Break Ties MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Abilities	Reinforce
Released	2021-06-18
Set symbol
Set name	Modern Horizons 2
Set code	MH2
Number	8
Frame	2015
Layout	normal
Border	black
Illustred by	Tyler Walpole

Key Takeaways

Break Ties shifts games by removing threats and preserving your board state against opponents.
The necessity to discard a card for its full potential may limit its strategic use.
Versatility makes Break Ties a candidate for white-based decks facing multicolored strategies.

Text of card

Choose one — • Destroy target artifact. • Destroy target enchantment. • Exile target card from a graveyard. Reinforce 1— (, Discard this card: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Break Ties enables you to potentially remove an opposing threat from the board, which can shift the game in your favor by reducing your opponent’s resources while maintaining your own.

Resource Acceleration: With the ability to target a multicolored permanent, Break Ties can disrupt decks that rely heavily on multicolored synergies, therefore accelerating your position by setting back your opponent’s development.

Instant Speed: The fact that Break Ties can be played at instant speed offers flexibility, allowing you to react to threats or opponent’s plays during their turn and keep up the element of surprise.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Break Ties necessitates that you dispose of another nonland card from your hand to activate its secondary ability. This can put you at a disadvantage, particularly when your hand is already depleted or when each card you hold is pivotal for your strategy going forward.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires both white mana and generic mana to be cast. The specific white mana requirement might restrict its inclusion only to decks that are running white or have a reliable mana base to accommodate it, potentially excluding it from numerous non-white strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that demands three total mana, including one white, Break Ties might be considered costly for the removal of a single artifact or enchantment, especially when compared to other options in the game that can do similar or more for less or offer additional benefits.

Reasons to Include Break Ties in Your Collection

Versatility: Break Ties fits harmoniously into a wide array of white-based decks, offering a flexible solution to remove problematic nonland permanents while also providing a boon against multicolor decks.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes with strategies that reward you for playing instants and interacting with opponents during their turn, as well as with decks capitalizing on casting spells of a specific color.

Meta-Relevance: Given the prevalence of multicolor decks in the current game environment, Break Ties serves as a silver bullet, excelling at disrupting opponents’ carefully laid plans and tilting the scales in your favor.

How to beat

Break Ties is a nuanced piece in the deck builder’s arsenal, offering versatility reflected in its ability to target and exile a nonland permanent with mana cost two or less and a clause for permanents that could be indestructible. This provides a layer of control, particularly against persistent threats or against decks that rely on low-cost, high-impact cards.

Counterplay against Break Ties involves strategizing cards that function outside its mana threshold or utilizing cards to bolster your board’s resilience. One might consider diversifying their asset portfolio within the game or incorporating backup plans within their deck construction. Strategies may include investing in more robust creatures, opting for enchantments or artifacts with higher mana costs, or employing instant-speed spells to protect key elements at opportune moments. It’s essential to anticipate potential interference and adapt your tactics to circumvent the limitations imposed by Break Ties.

To mitigate the impact of Break Ties, one should also consider deck manipulations such as hexproof or other protective measures that prevent targeting. Alternatively, leveraging redundancy in your deck composition ensures that losing one element doesn’t cripple your game plan. By ensuring these countermeasures, the efficacy of Break Ties is significantly reduced, allowing players to maintain their board state and press onwards to victory.

Cards like Break Ties

Break Ties presents an interesting dynamic within Magic the Gathering when it comes to spells that provide player options and flexibility. It’s often matched against cards like Disenchant, which also allows for the destruction of an artifact or enchantment. However, Break Ties distinguishes itself with its additional ability to support a larger strategy, permitting a vote to exile the affected card if you control a creature with power 4 or greater. Disenchant does not have this level of engagement or the potential permanent exile effect.

Another comparable spell is Return to Nature. This provides players with an option to target an artifact or enchantment, but also offers the utility to remove cards from graveyards. While Break Ties offers the promise of politics through voting and potential exile, Return to Nature brings versatile graveyard interaction to the table, which can be crucial in certain matchups. Nonetheless, Break Ties invites a strategic layer when considering creature-based synergies.

Comparing these spells brings to light the intricate play decisions and deck construction considerations in Magic the Gathering. While Break Ties might not be as straightforward as Disenchant or as versatile as Return to Nature, it caters to players looking to leverage their board state for a more nuanced card removal choice.

Disenchant - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Return to Nature - War of the Spark (WAR)

Cards similar to Break Ties by color, type and mana cost

Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop - MTG Card versions

Reverse Damage - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)

Radiant's Judgment - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)

Prismatic Strands - Commander 2019 (C19)

Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Teferi's Protection - Strixhaven Mystical Archive (STA)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Break Ties MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons 2, 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 Break Ties and other MTG cards: