Mindlock Orb MTG Card
2008-10-03 - Number 51
2020-09-26 - Number ALA-51
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Artifact |
Text of card
Players can't search libraries.
Rogue mechanists once rummaged through the wastes of the Tidehollow, constructing unauthorized golems to threaten the hegemony of the sphinxes. The orbs put a stop to that.
Cards like Mindlock Orb
Mindlock Orb is a unique piece within MTG’s array of player-interaction artifacts. Reflecting on similar cards, the Orb closely resembles Stranglehold in its ability to thwart opponents’ search abilities. Stranglehold unequivocally bans players from searching libraries, which can be game-changing. While Mindlock Orb doesn’t completely forbid searches, it does prevent an opponent from searching their library if they can’t pay two more for each search, which can be nearly as restrictive in practice.
Another card with a comparable disruptive effect is Aven Mindcensor. This creature limits opponents to searching the top four cards of their library. While less comprehensive than Mindlock Orb, the Mindcensor can be more strategically deployed given its flash ability allowing for surprise interruption during an opponent’s turn. The Mindcensor’s lower casting cost also lends itself to an earlier game appearance.
Analyzing the impact and utility of these cards, Mindlock Orb secures a unique spot in the control archetype. Its global effect can potentially lock out an entire table from key library search strategies, making it an eminent defensive option in formats where search effects are a cornerstone of deck construction.
Cards similar to Mindlock Orb by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Mindlock Orb allows you to stifle your opponent’s ability to search their library, which can often equate to a form of card advantage. In formats where tutors and library manipulation are significant, it can deny opponents access to key pieces of their strategy.
Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t directly accelerate your resources, Mindlock Orb can give you a relative advantage. By preventing opponents from tutoring, you maintain parity on the battlefield and in hand, ensuring that resource acceleration is controlled and possibly in your favor against decks that rely heavily on searching their library.
Instant Speed: Although Mindlock Orb is not an instant itself, it has the potential to influence plays at instant speed. It forces opponents to make suboptimal moves, often using instants or abilities before they would ideally want to, thus disrupting their pace and planning during both their turn and yours.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Mindlock Orb doesn’t directly impose a discard requirement, it can indirectly force you to discard if its ability locks you out of your necessary tutor effects. This consequence can leave you with surplus cards in hand that you’re unable to play, thus leading to discarding at the end of your turn.
Specific Mana Cost: Mindlock Orb demands a blue mana which restricts it to blue-inclusive decks. This specific mana cost means you might not be able to seamlessly include it in a multicolored deck without the right mana-fixing assets.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, Mindlock Orb is a significant investment, particularly in formats where speed and efficiency are paramount. Other cards at this mana slot might provide immediate board impact or card advantage, making the Orb’s static ability a costly investment for its anti-tutor effect.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Mindlock Orb is a unique addition that works well in decks aiming to shut down opponents’ search capabilities. It’s effective in a variety of strategies that want to control the pace of the game.
Combo Potential: This card can be a cornerstone in a well-crafted deck designed to deny resource access. Pairing Mindlock Orb with other cards that limit opponents’ options can lock out many common strategies, making it a powerful tool in the right deck.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where tutoring for combo pieces or crucial answers is prevalent, Mindlock Orb gains significance, becoming a disruptive force that can throw opponents off balance, disrupting their gameplay and giving you an upper hand.
How to beat
Overcoming the Mindlock Orb, a notable fixture in many control decks, can be both challenging and rewarding. As players are aware, the Orb prevents players from searching libraries—an ability that can cripple strategies reliant on fetching specific cards. To counter this, alternative card selection tools become invaluable. Cards like Brainstorm or Serum Visions offer the ability to filter through your deck without searching, helping you adapt mid-game.
Considering artifact-removal spells is also a key strategy. Employing a Naturalize or Shatter effect can swiftly dismantle the Orb’s lock on your game plan. Similarly, cards with the cycling ability can help draw into these crucial pieces while bypassing the Orb’s restrictions. Ultimately, the Mindlock Orb demands a direct response or a substantial shift in tactics for those looking to navigate around its constraints and maintain the flow of their gameplay.
By understanding the complex dynamics that the Mindlock Orb introduces to the battlefield, players can fortify their decks with the right mix of preparation and adaptability to ensure they’re never at a standstill, no matter how tight the lock appears to be.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Mindlock Orb MTG card by a specific set like Shards of Alara and The List, 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 Mindlock Orb and other MTG cards:
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- 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
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Printings
The Mindlock Orb Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2008-10-03 and 2008-10-03. Illustrated by rk post.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2008-10-03 | Shards of Alara | ALA | 51 | 2003 | Normal | Black | rk post | |
| 2 | The List | PLST | ALA-51 | 2003 | Normal | Black | rk post |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Mindlock Orb has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Mindlock Orb card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-10-01 | Effects that tell a player to reveal cards from a library or look at cards from the top of a library will still work. Only effects that use the word “search” will fail. |
| 2008-10-01 | If an effect says “Search your library . . . Then shuffle your library,” the search effect fails, but you will have to shuffle. |
| 2008-10-01 | If an effect says “You may search your library . . . If you do, shuffle your library,” you can’t choose to search, so you won’t shuffle. |
| 2008-10-01 | Since players can’t search, players won’t be able to find any cards in a library. The effect applies to all players and all libraries. If a spell or ability’s effect has other parts that don’t depend on searching for or finding cards, they will still work normally. |
| 2008-10-01 | The only difference between a colored artifact and a colorless artifact is, obviously, its color. Unlike most artifacts, a colored artifact requires colored mana to cast. Also unlike most artifacts, a colored artifact has a color in all zones. It will interact with cards that care about color. Other than that, a colored artifact behaves just like any other artifact. It will interact as normal with any card that cares about artifacts, such as Shatter or Arcbound Ravager. |