards like Gather Specimens

Gather Specimens stands out in the realm of control cards within Magic: The Gathering. This intriguing card allows players to take control of all creatures that would enter the battlefield under an opponent’s control for a turn, which strategically can change the tide of the game. Its closest relatives in the control card family are Aethersnatch and Commandeer, both of which permit the snatching of nonland cards while they are on the stack.

However, Gather Specimens differentiates itself by targeting creatures that are entering the battlefield rather than intercepting spells. This unique angle allows for interactions with creatures that bypass being cast, like those put into play through abilities or from the graveyard. In contrast, Aethersnatch, with its broader target range, doesn’t provide this same level of specificity. Commandeer’s free cast ability through discarding two blue cards gives it a surprise factor, but it lacks the ability to affect multiple creatures at once, which Gather Specimens can potentially do.

Ultimately, while each card offers a unique approach to hijacking your opponent’s plans, Gather Specimens occupies a special niche, presenting a powerful option for players looking to tip the scales in creature-heavy matchups in Magic: The Gathering.

Cards similar to Gather Specimens by color, type and mana cost

Overwhelming Intellect - MTG Card versions

Dragonlord's Prerogative - MTG Card versions

Scour the Laboratory - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gather Specimens is a unique spell that can swing the card advantage in your favor by taking control of any number of creatures entering the battlefield under an opponent’s control this turn. By diverting the creature or creatures to your side, you effectively neutralize your opponent’s play while bolstering your own board presence.

Resource Acceleration: Although Gather Specimens doesn’t directly generate mana, it accelerates your resource availability by potentially saving the mana you would have spent on creatures. By commandeering your opponent’s creatures, this card efficiently uses the mana invested in casting it and can unexpectedly tip the balance of a match.

Instant Speed: The instant speed of Gather Specimens adds a layer of strategic depth to your gameplay. It allows you to wait until the most opportune moment within a turn to disrupt your opponent’s strategy, often catching them off-guard when they commit to casting creature spells or when utilizing creature-based combo pieces.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike many control spells, Gather Specimens doesn’t make you discard, but the setup can be similarly costly. Making the most of its unique effect often requires precise timing and foreknowledge of your opponent’s plays, which isn’t always feasible.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a specific and heavy commitment to blue mana, with a casting cost that includes triple blue mana symbols. This restricts its viability primarily to mono-blue or heavily blue-influenced decks, potentially limiting its overall flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of six mana, the investment to play Gather Specimens is steep. This can be especially prohibitive in faster-paced games where early board presence and tempo plays are crucial to victory. In such scenarios, there might be more mana-efficient cards for maintaining control or affecting the board state.

Reasons to Include Gather Specimens in Your Collection

Versatility: Gather Specimens is a unique addition that brings a level of control by disrupting your opponent’s strategy. It’s not limited to a specific deck archetype, making it a versatile choice for blue control mages or those looking to spice up their deck with some surprises.

Combo Potential: With this spell, the potential for combos is significant, particularly in decks that capitalize on stealing creatures or using opponents’ resources against them. Interactions with cards that put creatures onto the battlefield from anywhere can turn the tide of a game.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors creature-heavy decks or relies on key creatures entering the battlefield for pivotal plays, slipping Gather Specimens into the mix can give you a massive edge, turning your foes’ best laid plans to your advantage.

How to beat

Gather Specimens is a unique spell in the pantheon of blue control cards in Magic: The Gathering. This card can turn the tide of a game by allowing you to snatch creatures your opponent is trying to summon. When looking to outmaneuver someone wielding such a powerful effect, timing and strategy are your greatest assets. To undermine the efficacy of Gather Specimens, consider employing instant-speed removal spells to eliminate key creatures before your opponent has the opportunity to acquire them. Denying your opponent targets is crucial.

Counterspells are also highly effective against Gather Specimens, as they can neutralize the spell before it ever takes effect. Tactic-awareness is another aspect of your game plan and playing around the mana your opponent has available can greatly affect whether Gather Specimens gets the chance to disrupt your board presence. Sometimes, simply baiting out the spell before committing your most vital creatures to the battlefield can make all the difference. Effective use of these strategies can ensure that Gather Specimens doesn’t become the game-changer your opponent hopes it to be.

Ultimately, a well-structured deck and a keen sense of the game’s momentum allow you to nullify the impact of Gather Specimens, keeping the control of the battlefield firmly within your grasp. With careful play and calculated risks, you can mitigate this potent threat and maintain the upper hand.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gather Specimens MTG card by a specific set like Shards of Alara, 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 Gather Specimens and other MTG cards:

BUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gather Specimens has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2008-10-01	Gather Specimens affects both token creatures and nontoken creatures. It affects creatures that would enter the battlefield by any means. This includes, of course, creature spells that resolve. It also includes creatures put onto the battlefield as a result of a resolving spell (such as Call of the Herd or Zombify), resolving ability (such as Verdant Force’s ability or Doomed Necromancer’s ability), cost (such as Varchild’s War-Riders’s cumulative upkeep cost), replacement effect (such as the one created by Words of Wilding), or any other means.
2008-10-01	Gather Specimens isn’t targeted. It affects creatures that would enter the battlefield under any opponent’s control.
2008-10-01	Gather Specimens won’t retroactively change the control of creatures that have already enter the battlefield that turn.
2008-10-01	If a creature spell controlled by an opponent would resolve, it resolves, but the creature enters the battlefield under your control instead of the opponent’s control. Choices made when casting that spell (such as whether it was kicked or the value of X in the spell’s cost) are remembered. Any “enters the battlefield” triggered abilities will trigger after the creature is on the battlefield under your control.
2008-10-01	If the effect that puts a creature onto the battlefield also creates a delayed triggered ability, Gather Specimens doesn’t change who controls that ability. In the unearth example above, your opponent controls the ability that exiles the creature at the beginning of the end step. On the other hand, if the effect that puts a creature onto the battlefield grants a triggered ability to the creature (with “gains” or “has”), the player who controls the creature at the time the ability triggers will be the player who controls that ability. For example, if your opponent casts Makeshift Mannequin and you cast Gather Specimens in response, the creature will return to the battlefield under your control with a mannequin counter and it will have the ability “When this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it.” If the ability triggers, you’ll control it, so you’ll have to sacrifice the creature.
2008-10-01	If two or more players have each cast Gather Specimens during the same turn and a creature would enter the battlefield, the creature’s would-be controller (the controller of the creature spell, for example) chooses one of the applicable Gather Specimens to apply. Then the new would-be controller of the creature repeats this process among the remaining Gather Specimens, and so on, until there are no more possible Gather Specimens effects to apply.
2008-10-01	Some effects that put creatures onto the battlefield continue to affect those creatures later on. Although Gather Specimens changes whose control the creature enters the battlefield under, the rest of the effect works as normal. For example, if your opponent activates a creature card’s unearth ability and you cast Gather Specimens, that creature enters the battlefield under your control, but the rest of the unearth ability is unchanged. The creature has haste. It’s exiled at the beginning of the end step. If it would leave the battlefield, it’s exiled instead of being put anywhere else.
2008-10-01	The Gather Specimens replacement effect is applied before any other replacement effects that would also modify how the creature enters the battlefield. These are usually worded “as -his creature] enters the battlefield” or “ -his creature] enters the battlefield with.” For example, if your Gather Specimens has resolved, then the following things are true: -- If a creature with devour would enter the battlefield under an opponent's control, you choose and sacrifice your creatures as it enters the battlefield under your control. -- If Voice of All would enter the battlefield under an opponent's control, you choose a color as it enters the battlefield under your control. -- If Clone would enter the battlefield under an opponent's control, you choose which creature it copies as it enters the battlefield under your control. -- If a Wizard would enter the battlefield under an opponent's control and that player controls Sage of Fables, the Wizard will not enter the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it as it enters the battlefield under your control. -- If a Wizard would enter the battlefield under an opponent's control and you control Sage of Fables, the Wizard will enter the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it as it enters the battlefield under your control.
2008-10-01	The above procedure means that if two opposing players have each cast Gather Specimens during the same turn and a creature would enter the battlefield under the control of one of them, it really will enter the battlefield under that player’s control. (The creature would enter the battlefield under player A’s control, so player B’s Gather Specimens affects it. Now that creature would enter the battlefield under player B’s control, so player A’s Gather Specimens affects it. Each replacement effect has now been used, so the creature will enter the battlefield under player A’s control.)