Immortal Coil MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Artifact |
| Released | 2008-10-03 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Shards of Alara |
| Set code | ALA |
| Number | 79 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Dan Scott |
Text of card
, Remove two cards in your graveyard from the game: Draw a card. If damage would be dealt to you, prevent that damage. Remove a card in your graveyard from the game for each 1 damage prevented this way. When there are no cards in your graveyard, you lose the game.
Cards like Immortal Coil
Immortal Coil stands out in the array of unique artifacts in Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with cards such as Lich’s Mastery which transforms life total into an alternative resource. Though both cards tether the player’s fate to their permanents, Immortal Coil takes an intriguing turn by demanding graveyard stocking to keep it—and consequently the player—alive. Conversely, Lich’s Mastery allows for life loss mitigation by exiling permanents or cards from the hand or graveyard.
Necropotence is another card that can draw parallels to Immortal Coil with its significant effect on the standard life-for-resources exchange. While Necropotence lets players exchange life for cards, stepping into risky territory, it lacks the self-destruct mechanism inherent to Immortal Coil. Then we have Dark Tutelage, offering consistent card advantage through a more controlled life payment, aiming to tip the scales without imposing Immortal Coil’s high-risk win-or-lose stakes.
These comparisons capture the essence of risk management and strategic depth in Magic: The Gathering. Despite their differences, each of these cards has the power to mold the game’s dynamics around their distinctive abilities—abilities that mirror the thrilling complexities of Immortal Coil.
Cards similar to Immortal Coil by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Playing Immortal Coil can lead to significant card advantage as it interacts with your graveyard, potentially transforming a stocked graveyard into a resource. The ability to draw cards from depletion ensures you consistently find solutions or threats while delving deeper into your deck.
Resource Acceleration: Although Immortal Coil itself does not directly accelerate your mana resources, its presence can indirectly lead to acceleration by freeing up mana you might otherwise allocate toward preserving your life total. It shifts the focus from resource allocation for survival to proactive game-play strategies.
Instant Speed: Immortal Coil’s built-in sacrifice ability can be used at instant speed, providing a form of protection against graveyard hate or when facing a situation that would otherwise cause you to lose the game. This reactive capability ensures that, even in dire situations, you maintain a degree of control over the board state.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Immortal Coil necessitates a hefty graveyard as fuel to maintain its presence on the battlefield. Depleting your graveyard for its activation can leave you vulnerable, particularly if your strategy isn’t centered around graveyard synergies.
Specific Mana Cost: Immortal Coil demands a precise mana arrangement of two black and two generic mana, which could be restrictive for multicolored decks or those that struggle with mana fixing.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a four mana investment to get Immortal Coil into play, players might find it burdensome compared to other cards that can provide immediate effects or have lower overhead costs for maintaining board presence.
Reasons to Include Immortal Coil in Your Collection
Versatility: Immortal Coil provides a unique dynamic to any deck through its ability to become a key lifeline, offering a different angle of survival when running low on life.
Combo Potential: This card has the capability to synergize with graveyard manipulation strategies, setting up for powerful combinations that can potentially lock opponents out of the game.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta-game that sees a variety of graveyard-based strategies or when facing decks that deal with mass discard, Immortal Coil’s value can increase significantly as it provides a resourceful twist to gameplay.
How to beat
Immortal Coil, a unique artifact in the vast array of Magic: The Gathering cards, presents a different type of challenge. Deploying a strategy to neutralize this card gives players an advantage in gameplay. Unlike other cards where damage or direct destruction might be effective, Immortal Coil requires a more intellectual approach due to its conditional exile trigger. To successfully navigate around Immortal Coil’s potential threat, it’s essential to target its dependency on the graveyard.
One way to outwit Immortal Coil is by leveraging graveyard manipulation spells. These strategies inhibit the card’s ability to rely on the graveyard as a resource. Cards like Tormod’s Crypt can be particularly effective by exiling the graveyard contents, thus rendering Immortal Coil a liability. Additionally, strategies that allow a player to control an opponent’s actions can force the activation of Immortal Coil’s lethal aspect at an inopportune time, effectively turning its strength into a weakness without direct confrontation.
In essence, countering Immortal Coil boils down to strategic graveyard management, foresight, and sometimes the element of surprise. Players must analyze the situation and exploit the card’s inherent risks to their benefit, ensuring a pathway to victory in a game where every card and turn can be pivotal.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Immortal Coil MTG card by a specific set like Shards of Alara, 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 Immortal Coil 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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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Immortal Coil has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Immortal Coil card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-10-01 | If the third ability is countered, but your graveyard is still empty, the ability will immediately trigger again. |
| 2008-10-01 | Similarly, if the third ability resolves but you don’t lose the game for some reason (because you control Platinum Angel, perhaps), it will immediately trigger again if your graveyard is still empty. Immortal Coil + Platinum Angel + an empty graveyard is an involuntary infinite loop. Unless a player disrupts it, the game will end in a draw. |
| 2008-10-01 | The first ability exiles two cards in your graveyard as a cost. You can’t activate this ability unless you have at least two cards in your graveyard. Exiling those two cards can’t be responded to. |
| 2008-10-01 | The only difference between a colored artifact and a colorless artifact is, obviously, its color. Unlike most artifacts, a colored artifact requires colored mana to cast. Also unlike most artifacts, a colored artifact has a color in all zones. It will interact with cards that care about color. Other than that, a colored artifact behaves just like any other artifact. It will interact as normal with any card that cares about artifacts, such as Shatter or Arcbound Ravager. |
| 2008-10-01 | The second ability prevents all damage that would be dealt to you, regardless of how many cards are in your graveyard. For example, if you have three cards in your graveyard and would be dealt 5 damage, Immortal Coil prevents all 5 damage and exiles all the cards in your graveyard. |
| 2008-10-01 | The third ability checks whether your graveyard is empty only at the time it triggers. Putting a card into your graveyard after that doesn’t help. You’ll lose the game when the ability resolves. |