Mitotic Manipulation MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Released | 2011-02-04 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Mirrodin Besieged |
| Set code | MBS |
| Number | 27 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Dan Scott |
Key Takeaways
- Accrues card advantage by allowing players to skew their draws toward nonland cards in future turns.
- Facilitates resource acceleration by searching for a duplicate land, enabling earlier high-cost spell plays.
- Although a sorcery, it can set the stage for surprise plays by suddenly freeing up mana.
Text of card
Look at the top seven cards of your library. You may put one of those cards onto the battlefield if it has the same name as a permanent. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
"They can't even comprehend nature. How could they improve it?" —Venser
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Mitotic Manipulation offers a unique form of card selection, potentially digging three cards deep into your library to find a land. This can be an effective way to sift through your deck, increasing the likelihood of drawing into nonland cards later in the match.
Resource Acceleration: By allowing you to search for a land with the same name as one on the battlefield, Mitotic Manipulation acts as a ramp spell. It accelerates your mana development, which can be critical for casting high-cost spells earlier than usual.
Instant Speed: Although Mitotic Manipulation is a sorcery, it enables instant speed-like plays by effectively untapping lands. This can be pivotal in outmaneuvering opponents, as it can set up complex turns where you cast other spells or activate abilities with the newly obtained resources.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Mitotic Manipulation mandates presenting your library to potentially rearrange the top cards, which can be a hefty cost if your deck isn’t set up to utilize the information effectively or if it interrupts key sequencing in your gameplay.
Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a strict blue mana contribution, demanding at least two blue mana to cast. That can be restrictive for decks that operate on a multicolor base, potentially straining the mana curve and influencing the deck’s consistency negatively.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of three mana, including two of which must be blue, Mitotic Manipulation can be considered high for the impact it provides. In competitive play where efficiency is paramount, this puts the card at a disadvantage when compared to lower-cost spells that offer similar or more immediate effects on the board state.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Mitotic Manipulation offers flexibility to blue-based decks, allowing for a controlled setup of future plays. Its ability to reorganize the library could seamlessly fit into strategies seeking precise card selection.
Combo Potential: This card excels in scenarios that benefit from manipulating the library. It can synergize with top-deck mechanics and enhance combos reliant on specific card arrangements, amplifying the chances of a game-winning play.
Meta-Relevance: As the meta shifts to include a variety of control and combo decks, the subtle advantages gained from scrying-like effects become more pronounced, making Mitotic Manipulation a shrewd addition to stay ahead of the curve.
How to beat
Mitotic Manipulation is a blue sorcery card that offers players the strategic advantage of possibly putting an additional land onto the battlefield, giving a boost to their mana resources. Understanding this card’s mechanics is key in strategizing a counterattack. The card allows for a look at the top seven cards of a player’s library and the option to put a permanent card with the same name as one they control onto the battlefield.
To mitigate the positive effects that Mitotic Manipulation can provide to an opponent, it’s critical to have responses ready. This could involve spell counters such as Negate or Disallow to prevent it from resolving, or hand disruption tactics with cards like Thoughtseize to remove it before it can be cast. Additionally, graveyard interaction can be useful. Cards like Tormod’s Crypt can disrupt the benefit of the selected permanent if it’s a part of a combo that interacts with the graveyard.
Preventing your opponent from gaining the upper hand with Mitotic Manipulation ultimately comes down to disrupting their strategies and being ready with answers to counteract the acceleration that this card can provide in their game plan.
Cards like Mitotic Manipulation
Mitotic Manipulation is a distinct sorcery in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, aligning closely with cards that manipulate the library for an advantage. It stands out with its ability to potentially dig seven cards deep for a land card and place it onto the battlefield. This echoes the intentions behind the card Deep Reconnaissance but with a notably steeper mana investment. Deep Reconnaissance, however, allows for repeated plays through its flashback ability, offering recurrent value despite being slower.
Akin to Mitotic Manipulation is the card Index. Both provide a way to survey upcoming cards, tailoring future plays. Yet, unlike Mitotic Manipulation, Index does not allow the placement of any cards onto the battlefield. Additionally, cards like Ponder not only let the player rearrange the top cards of their library but also provide the option to shuffle and draw a card. This added flexibility can be invaluable for shaping the player’s hand but lacks the direct land ramp that Mitotic Manipulation provides.
All things considered, Mitotic Manipulation holds a unique position, particularly in decks looking to accelerate their mana base. It might not offer card draw or multiple uses as other cards do, but its singular effect can be a powerful asset in the right deck configuration.
Cards similar to Mitotic Manipulation by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Mitotic Manipulation MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin Besieged, 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 Mitotic Manipulation and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Mitotic Manipulation 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 Mitotic Manipulation card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2011-06-01 | No matter how many of the seven cards have the same name as a permanent, you can put only one of them onto the battlefield. |
| 2011-06-01 | You don’t reveal any of the other cards or the order in which they go to the bottom of your library. |
| 2011-06-01 | “The same name as a permanent” means the same name as a permanent currently on the battlefield as Mitotic Manipulation resolves. |
