Ral, Izzet Viceroy Emblem MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
TypeEmblem — Ral

Key Takeaways

  1. The emblem turns spells into dual threats, enhancing card advantage and depth of play.
  2. Directly synergizes with instant speed spells, thriving in a dynamic, responsive strategy.
  3. Requires a safe setup for its ultimate and specific mana investment for optimal use.

Text of card

Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, this emblem deals 4 damage to any target and you draw two cards.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The emblem generated by Ral, Izzet Viceroy provides ongoing card advantage by turning every instant and sorcery cast into a double threat—an effect and a card. This means that with each spell you shuffle through your deck, you’re effectively digging deeper to find the answers or threats you need to dominate the game.

Resource Acceleration: This emblem doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense of ramping mana, but it accelerates your resources by allowing you to derive more value from each spell you cast. In a way, you’re expending one resource and gaining multiplicity in your plays, indirectly increasing the resources at your disposal through sheer card quality and selection.

Instant Speed: While the emblem itself doesn’t interact with instant speed directly, it rewards you for playing instant speed spells by effectively doubling their impact on the game, thus encouraging a dynamic and reactive playstyle. You can cast spells on your opponent’s turn with the confidence that each instant is not just a singular action but also a contributor to your card flow.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Ral, Izzet Viceroy’s emblem in Magic the Gathering can be a game-changer, but obtaining it requires orchestrating a scenario where you can safely use his ultimate ability without significant disruption from opponents. This necessity can sometimes equate to a discard requirement, as you must weigh the option of holding onto certain cards to protect Ral versus advancing your board state.

Specific Mana Cost: The emblem’s activation is linked directly to having Ral, Izzet Viceroy on the field and using his loyalty abilities to the fullest. This feat demands a specific combination of blue and red mana, potentially limiting the emblem’s synergy with decks that aren’t tailored to support such a strict color commitment.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Achieving the emblem comes with the steep cost of first casting Ral, Izzet Viceroy, and then diligently protecting and increasing his loyalty counters to reach the ultimate. The loyalty counter requirement for Ral’s emblem is resource-intensive when compared to other planeswalkers whose emblems might be reached with a lesser mana investment or quicker impact on the game.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Ral, Izzet Viceroy Emblem offers dynamic gameplay across various formats. Its ability to grant your instants and sorceries a damage-dealing boost makes it a game changer in decks that focus on spellslinging.

Combo Potential: Integrating this emblem into your strategy can turn innocuous spells into lethal weapons. It synergizes with cards that deal damage, essentially doubling their threat level against opponents.

Meta-Relevance: In the ever-evolving landscape of the game, having cards in your arsenal that can tip the scales is crucial. This emblem’s effect might be the key to outpacing the adaptability of contemporary metagames, especially in Izzet spell-heavy decks.


How to beat

Ral, Izzet Viceroy’s Emblem in MTG presents a unique challenge on the battlefield, bestowing a level of protection for the player akin to a fortified stronghold. This emblem, once activated, allows its controller to deal damage to any target whenever they cast an instant or sorcery spell, thereby transforming each spell into a potential threat to the opponent’s life total or board presence.

To effectively counter this emblem’s advantage, strategic foresight is essential. Engage in preventive measures by focusing on countering or disrupting Ral, Izzet Viceroy before the emblem is created. Employing disruption spells, pinpoint removal, or direct damage to Ral can prevent the emblem from ever becoming a factor. Should the emblem come into play, shifting gears towards damage mitigation and rapid life gain, or orchestrating an overwhelming board presence are plausible pivot strategies to outbalance the emblem’s impact. An alternative is to race the emblem’s effect, pressuring the emblem controller’s life total directly with an aggressive strategy or unblockable creatures.

Staying alert and versatile in your tactics, while leveraging the split-second timing of instants, can turn the tide and lead to victory against even the most seemingly impregnable emblems in MTG.


Cards like Ral, Izzet Viceroy Emblem

Exploring the unique mechanic of Ral, Izzet Viceroy’s emblem in MTG leads to some fascinating comparisons. Cards like Chandra, Torch of Defiance’s emblem also lean toward a damage-based win condition. While Chandra’s emblem deals 5 damage to any target each time you cast a spell, Ral’s emblem could potentially deal more — it inflicts damage to each opponent equal to the number of instant and sorcery cards you own in exile and in your graveyard. This means Ral’s capacity for damage scales with the game’s progress.

Meanwhile, Jace, Unraveler of Secrets creates an emblem with the power to neutralize an opponent’s spells, countering the first one they cast each turn. Unlike Ral’s emblem, which aggressively chips away at opponents’ life totals, Jace’s emblem leans towards controlling the pace and flow of the match. However, Ral’s emblem, once active, provides a persistent threat that can quickly end games, especially in a deck dense with instants and sorceries.

Ral, Izzet Viceroy’s emblem stands out in MTG as a versatile and potentially game-ending ability, providing a persistent source of damage that can capitalize on a strategy that many Izzet deck builders naturally gravitate towards.

Chandra, Torch of Defiance - MTG Card versions
Jace, Unraveler of Secrets - MTG Card versions
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Kaladesh (KLD)
Jace, Unraveler of Secrets - Shadows over Innistrad Promos (PSOI)

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ral, Izzet Viceroy Emblem MTG card by a specific set like Mythic Edition and Guilds of Ravnica, 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 Ral, Izzet Viceroy Emblem and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ral, Izzet Viceroy Emblem Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-10-05 and 2018-10-05. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-10-05Mythic EditionMED G62015emblemblackDaniel Ljunggren
22018-10-05Guilds of RavnicaGRN 72015emblemblackKieran Yanner

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