Identity Crisis MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Identity Crisis excels at depleting an opponent’s resources by exiling all cards from their hand and graveyard. This denies them a plethora of potential draws and plays, thus shifting the card advantage balance significantly in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: While Identity Crisis does not produce mana or tokens directly, its ability to strip away an opponent’s future land plays and mana-generating cards can indirectly accelerate your position by setting them back on their resources.

Instant Speed: As a sorcery, Identity Crisis requires strategic planning for the most impactful play, and while not at instant speed, its timely execution during your turn can dismantle any strategic setup your opponent may have been planning for their upcoming moves.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Serving as a pivotal element of gameplay, Identity Crisis necessitates the hefty price of discarding an additional card. For players navigating the complexities of resource management, this can sometimes translate into a tough sacrifice, particularly when the arsenal of options in their hand is already running thin.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting requirement that calls for a precise blend of white and black mana, Identity Crisis secures its position predominantly within the realm of dual-colored decks. This specificity could deter mono-colored strategists or those who champion a more diverse color wheel in their battle tactics.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at a substantial four mana investment, the card places demands on your resources that could potentially overshadow its strategic benefits. When assessing the vast landscape of options available, savvy players may pinpoint alternate cards that deliver a similar impact without the steep mana curve.

Reasons to Include Identity Crisis in Your Collection

Versatility: Identity Crisis shows its adaptability by fitting seamlessly into control or disruption decks. This card excels by handling opponents’ graveyard strategies which are prevalent in many game formats.

Combo Potential: It pairs well with cards that capitalize on opponents having fewer resources, working to dismantle combo decks or to set up conditions for your win-con.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where strategies hinge on graveyard recursion or decks that rely on a variety of cards in the graveyard to function, Identity Crisis can serve as a powerful silver bullet.

How to beat

Identity Crisis packs a punch in Magic: The Gathering, stripping an opponent’s hand and graveyard of all cards, which can destabilize anyone’s game plan. When facing this power card, the key is to anticipate and prepare. Always keep a watchful eye on your mana and have counterspells at the ready to disrupt its casting. Since it’s a sorcery, prioritize holding up mana during your opponent’s turn once they reach six mana — the crucial point where Identity Crisis can come into play.

Additionally, consider diversifying your threats on the board. Since Identity Crisis does not deal with creatures on the battlefield, maintaining a strong presence can keep the pressure on your opponent even if your hand and graveyard are hit. Cards with flashback or other forms of recursion can also mitigate the impact, allowing you to still utilize your graveyard resources after an Identity Crisis sweep. With careful play, and by balancing counterplays and threats, you can navigate around the disrupting effects of Identity Crisis and maintain control of the game.