Hedron Alignment MTG Card
Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
Mana cost | |
Converted mana cost | 3 |
Rarity | Rare |
Type | Enchantment |
Abilities | Hexproof,Scry |
Text of card
Hexproof At the beginning of your upkeep, you may reveal your hand. If you do, you win the game if you own a card named Hedron Alignment in exile, in your hand, in your graveyard, and on the battlefield. : Scry 1.
Cards like Hedron Alignment
Hedron Alignment holds a unique place in the echelons of win condition cards in MTG. Its victory mechanics draw a parallel to other cards such as Battle of Wits, which relies on having a library with over two hundred cards for a win. But Hedron Alignment adds a distinct layer—requiring one copy in a player’s hand, graveyard, exile, and on the battlefield, making it a formidable challenge to align.
On a different note, there’s Door to Nothingness, a card with a similarly unusual win condition, demanding ten mana of different colors for an instant win. Despite its immediate effect, unlike the gradual setup Hedron Alignment requires, its cost makes it trickier to play. Lastly, we can look at Maze’s End, which also proffers an alternate win condition by collecting different guildgates, offering a more gradual strategic gameplay akin to Hedron Alignment.
Each card offers a novel path to victory, setting them apart from conventional strategies. Hedron Alignment in particular promotes a multi-faceted approach, challenging players to meticulously weave their game plan while harnessing the synergy between their card’s different states across the zones of play.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Hedron Alignment shines in delivering an unusual form of card advantage. It requires players to have a copy in various zones – your hand, graveyard, battlefield, and exile – to win. This incentivizes clever deck manipulation and deep strategy to orchestrate the alignment, pushing you to think beyond the conventional card draw.
Resource Acceleration: It doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense. However, by scrying each turn, it indirectly accelerates your resource pool by filtering through your deck to find the necessary cards to achieve its win condition quickly and efficiently.
Instant Speed: Though Hedron Alignment is an enchantment that does not operate at instant speed itself, it permits parts of its strategy to be executed at instant speed. Scrying on your upkeep and having the ability to exile a copy from your hand to draw a card can coincide with your instant-speed plays, harmonizing with a responsive playstyle.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Hedron Alignment necessitates having a copy in your hand, graveyard, exile, and on the battlefield, which can be significantly hampered if you’re forced to discard one of the copies, disrupting your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: With its necessity for both blue mana and generic mana, Hedron Alignment may not fit seamlessly into multi-colored decks, potentially restricting its integration into various strategic builds.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The initial investment of three mana for a card that does not immediately impact the game can be quite steep, especially when other cards with lower mana costs can potentially offer more immediate board presence or card advantage.
Reasons to Include Hedron Alignment in Your Collection
Versatility: Hedron Alignment offers unique gameplay angles as it can be incorporated into various deck types. Its presence in the library, hand, graveyard, and in play as a permanent offers multiple avenues for synergy with other cards that interact with these zones.
Combo Potential: This enchantment shines in combination-driven decks, encouraging creative deck-building to fulfill its win condition. It opens up lines of play that interact with exile mechanics and card search capabilities which can be both fun and challenging to execute.
Meta-Relevance: In ever-shifting metagames, Hedron Alignment remains a sleeper hit for control or combo decks. Its requirement to align multiple game states makes it less predictable and potentially more rewarding against a variety of popular deck archetypes.
How to beat
Hedron Alignment is a unique card in MTG that challenges players with an alternate win condition. To win with Hedron Alignment, one must have a copy in their hand, graveyard, exile, and on the battlefield. This creates a complex puzzle that can be difficult to assemble but equally challenging to disrupt.
One effective strategy to beat Hedron Alignment is to utilize discard or exile effects that can remove it from your opponent’s hand or graveyard. Cards that allow you to exile from the battlefield, like Anguished Unmaking or Utter End, are also very useful against Hedron Alignment. Preventing your opponent from having all necessary alignments can break their strategy.
Another approach is to capitalize on their focus on achieving the Hedron Alignment’s requirements. During this time, they may not be heavily defending or countering other threats. Aggressive decks or strategies that build up an overwhelming board presence rapidly can often outrace the Hedron Alignment’s setup.
In essence, disrupting your opponent’s hand and field while maintaining a clock with your threats can effectively prevent them from achieving the Hedron Alignment win condition in MTG.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Hedron Alignment MTG card by a specific set like Oath of the Gatewatch and Oath of the Gatewatch 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 Hedron Alignment and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Hedron Alignment Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-01-22 and 2016-01-22. Illustrated by Craig J Spearing.
# | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2016-01-22 | Oath of the Gatewatch | OGW | 57 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Craig J Spearing | |
2 | 2016-01-22 | Oath of the Gatewatch Promos | POGW | 57s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Craig J Spearing |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Hedron Alignment has restrictions
Format | Legality |
---|---|
Commander | Legal |
Legacy | Legal |
Modern | Legal |
Oathbreaker | Legal |
Vintage | Legal |
Duel | Legal |
Pioneer | Legal |
Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Hedron Alignment card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
Date | Text |
---|---|
2016-01-22 | The Hedron Alignment in exile must be face up. If it’s face down, it won’t count, even if you are allowed to look at it. |