Mana Maze MTG Card

Mana Maze indirectly shifts card advantage, carefully disrupting opponent spell casting sequences. Whilst not a direct mana accelerator, it preserves your resources as opponents struggle with mana. Enchantment’s impact is significant, altering the dynamics of instant-speed interactions during play.

Invasion (INV)
2000-10-02 - Number 59

Mana Maze - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)

World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
2001-08-08 - Number ab59sb

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment

Text of card

Players can't play spells that share a color with the spell last played this turn.

"Those who know only one path to victory can never hope to triumph." —The Blind Seer

Cards like Mana Maze

Mana Maze is a unique enchantment card in Magic: The Gathering that presents a subtle yet powerful control element to the game. Similar in restricting casting abilities like Rule of Law, which prevents more than one spell per turn, Mana Maze pushes players to strategize differently. It requires each subsequent spell cast to be of a different color than the previous one. This can trip up opponents who rely on casting multiple spells of the same color in a turn.

Looking at other cards, Damping Sphere has a comparable disruptive effect, though its focus is on lands that produce more than one mana and on strategies that cast many spells in one turn. While it doesn’t direct the color of spells, the sphere can significantly hamper decks built around such mechanics. Icy Manipulator is yet another piece that interferes with the flow of the game by tapping potential resources or threats, but without Mana Maze’s specificity in controlling spell casting sequences.

In essence, Mana Maze may not outrightly lock down an opponent’s game as some other control cards do, but it presents a tactical hurdle that requires careful navigation and can effectively derail carefully laid plans, especially in mono-color or heavily synergistic decks.

Cards similar to Mana Maze by color, type and mana cost

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Mana Maze. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#	Name	Format	Archetype	Event
	Painter	Legacy	Painter	Legacy Challenge 32 2024-04-20
	Esper Painter	Legacy	Painter	2023 NA Legacy Champs

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Mana Maze offers a unique form of indirect card advantage by effectively dictating the pace at which opponents can play spells. Once in play, it can lock opponents into a difficult position, making it harder for them to utilize their full hand, subtly shifting the card advantage in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing resource acceleration, Mana Maze can indirectly benefit your mana usage. By limiting opponents to casting spells of differing colors from the last spell cast, the Maze can stall opposing strategies, conserving your resources for crucial turns while opponents struggle to find their mana rhythm.

Instant Speed: Mana Maze, as an enchantment, is traditionally cast at sorcery speed. However, its ability significantly impacts instant-speed plays. Your adversaries must carefully consider the sequence of their spells, which can disrupt instant-speed interaction and provide you with an opening to resolve your high-impact instants when the opponent’s options are hampered.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While not applying directly, Mana Maze incentivizes players to diversify their spell casting, which can lead to discarding if hand contents don’t align with the Maze’s limitations.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting expense of {2}{U} requires a commitment to blue mana, which might not seamlessly fit into multi-colored decks that also want to utilize other spells without the blue mana requirement.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, including one blue, players might find it restrictive compared to other blue spells providing more immediate board or hand advantage for a similar cost.

Reasons to Include Mana Maze in Your Collection

Versatility: Mana Maze is a unique enchantment that can slip into a variety of decks due to its control element, limiting opponents from casting spells of the same color consecutively. This can be seamlessly integrated into decks that aim to disrupt opponents’ strategies, making it a flexible addition to your arsenal.

Combo Potential: With the right setup, Mana Maze can work wonders in combination with cards designed to control the pace of the game. It synergizes well with cards that manipulate the colors of spells being cast or force opponents into casting spells of a certain color, setting up for potential lockouts and dominating board control.

Meta-Relevance: Especially pertinent in formats where players rely heavily on mono-colored or two-colored decks, including Mana Maze can tilt matches in your favor. Its persistent ability to hamper opponents’ casting options can disrupt well-established strategies, maintaining its relevance in various meta environments.

How to Beat Mana Maze

Exploring the complexity of Magic: The Gathering often leads to encounters with intriguing cards like Mana Maze. This card distinctively influences the flow of the game by limiting players from casting spells of the same color consecutively. It presents a unique challenge but is not insurmountable. To navigate through the maze this card creates, one must adapt their strategy accordingly.

Flexibility in spell casting becomes paramount when faced with Mana Maze. Including a diversified mana base along with a mix of colorless spells in your deck can mitigate the constraints posed by Mana Maze. Artifacts and spells that cost generic mana prove extremely useful, allowing uninterrupted play. A wise approach is to maintain a versatile color pie within your deck, ensuring you can alternate spell colors smoothly.

Keep in mind that Mana Maze affects all players equally, which can be turned to your advantage. By carefully planning the sequence of spells, you can potentially disrupt your opponent’s strategy as well. Ultimately, outmaneuvering Mana Maze requires foresight and a well-considered deck constitution, blending the right mix of colors and cost-flexible spells.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mana Maze MTG card by a specific set like Invasion and World Championship Decks 2001, 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 Mana Maze and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Mana Maze Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2000-10-02 and 2001-08-08. Illustrated by Rebecca Guay.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2000-10-02	Invasion	INV		59	1997	Normal	Black	Rebecca Guay
2	2001-08-08	World Championship Decks 2001	WC01		ab59sb	1997	Normal	Gold	Rebecca Guay

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Mana Maze has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Mana Maze 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	Does not affect the first spell cast each turn.
2004-10-04	If a spell’s color was changed while on the stack, use the color at the time it was when you started announcement, not as it currently is on the stack or as it was at the time it resolved.