Jalum Tome MTG Card

Jalum Tome provides draws at instant speed, boosting flexibility and strategic depth during matches. It carries combo potential and can enhance graveyard-based strategies through its discard mechanic. Effective Jalum Tome use demands careful consideration of tempo and resource management.
Card setsReleased in 16 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact

Text of card

: Draw a card from your library, then immediately discard a card of your choice to your graveyard.

This timeworn relic was responsible for many of Urza's victories, though he never fully comprehended its mystical runes.

Cards like Jalum Tome

In the landscape of artifact-based card draw in MTG, Jalum Tome positions itself as a durable option for players looking to sustain card advantage. It shares its core functionality with other card-drawing artifacts like Jayemdae Tome, which also allows players to pay mana and tap it for drawing a card. However, the distinction lies in Jalum Tome’s additional cost of discarding a card, allowing for deck cycling and potential graveyard synergy.

Next in line for comparison is Arcane Encyclopedia, an artifact that forgoes the discard requirement for a higher mana investment upon activation. While Jalum Tome can help filter unwanted cards from the hand, Arcane Encyclopedia is preferable in situations where retaining hand size is crucial. Mind Stone, another relative in this category, offers a less expensive draw ability with the trade-off of being a single-use effect and doubling as a mana source.

Assessing the balance between cost, utility, and the opportunity for strategic deck interaction, Jalum Tome provides a unique role in MTG. It flourishes in decks that benefit from managing hand and graveyard resources, making it a notable competitor among card-drawing artifacts.

Jayemdae Tome - MTG Card versions
Arcane Encyclopedia - MTG Card versions
Mind Stone - MTG Card versions
Jayemdae Tome - MTG Card versions
Arcane Encyclopedia - MTG Card versions
Mind Stone - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Jalum Tome provides a consistent method for drawing extra cards, ensuring that players have access to more options and strategies throughout the match.

Resource Acceleration: While Jalum Tome itself doesn’t directly produce mana or accelerate resources, the additional cards drawn can lead to resource acceleration by giving players a higher chance of drawing into land drops or mana ramp spells.

Instant Speed: The ability to activate Jalum Tome at instant speed gives players the flexibility to use their mana efficiently, keeping options open until they have full information on the opponent’s actions.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Jalum Tome demands a player to discard a card to activate its ability, a steep price that can deplete a player’s hand and potentially discard key pieces of a strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: This artifact requires not only a two generic mana to cast but also an additional two mana of any color to use its ability. This can be a significant investment turn after turn, particularly in mana-hungry decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating card draw options, Jalum Tome’s combined investment for casting and activation is notably high. Other card draw methods offer more immediate or cost-effective benefits, presenting a challenge when choosing to include Jalum Tome in a competitive environment.

Reasons to Include Jalum Tome in Your Collection

Versatility: Jalum Tome is a flexible option for nearly any deck looking to improve card selection. This artifact allows players to dig deeper into their library at the cost of a small mana investment and discarding a card.

Combo Potential: The discard effect of Jalum Tome can be leveraged in decks that thrive on graveyard strategies, enabling it to become a key component in recursive or reanimation combos.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state crowded with strategy-specific hate cards, Jalum Tome’s subtle value can fly under the radar, avoiding common artifact removal while providing consistent card flow, making it a useful tool in various meta scenarios.

How to Beat Jalum Tome

Jalum Tome presents a unique challenge within Magic: The Gathering, operating as an artifact that allows a player to draw additional cards at the expense of discarding. This can be a key factor in games where card advantage plays a pivotal role. To counter Jalum Tome, smart deck construction and strategic plays are essential. Including artifact removal such as Disenchant or Abrade can dismantle your opponent’s card draw engines efficiently. Moreover, strategies that punish discarding, like cards with Madness or those triggering off discard like Liliana’s Caress, could turn the tables on a Tome user.

Denying your opponent the opportunity to utilize their Tome to its full potential is the end goal. Employing hand disruption techniques to extract the Tome from their hand before it takes effect, using cards like Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek, can be highly effective. It’s also worth considering the timing of your removal spells. Waiting until the opponent invests mana to activate the Tome’s ability before destroying it can set them back significantly in terms of both tempo and resources.

Effectively combating Jalum Tome requires vigilance and prompt reaction through either direct removal or disruptive strategies that mitigate the card’s benefits. By anticipating this artifact’s influence on the game and planning ahead, it can be reduced from a potential threat to a mere footnote in your path to victory.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Jalum Tome MTG card by a specific set like Antiquities and Chronicles, 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 Jalum Tome and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Jalum Tome Magic the Gathering card was released in 12 different sets between 1994-03-04 and 2023-01-13. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11994-03-04AntiquitiesATQ 541993NormalBlackTom Wänerstrand
21995-07-01ChroniclesCHR 1011993NormalWhiteTom Wänerstrand
31995-08-01RinascimentoRIN 1271993NormalBlackTom Wänerstrand
41996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC ll541993NormalGoldTom Wänerstrand
51996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC ll54sb1993NormalGoldTom Wänerstrand
61997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 3821997NormalWhiteTom Wänerstrand
71999-04-21Classic Sixth Edition6ED 2941997NormalWhiteTom Wänerstrand
82001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 3031997NormalWhiteJerry Tiritilli
92001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 303★1997NormalBlackJerry Tiritilli
102014-11-07Commander 2014C14 2422015NormalBlackJerry Tiritilli
112018-06-08Commander Anthology Volume IICM2 1942015NormalBlackJerry Tiritilli
122020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 3182015NormalBlackJerry Tiritilli
132022-11-18The Brothers' War Retro ArtifactsBRR 241997NormalBlackJerry Tiritilli
142022-11-18The Brothers' War Retro ArtifactsBRR 87z1997NormalBlackBen Hill
152022-11-18The Brothers' War Retro ArtifactsBRR 871997NormalBlackBen Hill
162023-01-13Dominaria RemasteredDMR 2262015NormalBlackJerry Tiritilli

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Jalum Tome has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
CommanderLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
BrawlLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Jalum Tome card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2020-11-10 You draw a card and discard a card all while Jalum Tome's ability is resolving. Nothing can happen in between, and no player can choose to take actions.