Jarl of the Forsaken MTG Card
Key Takeaways
- Offers board control and advantage through strategic creature removal and surprise blocking capabilities.
- Demands specific conditions for optimal play, potentially limiting its use in diverse mana bases.
- A valuable piece in decks focusing on death triggers and meta-relevant creature strategies.
Guide to Flash card ability
Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.
Text of card
Flash When Jarl of the Forsaken enters the battlefield, destroy target creature or planeswalker an opponent controls that was dealt damage this turn. 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.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Jarl of the Forsaken offers the potential for a two-for-one situation, eliminating an opposing creature while entering the battlefield itself. This provides a swing in your favor by impacting the board state with a single card.
Resource Acceleration: Though not directly providing mana, Jarl of the Forsaken can lead to resource acceleration by efficiently dealing with threats. By removing creatures, you’re potentially saving the mana you would invest in future removal spells.
Instant Speed: Its Flash ability allows Jarl of the Forsaken to be deployed at instant speed, offering the element of surprise. This versatility can turn the tide during combat or at the end of an opponent’s turn, making the Jarl a flexible tool in the arsenal of any strategic player.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One downside to playing with Jarl of the Forsaken is that it necessitates having a certain card or condition in play to utilize its full potential. This can lead to suboptimal plays if you cannot meet this requirement or must sacrifice valuable cards.
Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both black and white mana, the casting cost for Jarl of the Forsaken could be a drawback in decks lacking a consistent mana base. Players not running a dedicated black and white deck may find it cumbersome to include.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Jarl of the Forsaken’s mana cost might be considered steep for its stats and abilities, especially when benchmarked against other creatures in the same cost range. This can make it a less appealing choice when curating a cost-effective and streamlined deck.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Jarl of the Forsaken is a flexible choice, seamlessly integrating into decks that are built around creature removal or seeking creatures with flash. Its ability to be played at instant speed allows for strategic gameplay, adapting to the evolving board state.
Combo Potential: This card’s potential to eliminate opposing creatures when cast on your turn complements strategies that revolve around death triggers. It works particularly well in synergies that draw upon creatures dying, setting the stage for rewarding combinations.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment where creature-based strategies dominate, Jarl of the Forsaken serves as a valuable tool. Not only does it take out key creatures, but it also bolsters your defenses by providing an additional body on the field, aligned with the demands of the current meta.
How to beat Jarl of the Forsaken
Jarl of the Forsaken is an intriguing creature card in MTG that rises in value when played at just the right moment. Its flash ability allows you to cast it during your opponent’s turn, potentially disrupting their strategy by surprising them with an unexpected blocker. This ability, paired with its death-touch property, makes Jarl a formidable foe. In combat, death-touch ensures that it can kill almost any creature it tangles with, regardless of that creature’s size, making even the mightiest of opponents wary about attacking.
To outplay Jarl of the Forsaken, consider taking a different approach. Since it thrives in combat, avoiding direct battles with it can neutralize its advantage. Using removal spells that don’t depend on dealing damage—think exile effects or enchantments that neutralize creatures without destroying them—can help you manage Jarl without triggering its combat-related perks. Artifacts or enchantments that restrict a player’s ability to cast spells on another’s turn can also diminish Jarl’s surprise factor, ensuring it enters the battlefield on your terms.
Ultimately, defeating Jarl of the Forsaken involves strategic forethought. Knowing it could appear at any moment teaches players to craft their turns carefully, keeping in mind the possible instant-speed interactions that this creature brings to the game.
Cards like Jarl of the Forsaken
Jarl of the Forsaken is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering that finds parallels with other cards that thrive in similar strategies. It’s akin to Murderous Rider, which also offers removal utility alongside a creature body. However, Jarl of the Forsaken requires a creature to have died this turn to trigger its removal ability, offering a strategic layer that Murderous Rider does not demand thanks to its instant speed kill spell. Another card that echoes this synergy of creature and removal is Ravenous Chupacabra, a creature famous for its enter-the-battlefield trigger that destroys a creature without stipulations.
On the economical side of removal, there’s Bone Shards, allowing players to destroy a creature or planeswalker at the cost of an additional sacrifice or discard, favoring the resourceful player who can exploit those mechanics. Though not a creature itself, the flexibility it offers bolsters deck synergies similar to Jarl of the Forsaken’s strategy. When it comes to mana efficiency and guaranteed removal, Bone Shards excels, whereas Jarl of the Forsaken offers the potential for a more significant board presence.
All in all, Jarl of the Forsaken stands out in decks built around death triggers and board control, it challenges players to develop tactical prowess, balancing creature combat with the utility of targeted removal within Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Jarl of the Forsaken by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Jarl of the Forsaken 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 Jarl of the Forsaken 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 Jarl of the Forsaken has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Jarl of the Forsaken card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 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. |
