Ivory Cup MTG Card
1993-08-05 - Number 251
1993-10-04 - Number 252
1993-12-01 - Number 252
1993-12-10 - Number 252
1993-12-10 - Number 252
1994-04-01 - Number 253
1994-04-01 - Number 253
1994-06-21 - Number 253
1995-04-01 - Number 327
1995-04-01 - Number 327
1997-03-24 - Number 380
1999-04-21 - Number 292
2001-04-11 - Number 302
2001-04-11 - Number 302★
2003-07-28 - Number 305
2003-07-28 - Number 305★
2022-11-28 - Number 545
2022-11-28 - Number 248
| Card sets | Released in 18 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact |
Text of card
o1: Any white spell cast by any player gives you 1 life.
Cards like Ivory Cup
The Ivory Cup, a notable artifact from early Magic: The Gathering sets, serves as a modest life-gaining utility piece in a player’s deck. It finds its parallel in brother cards like Wooden Sphere which functions similarly, triggering life gain with the casting of spells of a certain color, albeit focusing on green mana symbols instead of white. The Ivory Cup grants life with white spells, which can be essential in sustaining oneself in prolonged matches.
Turning our attention to other life-gain artifacts, we encounter Dragon’s Claw, which operates under the same principle but is aligned with red spells. This color-specific trait means while Ivory Cup might support white-based defensive strategies, Dragon’s Claw can be more aligned with aggressive red decks that aim to deal quick damage. Still, it provides the life-gain advantage that could mean the difference in tight game scenarios.
Ultimately, while there are various life gain artifacts in Magic: The Gathering, the Ivory Cup holds its ground as a source of incremental advantage, especially in decks that feature a heavy white mana curve and seek to leverage every white spell cast into a small cushion of health.
Cards similar to Ivory Cup by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While not directly impacting card draw, the Ivory Cup can potentially lead to accruing an advantage over time. By gaining life each turn, it enables you to outlast your opponent, effectively offering a form of indirect card advantage through superior board stability.
Resource Acceleration: The Ivory Cup may not accelerate resources in the traditional sense of providing mana or ramp, but it can be a cost-effective way to leverage the life-gained into other cards or abilities that reward you for gaining life, thereby indirectly contributing to your resource acceleration.
Instant Speed: The ability to use the Ivory Cup at instant speed is a subtle yet vital aspect. It allows you to react to your opponent’s moves during their turn, gaining life in response to actions that would otherwise impact your life total, and can be especially effective when timed appropriately in a match.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Ivory Cup requires a card to be discarded onto the battlefield, which could compromise your hand and strategy, especially when your resources are dwindling.
Specific Mana Cost: This artifact needs a dedicated white mana source, which can restrict deck building to some extent, as it must cater to a mono-white or at least a white-inclusive mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost to activate the Ivory Cup’s ability is notable, as one mana for a single life point is a substantial investment compared to other life gain or utility artifacts available in the game.
Reasons to Include Ivory Cup in Your Collection
Versatility: Ivory Cup stands out for its flexibility, easily slotting into a variety of white-based decks. Its mana ability to gain life offers a subtle yet steady option for longer matches, bolstering defensive strategies where survival is key.
Combo Potential: The life gain mechanic of Ivory Cup pairs well with cards that thrive on lifegain triggers. In particular, it can be a linchpin in decks that manipulate life totals for effects like creature buffs or alternative win conditions.
Meta-Relevance: Given that aggressive red decks often make an appearance in the meta, Ivory Cup can serve as a smart sideboard card. Its ability to gain life can be crucial in outpacing burn strategies, tipping the scales in your favor during drawn-out duels.
How to Beat Ivory Cup
The Ivory Cup, while an artifact from the earlier sets of Magic: The Gathering, presents a unique inclusion in decks focused on life gain strategies. Its ability to provide incremental life gain with each white spell cast can seem like a small advantage at first, though it accumulates value over time, particularly in mono-white or heavy white decks. Given its specific trigger condition, defeating a strategy that includes this artifact is about undercutting its utility.
Managing the battlefield against decks that leverage Ivory Cup requires targeted removal for artifacts or employing strategies that avoid white spells. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant can directly address the Cup, nullifying its life-gain potential. Additionally, countering key white spells with counterspells such as Negate or Mana Leak can help restrain the lifegain triggers. It’s also viable to adopt an aggressive stance, focusing on reducing the opponent’s life total quickly, thereby rendering the gradual life gain from the Cup inconsequential in the face of overwhelming damage. In doing so, the Ivory Cup’s impact can be mitigated, positioning you favorably in the matchup.
Through tactical counterplay and a solid understanding of your opponent’s strategy, turning the tide against the seemingly trivial advantage of the Ivory Cup can be achieved with thoughtful play and deck construction.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ivory Cup MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Ivory Cup 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Ivory Cup Magic the Gathering card was released in 15 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
Show/hide all sets| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1993-08-05 | Limited Edition Alpha | LEA | 251 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 2 | 1993-10-04 | Limited Edition Beta | LEB | 252 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 3 | 1993-12-01 | Unlimited Edition | 2ED | 252 | 1993 | Normal | White | Anson Maddocks | |
| 4 | 1993-12-10 | Intl. Collectors' Edition | CEI | 252 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 5 | 1993-12-10 | Collectors' Edition | CED | 252 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 6 | 1994-04-01 | Revised Edition | 3ED | 253 | 1993 | Normal | White | Anson Maddocks | |
| 7 | 1994-04-01 | Foreign Black Border | FBB | 253 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 8 | 1994-06-21 | Summer Magic / Edgar | SUM | 253 | 1993 | Normal | White | Anson Maddocks | |
| 9 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border | 4BB | 327 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 10 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition | 4ED | 327 | 1993 | Normal | White | Anson Maddocks | |
| 11 | 1997-03-24 | Fifth Edition | 5ED | 380 | 1997 | Normal | White | Donato Giancola | |
| 12 | 1999-04-21 | Classic Sixth Edition | 6ED | 292 | 1997 | Normal | White | Donato Giancola | |
| 13 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 302 | 1997 | Normal | White | Alan Pollack | |
| 14 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 302★ | 1997 | Normal | Black | Alan Pollack | |
| 15 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 305 | 2003 | Normal | White | Donato Giancola | |
| 16 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 305★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Donato Giancola | |
| 17 | 2022-11-28 | 30th Anniversary Edition | 30A | 545 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 18 | 2022-11-28 | 30th Anniversary Edition | 30A | 248 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ivory Cup has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |