Depart the Realm MTG Card


Depart the Realm - Kaldheim
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeInstant
Abilities Foretell
Released2021-02-05
Set symbol
Set nameKaldheim
Set codeKHM
Number53
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byDenman Rooke

Key Takeaways

  1. Instant speed enables flexible playmaking, pivotal for MTG’s unpredictable game states and adept strategizing.
  2. Depart the Realm can be a decisive play, bouncing key nonland permanents, substantially altering board dynamics.
  3. A valuable piece in decks emphasizing blue mana and enter-the-battlefield effects for enduring MTG gameplay.

Text of card

Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand. Foretell (During your turn, you may pay and exile this card from your hand face down. Cast it on a later turn for its foretell cost.)

"My home calls to me, I must go."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Depart the Realm provides a crucial tactical edge by bouncing a target nonland permanent back to its owner’s hand. This often results in card advantage as you can disrupt your opponent’s synergies or save your own permanents from removal.

Resource Acceleration: While Depart the Realm doesn’t directly accelerate resources like producing mana, it can indirectly impact resource management by returning a key permanent to be replayed. This could potentially untap lands or reuse enter-the-battlefield effects that generate resources.

Instant Speed: The strength of this card is further enhanced by its instant-speed nature, allowing for flexible responses to threats or unfavorable board states on the fly, without needing to commit during one’s own turn. This adaptability can be an incredible asset in the tempo of a game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One challenge of using Depart the Realm is the potential need to surrender another card from your hand to pay its foretell cost. This can make you hesitate to play it when card advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: Depart the Realm has a blue mana requirement. This restricts it to decks that can produce blue mana reliably, which might be a stumbling block when building more color-diverse decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that might be considered steep for its bounce effect, Depart the Realm competes with other spells that perhaps offer more utility or versatility at the same or a lower cost point within the game.


Reasons to Include Depart the Realm in Your Collection

Versatility: Depart the Realm offers a flexible answer to threats as a bounce spell that can be utilized in any deck featuring blue mana. Capable of returning both creatures and noncreature permanents to an opponent’s hand, it can disrupt a variety of board states.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks that capitalize on cast triggers or enter-the-battlefield effects. With its foretell ability, it also can be set aside for a reduced cost, enabling more intricate turn planning and saving mana for critical plays.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where tempo plays can sway the tide of battle, Depart the Realm holds its ground. Its ability to remove troublesome permanents or clear the way for a winning strike makes it a tactically smart inclusion in your arsenal.


How to beat

Depart the Realm offers flexibility and tempo advantage for players in Magic: The Gathering, providing a useful trick to bounce creatures or artifacts back to their owner’s hand. If you’re facing this card, it’s important to anticipate the potential for opponents to undo your threats or save their own assets at a crucial moment. To counteract this, consider adjusting your play to maintain mana for counterspells if your strategy relies heavily on a specific creature or artifact’s presence on the battlefield.

Another effective strategy is to bait out Depart the Realm by playing less critical spells before executing more impactful ones. This ensures that your key cards remain on the field. Additionally, deploying permanents with enter the battlefield effects can provide you with value even if Depart the Realm returns them to your hand. Lastly, leveraging cards that restrict spell casting or increase the casting cost of instants can make Depart the Realm less efficient, ensuring your permanents stick around longer.

Ultimately, while Depart the Realm can disrupt your plays, smart maneuvering and strategic baiting can mitigate its impact, allowing you to maintain control over the game state and outwit your opponents in Magic: The Gathering.


BurnMana Recommendations

With Depart the Realm adding strategic depth to your MTG gameplay, every match provides an opportunity to outmaneuver your opponent. Navigating the tides of battle with this card can mean turning the tables at a moment’s notice. Whether it’s disrupting enemy combos or safeguarding your key permanents, this instant spell embodies the cunning required for MTG success. We encourage you to delve deeper into its applications, refine your deck-building techniques, and harness the full potential of your magic arsenal. Explore further with us and ensure your deck is not just ready, but strategically formidable for any challenge that lies ahead.


Cards like Depart the Realm

Depart the Realm offers MTG enthusiasts a tactical advantage by bouncing creatures or enchantments back to their owner’s hands. This instant spell bears similarities with cards like Unsummon, allowing players to disrupt opponent’s strategies at a low mana cost. While Unsummon focuses solely on creatures, Depart the Realm’s inclusivity of enchantments widens the scope for defense and control within a match.

Another comparable card is Expel from Orazca, which provides the flexibility of Ascend, granting a permanent answer if you have the city’s blessing. However, the higher mana cost and the specific requirement to achieve Ascend can make it a less accessible choice for quick plays. Depart the Realm’s simplicity and lower cost can sometimes be more convenient when immediate board impact is necessary.

In comparing the options, the instant nature of Depart the Realm is a considerable asset, providing players the element of surprise and the chance to react swiftly to changing game states, positioning it as a preferential choice for players seeking versatile and responsive interaction with opponents’ strategies in Magic: The Gathering.

Unsummon - MTG Card versions
Expel from Orazca - MTG Card versions
Unsummon - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Expel from Orazca - Rivals of Ixalan (RIX)

Cards similar to Depart the Realm by color, type and mana cost

Counterspell - MTG Card versions
Hurkyl's Recall - MTG Card versions
Hypnotic Sprite // Mesmeric Glare - MTG Card versions
Lat-Nam's Legacy - MTG Card versions
Flash - MTG Card versions
Boomerang - MTG Card versions
Rebound - MTG Card versions
Memory Lapse - MTG Card versions
Hoodwink - MTG Card versions
Tidal Bore - MTG Card versions
Accumulated Knowledge - MTG Card versions
Impulse - MTG Card versions
Cyclonic Rift - MTG Card versions
Thassa's Intervention - MTG Card versions
Metamorphose - MTG Card versions
Echoing Truth - MTG Card versions
Early Frost - MTG Card versions
Mana Leak - MTG Card versions
Remand - MTG Card versions
Vision Skeins - MTG Card versions
Counterspell - Commander Masters (CMM)
Hurkyl's Recall - Antiquities (ATQ)
Hypnotic Sprite // Mesmeric Glare - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Lat-Nam's Legacy - Alliances (ALL)
Flash - Mirage (MIR)
Boomerang - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Rebound - Stronghold (STH)
Memory Lapse - Strixhaven Mystical Archive (STA)
Hoodwink - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Tidal Bore - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Accumulated Knowledge - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Impulse - Game Night: Free-for-All (GN3)
Cyclonic Rift - Commander Masters (CMM)
Thassa's Intervention - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Metamorphose - Scourge (SCG)
Echoing Truth - Modern Masters (MMA)
Early Frost - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Mana Leak - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)
Remand - Duel Decks: Jace vs. Vraska (DDM)
Vision Skeins - Commander 2013 (C13)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Depart the Realm MTG card by a specific set like Kaldheim, 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 Depart the Realm and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Depart the Realm has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-02-05 Because exiling a card with foretell from your hand is a special action, you can do so any time you have priority during your turn, including in response to spells and abilities. Once you announce you’re taking the action, no other player can respond by trying to remove the card from your hand.
2021-02-05 Casting a foretold card from exile follows the timing rules for that card. If you foretell an instant card, you can cast it as soon as the next player’s turn. In most cases, if you foretell a card that isn’t an instant (or doesn’t have flash), you’ll have to wait until your next turn to cast it.
2021-02-05 If you’re casting a foretold card from exile for its foretell cost, you can’t choose to cast it for any other alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs, such as kicker costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, those must be paid to cast the spell.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks