Well-Laid Plans MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment
Released	2000-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Invasion
Set code	INV
Number	88
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Kev Walker

Key Takeaways

Dictate draws with Well-Laid Plans, setting up future turns for strategic advantage.
Gain instant speed flexibility, responding to opponents without losing turn momentum.
Resource acceleration can lead to impactful plays quicker with this enchantment.

Text of card

Prevent all damage that would be dealt to a creature by another creature if they share a color.

"I knew this day would come," said Urza. Looking at the destruction, Barrin sighed, "You don't have to revel in it."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Well-Laid Plans offers you the ability to dictate your next draws, ensuring you have the right tools at the right time and potentially outmaneuvering your opponent by setting up favorable scenarios.

Resource Acceleration: By ensuring that you draw into your mana sources or action cards efficiently, Well-Laid Plans can indirectly speed up your resource development, leading to faster and more impactful plays.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Well-Laid Plans at instant speed gives you the upper hand by allowing you to respond to your opponent’s moves, adapt to the evolving board state, and execute your strategy without having to commit during your own turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Well-Laid Plans necessitates discarding a card to activate its ability. This can be a strategic setback, especially if your hand is already depleted from previous plays, leaving you at a potential disadvantage and accelerating the rate at which you run out of options.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Well-Laid Plans includes a demand for blue mana. This requirement confines the card’s integration largely to blue-centric or compatible multicolor decks, potentially hindering its inclusion in decks that cannot reliably produce blue mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activation cost that is substantial when assessed against similar strategic effects, Well-Laid Plans might not be the most efficient option available. Players might find other cards with lower costs or more impactful abilities to plan their game strategy around.

Reasons to Include Well-Laid Plans in Your Collection

Versatility: Well-Laid Plans is a unique enchantment that can seamlessly integrate into decks requiring defensive strategies. It allows you to keep your creatures safe while setting up for the right moment to strike or defend.

Combo Potential: This card can be a cornerstone in decks that aim to execute intricate combos, as it protects key combo pieces from being targeted. With Well-Laid Plans on the field, there’s an added assurance that your crucial creatures will be there when you need them.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the fluctuating MTG meta, having Well-Laid Plans can tilt matches in your favor, especially in environments where direct removal is prevalent. It supports strategies that demand time to mature on the battlefield without the threat of interference from your opponents’ targeted spells.

How to beat

Well-Laid Plans is a unique enchantment encountered in Magic: The Gathering that enables a player to conceal their defensive strategy from their opponent. This element of surprise can be an integral part of ensuring your victory. Unlike cards which may be more straightforward in their use, Well-Laid Plans requires strategic finesse and timing to fully capitalize on its potential advantage.

To counteract Well-Laid Plans, prioritize spells and abilities that provide precise and direct removal of enchantments. Flexibility in your deck, in the form of versatile removal options, can serve as a valuable measure against such conditional cards. Efficient resource management also becomes crucial; maintaining a reserve of mana for the times when Well-Laid Plans is likely to take effect could turn the tide in your favor.

In essence, while devising strategies against Well-Laid Plans, consider it’s not merely about playing more cards – it’s about playing the right ones at the opportune moments. Resilience and adaptation, coupled with an awareness of your opponent’s patterns, distinguish proactive players in MTG, making the difference between being caught off guard or effectively dismantling the foundations of a Well-Laid Plans strategy.

Cards like Well-Laid Plans

Well-Laid Plans brings strategic depth to deck protection in Magic: The Gathering. This enchantment is often held in comparison with Ghostly Prison for its ability to deter attacks. While Ghostly Prison requires opponents to pay mana for each attacking creature, Well-Laid Plans takes a different approach. It discourages assaults by rewarding the defending player with the opportunity to draw cards unless the attacker meets the card’s specific conditions.

Propaganda is another card that serves a similar function. Much like Ghostly Prison, it acts as a deterrent by taxing the attacker’s mana. Nevertheless, Well-Laid Plans stands unique in its passive card advantage capability. Then there’s Collective Restraint, which can potentially provide an even wider scope of defense based on the variety of basic land types controlled. However, it’s worth noting that Collective Restraint’s protection can cost more and requires a diverse mana base.

By looking at its functionality alongside other defensive enchantments, it’s clear that Well-Laid Plans can hold its own. Its distinctive approach can transform defensive play into an opportunity for card advantage, potentially tipping the scales in the controller’s favor during a match.

Collective Restraint - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Well-Laid Plans by color, type and mana cost

Threads of Disloyalty - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Well-Laid Plans MTG card by a specific set like Invasion, 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 Well-Laid Plans and other MTG cards: