Lunar Rejection MTG Card
2021-11-19 - Number 67
2022-01-28 - Number 334
2021-11-19 - Number 23
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Instant |
| Abilities | Cleave |
Key Takeaways
- Lunar Rejection disrupts opponents and can draw a card if targeting werewolves.
- Instant speed play allows for adaptable, responsive in-game strategy.
- Specific mana requirement and discard condition may limit its application.
Text of card
Cleave (You may cast this spell for its cleave cost. If you do, remove the words in square brackets.)
Return target
-olf or Werewolf] creature to its owner's hand.
Draw a card.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Lunar Rejection helps to cycle through your deck more efficiently by bouncing an opponent’s creature back to their hand and if it’s a wolf or werewolf, you get to draw a card. This puts you a step ahead by potentially disrupting your opponent’s plans while refilling your hand.
Resource Acceleration: Although Lunar Rejection doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, it serves to slow down the opponent’s resources. By returning a creature to their hand, you effectively make your opponent spend more mana to replay the threat, which can give you the tempo advantage and lead to your victory.
Instant Speed: The ability to play Lunar Rejection at instant speed adds a layer of versatility, allowing you to respond to threats during your opponent’s turn. This keeps you nimble and reactive, as you can hold up mana for various responses and only use Lunar Rejection if the situation truly calls for it.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Lunar Rejection comes with the stipulation that you must discard a card to take advantage of its alternative cost, which can deplete your hand and reduce your options later in the game.
Specific Mana Cost: This card requires blue mana, making it exclusive to decks that run Islands or have ways to produce blue mana, potentially limiting its versatility across different deck types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana cost being on the higher side for its effect, players might find themselves opting for other bounce spells or interactive options that allow for a more efficient use of their mana resources.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Lunar Rejection fits into a broad range of blue-based decks as a flexible answer to a variety of threats. Its ability to bounce creatures back to the owner’s hand, paired with its draw card side-effect, makes it a handy tool in games where maintaining control is key.
Combo Potential: This card also has potential in combo decks that capitalize on casting spells. It can serve as a piece in puzzles that rely on casting multiple spells in a turn or that benefit from having cards return to a player’s hand for repeated use.
Meta-Relevance: With creature-focused decks commonly making up a significant portion of the meta, Lunar Rejection proves to be relevant by providing an efficient way to deal with opposing creatures while also keeping your hand fueled for the ongoing battle.
How to beat
Lunar Rejection stands out in the realm of blue bounce spells in Magic: The Gathering. With the ability to return a target creature or planeswalker to its owner’s hand and provide card draw if a werewolf or wolf was the spell’s target, it offers players a tactical advantage as well as resource replenishment. But, like all cards, it has its weaknesses.
To effectively counter Lunar Rejection, consider implementing strategies that mitigate the impact of being on the receiving end of this spell. Ensuring creature redundancy allows replacement of bounced threats without losing momentum. Playing at instant speed can also be beneficial, reacting to the cast of Lunar Rejection rather than being disrupted by it. Additionally, leveraging cards with enter-the-battlefield effects can turn a Lunar Rejection into a net positive by re-triggering those effects.
Another method is to prioritize non-creature threats that remain unaffected by Lunar Rejection. Enchantments, artifacts, or direct damage can all thrive outside of Lunar Rejection’s scope, allowing you to pressure your opponent while side-stepping this spell’s interference. Overall, despite its initial disruption, Lunar Rejection can be outmaneuvered with thoughtful deck construction and play strategy.
Cards like Lunar Rejection
Lunar Rejection introduces a unique twist to the suite of bounce spells in Magic: The Gathering. With a knack for dealing with werewolves and other terrifying creatures that roam the night, it stands out amongst its peers. This card reminds seasoned players of Unsummon, a classic that returns a creature to its owner’s hand. While Unsummon is more generic and less expensive, Lunar Rejection offers added benefits when targeting specific creature types.
Beyond the basic capabilities of Unsummon, Into the Roil is another direct comparison that comes to mind. It too allows you to return a nonland permanent to its owner’s hand, and furthermore, if kicked, permits you to draw a card. Though Lunar Rejection doesn’t boast the draw mechanism inherently, its moonlight-scorned trait means it can effectively suppress lycanthropic tendencies with an additional card draw when used against werewolves. Lastly, there’s Blink of an Eye, providing similar functionalities to Into the Roil but with a slightly different mana cost configuration for the kicker option.
In analyzing these cards side by side, Lunar Rejection carves its niche within Magic: The Gathering bounce spells. Its creature-type focus offers strategic advantages, giving players an edge against the increasingly popular werewolf decks in the game’s ecosystem.
Cards similar to Lunar Rejection by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Lunar Rejection // Lunar Rejection MTG card by a specific set like Crimson Vow Art Series and Innistrad: Crimson Vow, 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 Lunar Rejection // Lunar Rejection and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Lunar Rejection // Lunar Rejection Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-11-19 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Donato Giancola.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crimson Vow Art Series | AVOW | 23 | 2015 | Art series | Borderless | Donato Giancola | ||
| 2 | 2021-11-19 | Innistrad: Crimson Vow | VOW | 67 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Donato Giancola | |
| 3 | 2022-01-28 | Innistrad: Double Feature | DBL | 334 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Donato Giancola |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Lunar Rejection has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Lunar Rejection card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-11-19 | A cleave cost is an alternative cost that's paid instead of the spell's mana cost. Casting a spell for its cleave cost doesn't change the spell's mana value. |
| 2021-11-19 | If an effect allows you to “cast a spell without paying its mana cost,” you can't cast that spell for its cleave cost. |
| 2021-11-19 | If you cast a spell for its cleave cost, that spell doesn't have any of the text in square brackets while it's on the stack. |
| 2021-11-19 | You can't cast a spell for both its cleave cost and another alternative cost. For example, if an effect gives an Alchemist's Retrieval in your graveyard a flashback cost of , you can't cast it from your graveyard for its cleave cost. |
