No Way Out MTG Card

No Way Out - Innistrad: Midnight Hunt (MID)

Innistrad: Midnight Hunt (MID)
2021-09-24 - Number 116

No Way Out - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)

Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
2022-01-28 - Number 116

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery

Key Takeaways

No Way Out cripples opponent tactics while awarding you with a strategic Zombie token.
The card’s casting requirements may limit its deck versatility and overall use.
Its discard effect and token generation make it a strong option in specific metas.

Text of card

Target opponent discards two cards. You create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token with decayed. (It can't block. When it attacks, sacrifice it at end of combat.)

In the maze-like passages of the Erdwal, a wrong turn can be fatal.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: No Way Out is a valuable asset for disrupting your opponent’s hand while bolstering your own with a Zombie token that can become essential in board presence.

Resource Acceleration: This card excels at forcing your opponent to discard, which indirectly accelerates your resource advantage by depleting theirs, potentially giving you a tactical edge.

Instant Speed: As a sorcery, No Way Out sets the stage for strategic plays during your main phase, crafting opportunities to optimize your turns by manipulating both players’ hands.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the primary drawbacks of No Way Out is its requirement for the player to discard a card. This can become particularly challenging when the player’s hand is already depleted, forcing them to make potentially detrimental decisions that could affect their game strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: No Way Out’s casting cost is narrowly defined, requiring two black mana. This specificity can restrict the card’s integration into multi-colored decks, potentially diminishing its versatility across various deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a total cost of three mana, which includes two black mana, No Way Out can be considered to have a high mana cost for its effects compared to other cards in the current meta. Players may find it less appealing when there are alternative discard spells or effects available that provide a greater advantage for the same or lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: No Way Out offers flexibility in deck building, seamlessly integrating into various control or midrange strategies that prize disruption and resource denial.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to force opponents to discard has synergies with strategies centered around discard triggers and graveyard manipulation, enabling powerful interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In environments dominated by hand-reliant combo or control decks, No Way Out’s discard effect can significantly disrupt opponents’ plans, making it a timely addition to your arsenal.

How to beat

Understanding how to navigate around No Way Out in Magic the Gathering can be crucial in maintaining an edge during gameplay. This card acts as a disruption tool, forcing opponents to discard two cards while granting you a Zombie token. When faced with it, consider the relative value of your hand and which losses could be most recoverable. Manage your resources wisely, holding onto key cards that can either recover your hand size quickly or counteract the disadvantage.

Playing around No Way Out often involves strategies like pacing out your valuable spells to avoid overcommitting, as well as leveraging any available graveyard interactions, such as Flashback or spells that thrive on card count in the graveyard. Utilize instant-speed draw effects or abilities to replenish your hand, mitigating the impact of this discard spell. Strategic deck-building to include such cards anticipates and softens the blow of discard strategies.

Ultimately, overcoming the disruption posed by No Way Out boils down to foresight, hand management, and the inclusion of recovery mechanisms within your deck. This ensures you stay in control and minimize the disruption’s impact on your game plan.

Cards like No Way Out

No Way Out is an intriguing option for players seeking to disrupt their opponent’s hands in Magic: The Gathering. This card bears resemblance to Mind Rot, which is also known for making an opponent discard two cards. The distinction, though, lies in No Way Out’s additional ability to create a Decayed Zombie token, providing a tactical advantage on the board.

Delving into the realm of discard spells, Miasmic Mummy is another card that prompts discard, but it requires both players to do so, potentially a drawback compared to the one-sided effect of No Way Out. Additionally, No Way Out’s ability to impact the battlefield with a creature token sets it apart from the symmetrical discard effect of Miasmic Mummy.

Upon examining the strategic value of discard cards, No Way Out offers players both a method to distress opponents by diminishing their options and an extra creature to advance board state, making it a considerable choice in decks centered around disrupting the opponent’s hand and delivering steady pressure on the playing field.

Cards similar to No Way Out by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase No Way Out MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Innistrad: Double Feature, 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 No Way Out and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The No Way Out Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-09-24 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Sebastian Giacobino.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2021-09-24	Innistrad: Midnight Hunt	MID		116	2015	Normal	Black	Sebastian Giacobino
2	2022-01-28	Innistrad: Double Feature	DBL		116	2015	Normal	Black	Sebastian Giacobino

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where No Way Out has restrictions

Format	Legality
Standard	Legal
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Future	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering No Way Out card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2021-09-24	Decayed does not create any attacking requirements. You may choose not to attack with a creature that has decayed.
2021-09-24	Decayed does not grant haste. Creatures with decayed that enter the battlefield during your turn may not attack until your next turn.
2021-09-24	Decayed represents a static ability and a triggered ability. "Decayed" means "This creature can't block" and "When this creature attacks, sacrifice it at end of combat."
2021-09-24	Once a creature with decayed attacks, it will be sacrificed at end of combat, even if it no longer has decayed at that time.