Failed Inspection MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Failed Inspection enhances hand quality with its draw ability, pivotal for control strategy efficiency.
  2. Instant speed play offers flexibility, enabling adaptive responses to an opponent’s moves.
  3. While versatile, its discard requirement and specific mana cost can be restrictive.

Text of card

Counter target spell. Draw a card, then discard a card.

The most dangerous thing an artificer can do is believe an invention is perfect.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Failed Inspection offers the strategic edge of card selection by allowing a player to draw a card upon resolving. This benefit is crucial for decks that thrive on maintaining a hand quality advantage over opponents, ensuring that your resources are always at their most efficient.

Resource Acceleration: While not providing direct mana acceleration, Failed Inspection indirectly supports resource management by allowing you to filter your cards. Efficiently cycling through your deck can easily lead to finding those key pieces that accelerate your board state more quickly than your adversary.

Instant Speed: The ability to play Failed Inspection at instant speed gives players significant tactical flexibility. You can wait until the last possible moment before making a decision, adapting to the ever-changing game state, and disrupting opponents’ strategies with a well-timed play. This adaptability is a defining trait of successful control strategies.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Failed Inspection is its demand for players to discard a card to activate its counter ability. This can create challenging scenarios, especially when a player’s hand is already dwindling and each card’s strategic value is at a premium.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Failed Inspection includes both colorless and blue mana, which specifically ties it to blue-aligned or multicolor decks. Players running other color combinations would find this card incompatible with their mana base, thus restricting this card’s versatility across different deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of three mana (two colorless and one blue), this spell’s mana requirement is a tad high for the counter effect it provides. Within the MTG card pool, numerous alternatives are available that counter spells for less mana, thereby offering more tempo advantage to players looking to maintain a lean and efficient deck.


Reasons to Include Failed Inspection in Your Collection

Versatility: Failed Inspection has the flexibility to be included in multiple deck archetypes. It serves as both a counterspell and a means to cycle through your deck, effectively thinning it for improved draw quality.

Combo Potential: This card can contribute to strategies that capitalize on discard or draw mechanics. It synergizes well with cards that trigger when you draw or when a spell is countered, offering a dual benefit on a single card.

Meta-Relevance: In a playing environment where key spells can determine the pace of the game, Failed Inspection provides a countermeasure against opponents’ crucial plays. Staying one step ahead in the current meta often means disrupting your opponent’s plans while progressing your own, making this card a tactical choice for any collection.


How to beat

Failed Inspection is an intriguing card that poses a unique challenge on the battlefield. Its ability to counter target spell alongside the requirement to discard a card can catch many players off guard. This card compares to other counter spells such as Negate, which solely counters noncreature spells without the discard, making it more restricted in scope. However, Failed Inspection broadens the spectrum by targeting any spell, giving it a tactical edge in more versatile situations.

Constraint is another spell worth mentioning, which also demands a discard, yet only offers a single card draw. Failed Inspection, in contrast, draws you two cards, significantly increasing your hand advantage. Disallow, on the other hand, can counter any spell, activated ability, or triggered ability—a potent flexibility that Failed Inspection cannot match, but it does so without the added benefit of card draw. To beat Failed Inspection, consider timing your spells to bait out the counter and make sure to keep track of your opponent’s blue mana and hand size, as these are key indicators of a potential counter play.

In essence, navigating around Failed Inspection requires strategic spellcasting and understanding the ebb and flow of your opponent’s tactics. With careful play, you can mitigate its impact and maintain control over the game.


Cards like Failed Inspection

Failed Inspection follows a tradition of counter and draw spells in Magic: The Gathering, with a specific place in the game’s strategy. It’s particularly akin to cards like Cancel, a classic in the control archetype, negating an opponent’s spell with a straightforward three-mana cost. However, Failed Inspection adds a layer, allowing a player to also draw a card at the cost of discarding one. This can be a valuable trade, especially in decks that benefit from graveyard interactions.

Comparing it to other cards such as Dissolve, which also counters a spell and provides a scry benefit for the same mana cost, Failed Inspection trades immediate knowledge of the next card for potentially deeper deck cycling. Disallow is another relative, offering a versatile counter that deals with spells, abilities, and triggers. Even though Disallow doesn’t facilitate card draw, it compensates with comprehensive control. Failed Inspection, while versatile, cannot directly compete with the breadth of Disallow’s reach but offers card filtering to potentially reach the perfect answer in your deck.

In essence, Failed Inspection is a dynamic tool for players who appreciate the dual action of disrupting an opponent while cycling through their own deck — a capability that makes it a card worth considering for decks that capitalize on every card interaction.

Cancel - MTG Card versions
Dissolve - MTG Card versions
Disallow - MTG Card versions
Cancel - Time Spiral (TSP)
Dissolve - Theros (THS)
Disallow - Aether Revolt Promos (PAER)

Cards similar to Failed Inspection by color, type and mana cost

Deflection - MTG Card versions
Ray of Command - MTG Card versions
Inspiration - MTG Card versions
Turnabout - MTG Card versions
Quash - MTG Card versions
Foil - MTG Card versions
Thwart - MTG Card versions
Plagiarize - MTG Card versions
Fact or Fiction - MTG Card versions
Cryptic Command - MTG Card versions
Urza's Command - MTG Card versions
Fold into Aether - MTG Card versions
Part the Veil - MTG Card versions
Gifts Ungiven - MTG Card versions
Surging Aether - MTG Card versions
Careful Consideration - MTG Card versions
Gifts Given - MTG Card versions
Discombobulate - MTG Card versions
Permafrost Trap - MTG Card versions
Bone to Ash - MTG Card versions
Deflection - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Ray of Command - Commander 2011 (CMD)
Inspiration - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Turnabout - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Quash - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Foil - Prophecy (PCY)
Thwart - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Plagiarize - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Fact or Fiction - The Brothers' War Commander (BRC)
Cryptic Command - Amonkhet Invocations (MP2)
Urza's Command - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Fold into Aether - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Part the Veil - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Gifts Ungiven - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Surging Aether - Coldsnap (CSP)
Careful Consideration - Modern Masters (MMA)
Gifts Given - Happy Holidays (HHO)
Discombobulate - Tenth Edition (10E)
Permafrost Trap - Worldwake (WWK)
Bone to Ash - Core Set 2020 (M20)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Failed Inspection MTG card by a specific set like Kaladesh and Mystery Booster, 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 Failed Inspection and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Failed Inspection Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2016-09-30 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Matt Stewart.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-09-30KaladeshKLD 472015normalblackMatt Stewart
22019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 3742015normalblackMatt Stewart
32020-09-26The ListPLST KLD-472015normalblackMatt Stewart

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Failed Inspection has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

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