Shaman's Trance MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Instant |
| Released | 2002-05-27 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Judgment |
| Set code | JUD |
| Number | 98 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Greg Hildebrandt |
Key Takeaways
- Shaman’s Trance lets you cast spells from opponent’s graveyards, potentially changing the course of the game.
- It’s beneficial in decks focusing on graveyard strategies, adding an unexpected layer to your game plan.
- Counter this card with graveyard hate or instant disruption to mitigate its game-altering effects.
Text of card
Until end of turn, other players can't play cards from their graveyards, and you may play cards from other players' graveyards as though they were in your graveyard.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Shaman’s Trance presents a unique opportunity to tap into your opponent’s graveyard as a resource. This can lead to gaining a significant card advantage by utilizing spells and creatures your opponent has already used.
Resource Acceleration: By having access to your opponent’s spells, Shaman’s Trance can effectively accelerate your resources, providing you with additional options and effectively increasing your mana pool for a turn.
Instant Speed: As an instant, Shaman’s Trance allows players to wait until the ideal moment to cast, potentially during the late game when graveyards are ripe with spells, maximizing the card’s impact and disrupting the opponent’s strategy.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Shaman’s Trance card doesn’t have a discard condition, but it does require careful timing and a specific game state to be effective. If your opponent doesn’t have cards in their graveyard that are beneficial to you, its impact can be minimal.
Specific Mana Cost: Shaman’s Trance requires a precise mana arrangement to cast, which includes both generic and red mana. This specific mana cost may not align well with all deck types, particularly those that are not red-centric or that have a diverse color base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its somewhat high mana cost, Shaman’s Trance may compete with other impactful spells in your deck for the same mana slot. Considering the cost, it’s worth weighing whether its potential benefits justify its inclusion over lower-cost alternatives that have a more immediate impact on the game state.
Reasons to Include Shaman’s Trance in Your Collection
Versatility: Shaman’s Trance offers a unique effect that can seamlessly integrate into strategies centered around graveyard play. It finds its place in decks that manipulate both your own and opponents’ graveyards, converting potential threats into assets.
Combo Potential: This card can serve as a key piece in combos, unlocking powerful synergies by granting access to spells in all players’ graveyards for a turn. This can lead to unexpected and game-changing plays.
Meta-Relevance: In game environments where graveyard interaction is prevalent or when facing decks that rely on their graveyards for fuel, Shaman’s Trance can be a crucial sideboard card that turns opponent’s strategies against them.
How to beat
Shaman’s Trance is a unique spell in Magic: The Gathering that challenges the traditional boundaries of card usage by allowing players to tap into their opponents’ graveyard for the turn. This can effortlessly turn the tides of a game, particularly in formats where graveyards brim with potent spells.
To effectively counteract Shaman’s Trance, consider using graveyard hate cards or strategies that exile or remove cards from the graveyard, like Rest in Peace or Tormod’s Crypt. Additionally, instant speed disruption, such as counterspells, can prevent Shaman’s Trance from resolving in the first place. Cards like Grafdigger’s Cage can render it virtually ineffective by preventing players from playing spells from graveyards.
Understanding the meta and preparing your sideboard with appropriate counters are key to outmaneuvering Shaman’s Trance’s potential impact. It’s a reminder that flexibility and foresight in deck building can dictate the pace of the match and ultimately swing the game in your favor, even when faced with such an unconventional card.
Cards like Shaman's Trance
Shaman’s Trance journeys into a unique segment within the MTG universe, tapping into an opponent’s graveyard for spellcasting potential. Its parallels to cards like Yawgmoth’s Will are intriguing; both grant access to the powerful pool of cards that are no longer in the primary library. Nonetheless, Shaman’s Trance permits only the casting of spells from an opponent’s graveyard, whereas Yawgmoth’s Will liberates your own graveyard, presenting a wide array of personal strategies.
Delving deeper, we find Memory Plunder, which also reaches into the opponent’s graveyard territory, albeit with a focus on instant or sorcery cards. It’s an on-the-spot effect without the broader access provided by Shaman’s Trance. Moreover, there’s Wrexial, the Risen Deep, which exiles instant and sorcery cards from opponents’ graveyards by dealing combat damage, offering a creature-based approach to exploiting graveyard contents.
In essence, Shaman’s Trance emerges with a distinct niche, enabling players to craft unexpected plays using opponents’ resources. When contrasting it with alternatives, the card emerges as a tactical choice for those looking to explore unconventional angles and disrupt traditional graveyard strategies in MTG gameplay.
Cards similar to Shaman's Trance by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Shaman's Trance MTG card by a specific set like Judgment, 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 Shaman's Trance 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Shaman's Trance has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Shaman's Trance card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | This card does not allow you to activate the abilities of cards in other people’s graveyards. |
| 2004-10-04 | You can use Flashback on cards to cast them. |
