Idol of Endurance MTG Card
2020-07-03 - Number 23
2020-07-03 - Number 342
2002-06-24 - Number 81932
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Artifact |
Text of card
When Idol of Endurance enters the battlefield, exile all creature cards with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard until Idol of Endurance leaves the battlefield. , : Until end of turn, you may cast a creature spell from among the cards exiled with Idol of Endurance without paying its mana cost.
Cards like Idol of Endurance
Idol of Endurance stands out in Magic: The Gathering as an artifact with unique advantages for creature-based strategies. It enters the field with the ability to exile a multitude of creatures from your graveyard and then lets you summon them again with a marginal cost. A closely related card is the artifact Phyrexian Reclamation, offering a similar graveyard retrieval benefit, albeit at the cost of both life and mana, for one creature at a time.
Another analogous card is Bag of Holding, which emphasizes exiling cards, but this time from the hand rather than the graveyard. While Bag of Holding doesn’t cater specifically to creatures, it provides a broader range of card types to be later recouped. Then consider the card Lurrus of the Dream-Den, enabling the casting of permanent cards with low mana value from the graveyard. Although restricted to lower-cost cards, Lurrus doesn’t exile them, which gives it a recurrent benefit.
While each of these cards offers different nuances for recovering cards from exile or the graveyard, Idol of Endurance is notable for its wide-reaching creature revival potential, particularly impactful in decks that capitalize on death triggers or enter-the-battlefield effects.
Cards similar to Idol of Endurance by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Idol of Endurance. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Mono-White Aggro | Modern | Humans | 2 Torneio - 10 Liga Arena Guardians |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Idol of Endurance offers a unique form of card advantage by allowing you to exile all creature cards with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard and then lets you cast them, ensuring you get extended use out of your creatures.
Resource Acceleration: By essentially acting as a reservoir for low-cost creatures, Idol of Endurance can save on mana spending in later stages of the game, since you’re casting from exile and not your hand, accelerating your resource usage.
Instant Speed: While Idol of Endurance itself is not an instant, it allows you to cast the exiled creatures at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to surprise opponents with blockers or end-of-turn plays, making your strategy more dynamic and unpredictable.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Idol of Endurance doesn’t have a discard requirement itself, but it demands a strategic hand management, as it only interacts with creatures in the graveyard. This could lead to holding back on playing creatures or needlessly discarding them to execute its effect efficiently, which may negatively impact your gameplay.
Specific Mana Cost: With a specific mana cost that includes two white mana, the Idol of Endurance is exclusive to decks that can reliably produce white mana. This can be restrictive and may not fit into more diverse or multicolored deck strategies without sufficient mana fixing.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing three mana initially and requiring an additional three mana to activate, the total cost to make full use of the Idol’s abilities can be quite steep. In the early to mid-game, this high mana investment could potentially delay other important plays or interrupt your mana curve. Additionally, within the same mana range, there are competitive alternatives for reanimation that could offer more immediate impact on the board state.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Idol of Endurance fits seamlessly into a variety of white decks, particularly those that rely on creature strategies. Its ability to exile all creature cards with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard and then let you cast them offers a broad application in different gameplay scenarios.
Combo Potential: This artifact provides excellent synergy with cards that benefit from either casting creatures or creatures entering the battlefield. It can also work well with death-trigger strategies, offering a second life for valuable creatures in your graveyard.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta filled with aggressive decks, having the capability to recast numerous low-cost creatures can be immensely advantageous. Idol of Endurance allows you to maintain board presence and can act as a resourceful tool for recovery after board wipes or removals.
How to Beat
The Idol of Endurance can be a unique challenge to overcome in MTG games, being an artifact that offers a significant advantage by reanimating creatures with a mana value of three or less. To effectively navigate around this card, it is essential to manage your opponent’s graveyard. Cards like Scavenging Ooze or Bojuka Bog can exile key creatures from the graveyard, ensuring that they don’t return to haunt the battlefield. Artifact removal spells such as Disenchant or Naturalize are also crucial, allowing you to directly answer the Idol before it becomes too problematic.
Additionally, instant-speed interaction like Abrupt Decay can dismantle the Idol while avoiding any counterplay during your opponent’s turn. It’s worth noting that exiling the Idol itself with cards like Anguished Unmaking can be equally effective. When playing against Idol of Endurance, remember that managing the board and maintaining answers to both the artifact and potential creature threats is the key to victory.
Considering the strategies and keeping your deck equipped with diverse response tools will ensure that Idol of Endurance does not outlast your capacity to maintain control over the game state.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Idol of Endurance MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Core Set 2021, 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 Idol of Endurance and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Idol of Endurance Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-07-03 and 2020-07-03. Illustrated by Kim Sokol.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 81932 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Kim Sokol | ||
| 2 | 2020-07-03 | Core Set 2021 | M21 | 23 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Kim Sokol | |
| 3 | 2020-07-03 | Core Set 2021 | M21 | 342 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Kim Sokol |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Idol of Endurance has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Idol of Endurance card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-06-23 | If a card in a player's graveyard has in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0. |
| 2020-06-23 | If a spell has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. |
| 2020-06-23 | If you cast a spell with Idol of Endurance's last ability, it becomes a new object. If it returns to exile, it's no longer exiled with Idol of Endurance, and won't be returned to your graveyard once Idol of Endurance leaves the battlefield. |
| 2020-06-23 | If you cast a spell “without paying its mana cost,” you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, those must be paid to cast the spell. |
| 2020-06-23 | The exiled cards return to your graveyard immediately after Idol of Endurance leaves the battlefield. Any cards that had left exile before then (most likely because they were cast with Idol of Endurance's second ability) remain in their current zone. |
| 2020-06-23 | The last ability of Idol of Endurance doesn't change when you may cast those creature spells. Normally this means during your main phase while the stack is empty, but you can cast a creature spell with flash at other times. |