Evil Presents MTG Card


Evil Presents - Happy Holidays
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Released2006-12-31
Set symbol
Set nameHappy Holidays
Set codeHHO
Number8
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderSilver
Illustred byPaul Bonner

Key Takeaways

  1. Evil Presents increases your hand options, crucial for game-changing decisions and winning duels.
  2. Its instant speed allows adaptable tactics, thus maintaining opponent uncertainty.
  3. However, its discard requirement and specific mana cost may limit its versatility.

Text of card

Put a creature card from your hand into play under target opponent's control. That creature attacks each turn if able... and always attacks its controller.

'Tis better to give than to receive.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Evil Presents, players gain a tactical edge by adding a significant bump to their hand power. By introducing this card into the game, you can disrupt your opponent’s strategy while bolstering your own options and pathways to victory. This advantage can often be the deciding factor between winning and losing a tightly contested duel.

Resource Acceleration: Evil Presents not only disrupts but also accelerates your resources. It can ramp up your gameplay by enabling you to utilize additional mana sources. This boost could pave the way for more formidable creatures to take the stage or allow for pivotal spells to be cast earlier than usual, tipping the scales in your favor.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Evil Presents at instant speed gives it a covert tactical advantage, keeping your foes constantly on their toes. You can effortlessly adapt to the unfolding match and make decisive moves that can turn the tide. Whether it’s during the heat of battle or at the end of your opponent’s turn, the instantaneous nature of this card is a critical component for strategic planning and execution.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Often, the balancing act of deck strategy involves carefully curating cards in hand. In the case of Evil Presents, having to discard a card can be particularly punitive if your hand is already feeling the pinch or if it contains high-value options. This drawback tends to clip the wings of an otherwise promising play.

Specific Mana Cost: Tailored towards a deck that capitalizes on black mana sources, Evil Presents requires a dedicated mana base. This specificity can strand the card in hands of multicolored decks unable to meet the color demands, therefore narrowing its versatility in a broader range of deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Mana economy is crucial in the ebb and flow of any game and having four mana devoted to a single card like Evil Presents needs to be justifiable. Given this cost, players must weigh the benefits against other potentially more impactful cards at this range, including those offering immediate board presence or disruption.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Evil Presents shines in a variety of decks, acting as a unique tool for manipulating both your own and your opponent’s options. Its inherent flexibility allows for strategic depth in game play.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize with strategies that revolve around delaying or denying opponent’s resources, or even combine it with cards that benefit from opponents drawing or discarding.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to interfere with an opponent’s hand, Evil Presents can disrupt many prevalent meta strategies, making it a consistently powerful choice in dynamic game environments.


How to Beat Evil Presents

Overcoming Evil Presents in your MTG matchups involves smart deck construction and timely reactions. This card presents a unique challenge, allowing your opponent to dictate a potential exchange during their turn. To mitigate the disadvantage, consider incorporating spells that allow you to choose from multiple cards when drawing, which diminishes the impact of their choice. Effects that shuffle your deck or scry are particularly beneficial, giving you a chance to ensure the card given is of lesser consequence.

Another strategy focuses on hand disruption, which can prematurely remove Evil Presents from play before your opponent has the chance to cast it. In addition to direct disruption, countering it outright is a good method – having counter spells ready can prevent Evil Presents from making an impact on the board. Lastly, playing with cards that benefit from being drawn or discarded can turn the card’s intended downside to your advantage, as some decks thrive on cycling through their own decks and graveyard manipulation. Building your strategy to make each card in your hand a potential asset, regardless of how it arrives there, can render Evil Presents far less threatening.


Cards like Evil Presents

Evil Presents is an intriguing card that carves a niche for itself within Magic: The Gathering’s array of tactical spell cards. It shares similarities with cards like Diabolic Tutor, both serving the purpose of card advantage by allowing the player to search their library for a specific card. While Diabolic Tutor permits the chosen card to go directly into the player’s hand without restrictions, Evil Presents adds a twist by giving the searched card to an opponent shrouded in a fun and mysterious “present”.

Competition for library search space also comes from Mastermind’s Acquisition, which doubles as both a tutor and a tool to access a player’s sideboard, a flexibility that Evil Presents lacks. However, Evil Presents offsets this by creating a unique challenge, potentially coaxing opponents into making a less optimal play. With a darkly festive theme, it stands out as a memorable choice for players who enjoy introducing psychological elements into the game.

Therefore, examining the game impact and strategic depth, Evil Presents emerges as a compelling selection among MTG cards that involve library searching and psychological play, setting up opportunities to sway the direction of a match with its one-of-a-kind dynamic.

Diabolic Tutor - MTG Card versions
Mastermind's Acquisition - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Tutor - MTG Card versions
Mastermind's Acquisition - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Evil Presents MTG card by a specific set like Happy Holidays, 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 Evil Presents and other MTG cards:

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