Mesmeric Trance MTG Card

Ice Age (ICE)
1995-06-03 - Number 83

Mesmeric Trance - Masters Edition II (ME2)

Masters Edition II (ME2)
2008-09-22 - Number 55

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment
Abilities	Cumulative upkeep

Key Takeaways

Provides deck filtering at instant speed, allowing for tactical advantage during gameplay.
Demands discard for activation, potentially weakening a player’s future options.
Enables combo plays, making it a valuable asset for certain MTG decks.

Text of card

Cumulative Upkeep: o1 oo U Discard a card from your hand to draw a card.

"Magic overused can freeze the mind. Creativity is more important than power." —Zur the Enchanter

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Mesmeric Trance offers the ability to sift through your deck, selecting the perfect cards for any situation. This capability ensures players can maintain momentum by drawing into their strategic pieces more consistently.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting mana resources, the filtering effect of Mesmeric Trance can indirectly accelerate your game plan by helping you find your mana sources or key spells quicker.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Mesmeric Trance at instant speed means you can adapt to the game state as it evolves. Responding to opponents’ actions or waiting for the most opportune moment can provide significant tactical advantages.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Mesmeric Trance demands a card to be discarded when activating its ability, which might deplete a player’s hand and reduce their potential for later turns.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a precise combination of mana, one blue and two of any color, which may not seamlessly fit into a deck’s mana base, especially in multicolored or mana-intensive decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activation cost that is relatively steep for its card drawing ability, players might find that Mesmeric Trance takes up valuable mana that could be used for more impactful plays or maintaining board presence.

Reasons to Include Mesmeric Trance in Your Collection

Versatility: Mesmeric Trance offers a flexible role in various deck types, providing consistent card draw that’s critical for maintaining an edge in gameplay. Its conditional discard allows for strategic planning and synergy with graveyard-based tactics.

Combo Potential: This card can significantly enhance strategies centered around discard and draw effects. It can turn a simple action into a combo enabler, interacting advantageously with cards that reward drawing or discarding, such as those with madness or reanimation themes.

Meta-Relevance: In game formats where the pace is set by incremental advantages, Mesmeric Trance can become a cornerstone for control or combo decks, sustaining hand quality and pressuring opponents’ strategies by selectively discarding key cards.

How to beat

Mesmeric Trance is a unique card that lets players potentially change their hand by discarding and drawing cards, providing a strategic edge. This can be especially powerful in formats where specific cards in the graveyard are just as useful as those in hand. To counter this advantage, one effective strategy is to limit the card’s utility by applying graveyard disruption. Cards such as Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void cannullify the benefits Mesmeric Trance provides by removing the usefulness of discarded cards.

Another approach is to deploy hand disruption techniques that can preemptively remove Mesmeric Trance from your opponent’s grip before it’s even played. Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek are perfect examples, giving you the ability to directly target key components of your opponent’s strategy. Additionally, if Mesmeric Trance is already on the table, enchantment removal cards like Disenchant or Naturalize become critical, as they can remove the troublesome enchantment directly from play.

Planning ahead and maintaining a versatile sideboard can ensure that Mesmeric Trance does not disrupt your game plan. By choosing the right countermeasures, you can mitigate its effects and maintain control over the match.

Cards like Mesmeric Trance

Mesmeric Trance provides Magic: The Gathering players with an intriguing twist on card draw mechanics. In comparison, Tolarian Winds allows for a fresh hand by discarding everything and drawing the same amount, but without the sustained control offered by Mesmeric Trance. What sets Mesmeric Trance apart is its cumulative upkeep cost and the ability to selectively discard and draw at a controlled pace, which allows for strategic deck and graveyard manipulation over time.

Another comparable card is Compulsion, albeit with a slightly different spin. Compulsion affords the player a continuous option to discard and draw cards but at an individual cost per activation, rather than a cumulative upkeep like Mesmeric Trance. This provides greater flexibility in managing hand resources at specific moments. On the other hand, Thirst for Knowledge grants an immediate draw of three cards but with a one-time discard condition, potentially lacking the prolonged game influence Mesmeric Trance could exhibit.

To sum it up, Mesmeric Trance shines in scenarios where long-term planning and graveyard tactics come into play. Each card offers unique advantages depending on the strategy and tempo of your game, making Mesmeric Trance a noteworthy option amongst its peers for methodical MTG players looking to maintain momentum through careful selection of cards.

Thirst for Knowledge - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Mesmeric Trance by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mesmeric Trance MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age and Masters Edition II, 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 Mesmeric Trance and other MTG cards: