Mnemonic Betrayal MTG Card


Gives access to opponents’ graveyards, turning their spells into your advantages. Resource acceleration by casting spells without depleting your own hand. Casting opponents’ instant-speed spells increases your strategic flexibility.
Mnemonic Betrayal - Guilds of Ravnica
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityMythic
TypeSorcery
Released2018-10-05
Set symbol
Set nameGuilds of Ravnica
Set codeGRN
Number189
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byClint Cearley

Text of card

Exile all cards from all opponents' graveyards. You may cast those cards this turn, and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any type to cast those spells. At the beginning of the next end step, if any of those cards remain exiled, return them to their owners' graveyards. Exile Mnemonic Betrayal.


Cards like Mnemonic Betrayal

Mnemonic Betrayal stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a unique sorcery that delves into opponents’ graveyards. When considering equivalents, Yawgmoth’s Will immediately comes to mind. It too permits playing cards from the graveyard, but it’s restricted solely to your graveyard and doesn’t exile those cards. Mnemonic Betrayal, by contrast, temporarily grants access to all opponents’ graveyards, yet it exiles itself and the played cards afterwards.

Another card worthy of comparison is Diluvian Primordial. Much like Mnemonic Betrayal, this creature allows you to cast spells from opponents’ graveyards when it enters the battlefield. However, it’s a one-time effect tied to a creature, whereas Mnemonic Betrayal is a sorcery which could be recurred from your own graveyard for repeated uses under the right circumstances. Lastly, there’s Gonti, Lord of Luxury, which also lets you play with an opponent’s cards. Though Gonti targets only the top four cards of an opponent’s library once it enters the battlefield, it shares the theme of using an opponent’s resources against them, a trait that’s at the heart of Mnemonic Betrayal’s design.

Exploring these comparisons, Mnemonic Betrayal adds a layer of versatility and deception, offering MTG players a potentially game-swerving play that draws from the collective past plays of opponents, solidifying its place in the pantheon of cards that twist the norms of gameplay.

Yawgmoth's Will - MTG Card versions
Diluvian Primordial - MTG Card versions
Gonti, Lord of Luxury - MTG Card versions
Yawgmoth's Will - MTG Card versions
Diluvian Primordial - MTG Card versions
Gonti, Lord of Luxury - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Mnemonic Betrayal by color, type and mana cost

Probe - MTG Card versions
Consult the Necrosages - MTG Card versions
Last-Minute Chopping - MTG Card versions
Mind Funeral - MTG Card versions
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Unmoored Ego - MTG Card versions
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Phyrexian Espionage - MTG Card versions
Ringsight - MTG Card versions
Probe - MTG Card versions
Consult the Necrosages - MTG Card versions
Last-Minute Chopping - MTG Card versions
Mind Funeral - MTG Card versions
Reap the Seagraf - MTG Card versions
Pilfered Plans - MTG Card versions
Unmoored Ego - MTG Card versions
Notion Rain - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Espionage - MTG Card versions
Ringsight - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Mnemonic Betrayal gives you access to every opponent’s graveyard, potentially flooding your hand with options and overwhelming opponents with their own spells.

Resource Acceleration: By utilizing the spells of your adversaries, this card can effectively accelerate your resources as you cast spells without expending your own cards, preserving them for critical moments.

Instant Speed: While Mnemonic Betrayal is a sorcery, its ability to tap into a vast array of instant-speed spells within graveyards offers a strategic flexibility usually reserved for actual instant spells.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Mnemonic Betrayal mandates an exile of itself until the end of turn as part of its resolution. This can stifle recurring usage strategies and limits the potential for exploiting its powerful effect within the same turn or in consecutive turns.

Specific Mana Cost: With a specific mana requirement of one blue, one black, and one colorless, this card demands a heavy commitment in a deck to two colors. This can be restrictive for players not running a dedicated Dimir setup or who lack the necessary mana fixing to consistently cast it on curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost totaling three mana and the additional setup to make it effective, Mnemonic Betrayal’s mana investment might be too steep compared to other cards in the same mana range. In environments where efficiency is key, its impact may not justify its cost, especially if the opposing graveyard lacks high-value targets at the time of casting.


Reasons to Include Mnemonic Betrayal in Your Collection

Versatility: Mnemonic Betrayal can adapt to a variety of strategies. This card temporarily exiles an opponent’s graveyard and lets you play those cards, which means its utility varies depending on what your opponent has in their graveyard.

Combo Potential: This card has significant synergy with setups that benefit from casting numerous spells in a single turn or that capitalize on opponents’ strategies and cards.

Meta-Relevance: With graveyard strategies frequently appearing in various formats, having Mnemonic Betrayal in your collection provides a tactical edge, allowing you to turn the tables using the tools from your opponent’s own game plan.


How to beat

Mnemonic Betrayal is a unique card in the MTG multiverse that requires thoughtful strategy to counteract. This card allows a player to cast spells from their opponent’s graveyard for a turn, potentially turning the tides of the game. When playing against an opponent wielding Mnemonic Betrayal, it’s critical to manage your own graveyard carefully. Having cards with graveyard shuffling capabilities like Elixir of Immortality can prevent crucial spells from being snatched away. Additionally, instant-speed removal such as Tormod’s Crypt can exile your graveyard in response, rendering Mnemonic Betrayal ineffective.

It’s also advisable to keep an eye on your opponent’s mana. Given that Mnemonic Betrayal is a higher-cost spell, it often requires a turn of setup. Being proactive with disruption tools like Thoughtseize or counterspells, which target the stack, can stop the spell altogether before it takes effect. It’s clear that while Mnemonic Betrayal can be powerful, with the right countermeasures and a proactive stance, one can maintain control over their own spells and diminish the impact of this potentially devastating card.

Every card in MTG has a counter, and Mnemonic Betrayal is no exception. With these strategies and a calm mindset, retaining the upper hand is an achievable feat.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mnemonic Betrayal stands as a versatile and strategic addition to any MTG player’s arsenal, particularly for those who thrive on the intricacies of controlling the game’s tempo. As you ponder on integrating this unique card into your deck, consider its ability to not just disrupt but also capitalize on your opponent’s strategies. We encourage you to further investigate and embrace the profound tactical advantages that Mnemonic Betrayal offers. Are you ready to exploit the full potential of your opponent’s graveyard and craft unforgettable victories? Dive deeper with us and unlock the secrets to wielding Mnemonic Betrayal with finesse in your future encounters.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mnemonic Betrayal MTG card by a specific set like Guilds of Ravnica, 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 Mnemonic Betrayal and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Mnemonic Betrayal has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Mnemonic Betrayal card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2018-10-05 If you cast a spell this way and that card is exiled, it’s considered a new object. Mnemonic Betrayal no longer allows you to cast it. It remains in exile when Mnemonic Betrayal’s delayed triggered ability resolves.
2018-10-05 In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well. If you leave the game, any spells or permanents you control from Mnemonic Betrayal’s effect are exiled. If you leave the game before Mnemonic Betrayal’s delayed triggered ability resolves, the cards remain exiled.
2018-10-05 Mnemonic Betrayal doesn’t change when you can cast the exiled cards. For example, if you exile a sorcery card, you can cast it only during your main phase when the stack is empty.
2018-10-05 Only the cards that remain in exile are returned to their owners’ graveyards. For example, a permanent spell cast this way will remain on the battlefield.
2018-10-05 You can’t play land cards exiled this way.