Mangara's Tome MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Artifact |
| Released | 1996-10-08 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Mirage |
| Set code | MIR |
| Number | 309 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | John Bolton |
Text of card
When Mangara's Tome comes into play, search your library and choose any five cards. Shuffle these cards and put them face down under Mangara's Tome. Shuffle your library afterwards. If you lose control of Mangara's Tome, remove all cards under it from the game. : Instead of drawing a card, put the top card from under Mangara's Tome into your hand.
Cards like Mangara's Tome
Mangara’s Tome stands out in the realm of artifact-based deck manipulation in Magic: The Gathering. It shares some strategic kinship with artifacts like Jayemdae Tome, which allows you to draw cards at a consistent pace. Mangara’s Tome, however, introduces a twist by letting you select specific cards from your library and randomly accessing them. This predictive setup differs from Jayemdae Tome’s direct but less controlled drawing.
Crystal Ball also digs into your deck, providing a scry mechanic to control the top of the library. Unlike Mangara’s Tome, the scry ability is repeatable and doesn’t involve tucking away cards for later. Conversely, Mangara’s Tome ensures that once the cards are set aside, they are guaranteed to be drawn, albeit in a random order. Library of Leng offers a different approach to deck manipulation, by giving you control over your discards, however, it lacks the ability to meddle with the cards yet to be drawn in the way Mangara’s Tome does.
While comparing these MTG artifacts, Mangara’s Tome offers a unique blend of strategy and surprise, setting it apart in the deck manipulation category. Although it may not have the repeat use found in others, the element of choosing cards tailored to your strategy gives it a niche utility.
Cards similar to Mangara's Tome by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Mangara’s Tome presents a unique way to gain card advantage by potentially organizing the top five cards of your library, ensuring you have access to the tools you need at the right times.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating resources in the traditional sense, the tome enables a form of “card acceleration,” as you can effectively bypass the draw step limitations to access the specific cards you have set aside.
Instant Speed: Due to the way Mangara’s Tome is utilized, after the initial investment, it works as though at instant speed because you can deploy the cards set aside during any of your phases, offering flexibility akin to instant speed actions without the need to commit mana each turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: A crucial downside to Mangara’s Tome lies in its functionality that dictates players discard their hand at the next turn’s end after activating its ability. This presents a risky trade-off, as it depletes your immediate resources, thus potentially putting you in a vulnerable position without cards to respond to opponents’ actions.
Specific Mana Cost: While not color-specific, Mangara’s Tome requires a considerable amount of mana upon activation. This mana investment can hamstring your turn, limiting your ability to play other spells or leave mana open for crucial instants during your opponent’s turn.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a setup cost of four mana and the additional activation fee, Mangara’s Tome demands a substantial investment before you reap any benefits. In comparison, other cards may offer more immediate value or card advantage without such significant initial and sustained costs.
Reasons to Include Mangara’s Tome in Your Collection
Versatility: Mangara’s Tome offers a level of control over your future draws thanks to its ability to stack your deck with the cards you’ll need in upcoming turns. This makes it a valuable asset in control and combo decks that require precisely timed plays.
Combo Potential: With its capability to structure your upcoming draws, Mangara’s Tome can set up powerful combos, ensuring you have the necessary combo pieces when required. It’s an excellent addition to decks that look to execute a specific sequence of plays.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where consistency is key to overcoming diverse threats, Mangara’s Tome can ensure your deck performs reliably. Its ability to tailor your draws makes it relevant in various matchups, smoothing out your game plan against both aggressive and control strategies.
How to beat
Mangara’s Tome, found within the vast card catalog of Magic the Gathering, stands out as a strategic artifact for deck manipulation. It intrigues players with its ability to control the upcoming draws. Similar to cards like Sylvan Library, it allows for adjustment of draws, yet Mangara’s Tome mandates a setup before reaping its benefits. The tome requires an investment of both time and mana to search for five cards, shuffle them, and then place them aside to draw later.
Surmounting Mangara’s Tome’s advantages lies in disrupting the set sequence of draws. Cards that force shuffling the opponent’s library, like Cosi’s Trickster or Psychic Surgery, cleverly nullify the Tome’s setup. Hand disruption is also effective; tools like Thoughtseize can extract key cards before they are tucked away with the Tome. In addition, countering the Tome’s activation with instant-speed interaction, such as Stifle or Trickbind, leaves the opponent’s strategy in disarray.
Understanding these interactions highlights the importance of timing and counters in MTG. Successfully undermining the strategic efforts encapsulated in Mangara’s Tome demands foresight, disrupting key plays and leaving the opponent without their carefully stacked deck.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Mangara's Tome MTG card by a specific set like Mirage, 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 Mangara's Tome and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- eBay
- 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 Mangara's Tome 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 Mangara's Tome 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 | If there are no cards left, you can still use the ability to turn a draw into a “do nothing”. |
| 2004-10-04 | The ability is a replacement effect that replaces a draw. |