Increasing Ambition MTG Card


Fetching specific cards accelerates strategies, giving a competitive advantage in MTG gameplay. Flashback ability provides versatility, allowing for strategic depth and surprise moves. High mana costs can hinder tempo, but the card’s utility in late-game is substantial.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Abilities Flashback

Text of card

Search your library for a card and put that card into your hand. If Increasing Ambition was cast from a graveyard, instead search your library for two cards and put those cards into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Flashback (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)


Cards like Increasing Ambition

Increasing Ambition is a unique spell within the landscape of MTG card searching abilities. It’s often contrasted with cards like Diabolic Tutor, which allows a player to search their library for any card and add it to their hand as well. However, Increasing Ambition offers the added edge of a potential second cast from the graveyard, effectively giving you access to two cards for one, albeit at a higher initial mana cost.

Analogous in purpose, Beseech the Queen is another card that lets you delve into your deck for answers. While Beseech the Queen’s cost is potentially lower, it’s restricted by its black mana requirement and the number of lands you control. Increasing Ambition, however, gives you more predictable results at a fixed rate.

Final Parting is another comparable tutor card; it finds not one, but two cards, positioning one in your hand and the other in your graveyard, potentially setting up future strategies. The versatility of Increasing Ambition, with its flashback capability, ensures it’s a valuable tool for long-term strategic play. These tutor spells each offer distinctly valuable options, making Increasing Ambition a solid choice among them for its flexible utility.

Diabolic Tutor - MTG Card versions
Beseech the Queen - MTG Card versions
Final Parting - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Tutor - MTG Card versions
Beseech the Queen - MTG Card versions
Final Parting - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Increasing Ambition by color, type and mana cost

Reign of Terror - MTG Card versions
Soul Shred - MTG Card versions
Living Death - MTG Card versions
Beacon of Unrest - MTG Card versions
Final Punishment - MTG Card versions
Soul Feast - MTG Card versions
Sever Soul - MTG Card versions
Patriarch's Bidding - MTG Card versions
Aether Snap - MTG Card versions
Dance of Shadows - MTG Card versions
Brainspoil - MTG Card versions
Head Games - MTG Card versions
Promise of Power - MTG Card versions
Rise from the Grave - MTG Card versions
Incremental Blight - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Plague - MTG Card versions
Spread the Sickness - MTG Card versions
Monomania - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Revelation - MTG Card versions
Crux of Fate - MTG Card versions
Reign of Terror - MTG Card versions
Soul Shred - MTG Card versions
Living Death - MTG Card versions
Beacon of Unrest - MTG Card versions
Final Punishment - MTG Card versions
Soul Feast - MTG Card versions
Sever Soul - MTG Card versions
Patriarch's Bidding - MTG Card versions
Aether Snap - MTG Card versions
Dance of Shadows - MTG Card versions
Brainspoil - MTG Card versions
Head Games - MTG Card versions
Promise of Power - MTG Card versions
Rise from the Grave - MTG Card versions
Incremental Blight - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Plague - MTG Card versions
Spread the Sickness - MTG Card versions
Monomania - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Revelation - MTG Card versions
Crux of Fate - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Increasing Ambition. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Sultai ComboSultai Combo GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 06 2024

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Increasing Ambition stands out as a powerful tutor card that can pull any single card from your deck into your hand, ensuring you get exactly what you need at the right moment. If cast from the graveyard, this card’s flashback ability offers an additional benefit, allowing you to select two cards instead of one, further expanding your strategic options and card availability during a game.

Resource Acceleration: While this sorcery doesn’t directly produce mana, the efficiency of fetching the right card can accelerate your game plan significantly. By getting key pieces faster, you typically position yourself at an advantage, enabling you to execute your strategy more effectively and outpace your opponents.

Instant Speed: Despite Increasing Ambition being a sorcery, the card can often set up plays as though it had instant speed. After casting Increasing Ambition for its initial tutor effect, you have the option to play it again from the graveyard at a moment’s notice. This flexibility allows for reactive gameplay, holding back the flashback until the most opportune time to surprise the opponent with the perfect answer or the piece needed to clinch the win.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Increasing Ambition comes with the cost of discarding a card if you’re taking advantage of its flashback ability. This condition can be a setback when your hand is running low on cards and every resource is vital for maintaining an edge over your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: With its requirement of both one black mana and four generic mana, this card demands a specific mana composition that could be restrictive. Building a deck with a consistent mana base to accommodate such specific needs can be a challenge.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The initial investment of five mana to search for a single card is a considerable expense, considering there are more mana-efficient search options available. When every turn counts, the high casting cost can put players at a tempo disadvantage.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Increasing Ambition fits into a wide array of decks due to its ability to fetch any card from your library. This makes it an excellent choice for decks looking to assemble specific combos or simply seeking the right response to an opponent’s threats.

Combo Potential: As a tutor card, Increasing Ambition can be integral in executing your deck’s combo by searching for any missing piece you might need. Moreover, its flashback ability provides a second opportunity to search for another combo piece or a different card essential to your strategy.

Meta-Relevance: This card holds a place in meta strategies that pivot around control and late-game superiority. In a landscape where having the right answer at the right time is paramount, Increasing Ambition gives you flexible access to your deck’s most impactful cards when they’re needed most.


How to beat

Increasing Ambition is a unique tutor card in Magic: The Gathering, offering players a way to search their library not once, but twice. Its initial search allows a player to add any card they desire into their hand. The flashback ability, which can be activated from the graveyard, then gives them the opportunity to pull two more cards, ensuring a strategic advantage.

To counteract Increasing Ambition, one must consider interference strategies early in the game. Utilizing discard effects can force the card to be discarded before it’s ever used. Once in the graveyard, graveyard hate cards become incredibly valuable. Cards like Scavenging Ooze can remove Increasing Ambition from the game before the flashback can be used. Hand disruption plays like Thoughtseize also prove effective, preventing the opponent from ever casting this powerful tutor.

For those facing Increasing Ambition, remember it’s a long-term plan card. Aggressive decks that prioritize speed and minimizing the opponent’s options can overrun a player relying on Increasing Ambition before they ever get a chance to leverage its power. Thus, staying ahead with a swift and focused strategy is key.


BurnMana Recommendations

If you’re looking to enhance your deck with a versatile and strategic card, Adding Increasing Ambition might just be your next smart move. Whether you’re assembling a critical combo or need that perfect response to an opponent’s threat, this tutor card offers valuable utility and a surprise element with its flashback capability. Remember, in MTG, every card choice can have a tremendous impact on your game’s outcome. Embrace the opportunity to refine your strategy with Increasing Ambition, and gain a distinct advantage over your opponents. Curious about how this card can transform your playstyle? Dive into our resources to discover the true potential of Increasing Ambition in your MTG arsenal.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Increasing Ambition MTG card by a specific set like Dark Ascension and Shadows of the Past, 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 Increasing Ambition and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Increasing Ambition Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2012-02-03 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Volkan Baǵa.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12012-02-03Dark AscensionDKA 692003NormalBlackVolkan Baǵa
22023-03-21Shadows of the PastSIS 322015NormalBlackVolkan Baǵa

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Increasing Ambition has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
GladiatorLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal