Magma Opus MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost8
RarityMythic
TypeInstant
Abilities Treasure

Key Takeaways

  1. Magma Opus offers card advantage and a significant leg-up in resource competition.
  2. Instant speed casts provide players with unmatched flexibility and responsiveness.
  3. Demanding mana requirements and high cost pose challenges in deck construction.

Text of card

Magma Opus deals 4 damage divided as you choose among any number of targets. Tap two target permanents. Create a 4/4 blue and red Elemental creature token. Draw two cards. {U/R}{U/R}, Discard Magma Opus: Create a Treasure token.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Magma Opus offers a massive boon by drawing two cards when played. This mechanic ensures you remain ahead in the arms race of resources, maintaining a healthy hand size to respond to opponents’ threats seamlessly.

Resource Acceleration: The card facilitates an impressive resource acceleration by generating two Treasure tokens. These tokens provide an extra edge, potentially unlocking the power for game-changing plays ahead of schedule, or offering a wider range of colors to tap into for a strategically diverse mana base.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Magma Opus at instant speed cannot be overstated. It allows savvy players to adapt to the changing battlefield, making pivotal decisions at the last possible moment. This flexibility ensures that your mana is never idle, and you can respond to threats or opportunities efficiently, keeping your adversaries on their toes.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Magma Opus puts players in a tight spot with its discard mechanic to cast it via the Torrent ability, potentially draining valuable hand assets that might be critical in upcoming turns.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting Magma Opus requires an exact blend of colored mana, which can be challenging to achieve, particularly in a multicolored deck. This mana specificity can restrict deck flexibility, forcing a player to rely on precise mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With the card’s total cost of eight mana, Magma Opus boasts a hefty price tag, one that not all decks can accommodate efficiently. Alternative spells with lower mana requirements may provide similar effects or better cost-to-benefit ratios, which could make players question its place in their collections.


Reasons to Include Magma Opus in Your Collection

Versatility: Magma Opus boasts a suite of effects that make it adaptable to various deck styles. It can control the board with damage, filter through your deck with card draw, fix your mana with a Treasure token, and even tap potential blockers, enabling it to slide seamlessly into control, midrange, or combo decks.

Combo Potential: This card holds significant possibilities for combos, particularly in decks that leverage the instant and sorcery cast triggers or in strategies involving copying spells for amplified effects. The Treasure token it creates upon casting can further facilitate combo plays by providing additional mana.

Meta-Relevance: As metagames shift, having a versatile card like Magma Opus can keep your deck competitive. In a meta heavy on creatures, the damage and tap effects are invaluable; in slower games, the card draw and mana acceleration can help you maintain or gain lead, making it a meta-resilient addition to your arsenal.


How to Beat Magma Opus

Magma Opus is a compelling spell in MTG, owing to its flexibility and capacity to deal damage, tap permanents, draw cards, and create a permanent, all within a single card. Confronting this multifaceted instant can challenge even seasoned players, given its ability to swing the game. To effectively counter it, one should anticipate the mana setup that enables casting such a high-cost card. Employing counter spells like Negate or Dispel can nip the threat in the bud before the slew of effects take place.

Another tactic involves disrupting the opponent’s mana base to delay or prevent Magma Opus from being played. Cards like Blood Moon can limit the generation of the necessary multi-color mana, while permission spells such as Dovin’s Veto provide another layer of defense. Resource denial is key; thus, consider land destruction options or using instant-speed removal for any Treasure tokens created during an opponent’s attempt at ramping.

To conclude, overcoming a Magma Opus calls for a mix of foresight, disruption, and sharp timing. Playing around this potent card necessitates maintaining open mana for counter spells, controlling the field, and always being prepared for the sudden shift in tempo that Magma Opus promises. Mastering these strategies will considerably improve your odds against this high-impact spell.


BurnMana Recommendations

The allure of Magma Opus extends beyond its immediate board impact; it’s a card that demands a strategic approach, both in utilizing its strengths and mitigating its weaknesses. The key advantages it presents, like card advantage and resource acceleration, are valuable tools in the arsenal of any MTG player looking for an edge. Its ability to function at instant speed adds to this versatility, allowing for adaptable plays that can leave opponents reeling. While the weight of its mana cost and the necessity for specific mana colors are factors to consider, the payoff of integrating Magma Opus into your deck can be transformative. This card can serve as a linchpin in a myriad of builds, unlocking new potentials and pathways to victory. For those ready to harness the multifaceted power of Magma Opus and refine their strategic approaches within the MTG multiverse, we welcome you to delve deeper, expand your horizons, and constantly evolve your gameplay. Discover the varied dimensions Magma Opus brings to the table and how it can serve as a game-changer in your deck-building ventures.


Cards like Magma Opus

Magma Opus has established itself as a powerhouse in the myriad of Magic the Gathering multicolor spells. With its similarities to cards such as Sphinx’s Revelation, we notice a broad impact in drawing cards and gaining life. Magma Opus, however, offers a wide berth of versatility by dealing damage, creating a token, and tapping two permanents, which gives players a tactical advantage during critical turns.

Expanding the comparison, it draws a parallel with Electrodominance for its instant speed and the ability to cast a card with the mana generated. While Electrodominance focuses on versatility with its free cast alternative, Magma Opus boasts a higher damage output and generating a 4/4 blue and red Elemental creature token, providing both offensive and defensive opportunities. Lastly, Invoke the Firemind deserves mention for its flexibility in either drawing cards or dealing damage. Where Magma Opus outshines is in its multiplicity of effects, all wrapped into one formidable card.

Ultimately, Magma Opus commands respect within the MTG multicolor spells. Its blend of aggressive and strategic elements can shift the tide of any game, making it a formidable choice for players looking for comprehensive control and impact.

Sphinx's Revelation - MTG Card versions
Electrodominance - MTG Card versions
Invoke the Firemind - MTG Card versions
Sphinx's Revelation - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Electrodominance - Ravnica Allegiance (RNA)
Invoke the Firemind - Guildpact (GPT)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Magma Opus MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Strixhaven Art Series, 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 Magma Opus and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Magma Opus Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2021-04-23 and 2021-04-24. Illustrated by Liiga Smilshkalne.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 902762015normalblackLiiga Smilshkalne
22021-04-23Strixhaven Art SeriesASTX 322015art_seriesborderlessLiiga Smilshkalne
32021-04-23Strixhaven Art SeriesASTX 32s2015art_seriesborderlessLiiga Smilshkalne
42021-04-23Strixhaven: School of MagesSTX 2032015normalblackLiiga Smilshkalne
52021-04-23Strixhaven: School of MagesSTX 3462015normalblackLiiga Smilshkalne
62021-04-24Strixhaven: School of Mages PromosPSTX 203s2015normalblackLiiga Smilshkalne
72021-04-24Strixhaven: School of Mages PromosPSTX 203p2015normalblackLiiga Smilshkalne

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Magma Opus has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-04-16 If somehow all of Magma Opus’s targets are illegal as it tries to resolve, none of its effects happen. You will not create an Elemental token or draw two cards.
2021-04-16 The same permanent can be chosen as a target for each of the two instances of “target.” That is, you can have Magma Opus both deal damage to a creature or planeswalker and then tap it. (We’re having a hard time imagining why you would, but you’re the brilliant student.)
2021-04-16 You also choose how the 4 damage will be divided among the first group of targets as you cast Magma Opus. You must have at least 1 damage dealt to each of those targets.
2021-04-16 You choose all targets for Magma Opus as you cast the spell. This includes up to four targets for the first effect and two target permanents for the second effect.
2021-04-16 You must choose two different target permanents for the second effect. You may choose permanents that are already tapped.

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