Mind Rake MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Overload

Key Takeaways

  1. Mind Rake provides significant card advantage and disrupts opponents’ hands effectively.
  2. The Overload feature offers multi-opponent impact, accelerating resource control.
  3. Despite sorcery speed, Mind Rake’s impact rivals that of instant-speed spells.

Text of card

Target player discards two cards. Overload (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change its text by replacing all instances of "target" with "each.")

Spells of madness often require a sacrifice of sanity.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Mind Rake demands opponents to discard multiple cards, effectively stripping them of their resources and providing you with an edge in card advantage over the course of the game.

Resource Acceleration: This card’s Overload cost can be a game-changing play, allowing you to impact all opponents at once, rapidly shifting the game’s momentum in your favor and acting as a form of resource acceleration.

Instant Speed: While Mind Rake operates at sorcery speed, its immediate and widespread impact on the game mirrors that of instant speed plays, enabling swift changes to the state of the game when timed correctly.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Mind Rake obligates players to discard cards, potentially depleting their hand and diminishing their strategic options.

Specific Mana Cost: This spell’s need for black mana restricts its integration into multicolored decks that might not focus on black mana production.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an overhead of three mana, Mind Rake may be less economical when compared to other discard spells that achieve similar effects at a lower cost.


Reasons to Include Mind Rake in Your Collection

Versatility: Mind Rake offers a flexible approach to disrupting your opponent’s hand. It can be slotted into any black deck focused on control or discard strategies, and its Overload cost can change the tide of multiplayer games as well.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with other cards that capitalize on an opponent’s reduced hand size, making it a key piece in discard-themed combos. It also works with cards that reward you for the number of cards in your opponents’ graveyards.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where players rely on precise combinations or a specific set of cards, Mind Rake can effectively dismantle those plans. Its relevance elevates in metas where hand size is crucial to the opponent’s success.


How to Beat

Mind Rake presents a challenge with its Overload ability, presenting Magic: The Gathering players with a scenario where both they and their opponent discard cards. Often utilized in discard-focused decks, this card leverages the strategy of depleting the opponent’s resources. To overcome this, it is essential to employ strategies that convert discarded cards into an advantage or to replenish your hand efficiently.

One strategy is using cards like Echo of Eons, which offer a fresh hand of seven cards after a discard. This can counter the effect of Mind Rake, especially if timed correctly. Other tactics include running cards that benefit from being in the graveyard, such as Wrenn and Six or Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath, transforming a supposed setback into an opportunity. It’s also advisable to keep hand sizes in check, thereby minimizing the impact of a potential Mind Rake. Utilizing instant-speed draw spells maintains card advantage while keeping your hand ready for any surprises.

Adaptability is key. By incorporating these strategies, players can dampen the effect of Mind Rake and maintain a strong position on the battlefield. Managing resources is critical in MTG, and knowing how to recover from Mind Rake’s disruption can maintain your momentum in a game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Embark on a strategic journey in MTG and discover the compelling abilities of Mind Rake. This powerful card orchestrates a symphony of disruption in your opponent’s plans, leaving them scrambling due to its potent discard mechanic. Whether you’re incorporating Mind Rake into your black control deck or using it to pivot a multiplayer match, its impact on the gameboard is undeniable. Enhance your deck with this versatile spell, navigate around its few drawbacks, and cultivate unique ways to exploit discarded cards. Dive deeper into the nuances of hand disruption tactics with us and refine your arsenal for the virtual battlegrounds of MTG.


Cards like Mind Rake

Mind Rake sets its presence in Magic: The Gathering with a unique take on forcing hand disruption. This card bears resemblance to Delirium Skeins, which also prompts each player to discard multiple cards. Where Mind Rake steps up is in its Overload cost, allowing you to target only your opponent at a reasonable cost, unlike the untargeted approach of Delirium Skeins.

Peer into the likes of Rotting Rats, which features a recurring discard effect due to its Unearth capability. However, Mind Rake’s advantage is the immediate impact of discarding two cards at once. Moreover, comparing it to Wrench Mind, the latter affects solely your opponent but can be less effective if the opponent has artifact cards to spare. Mind Rake’s versatility shines with its Overload option, focusing on a single target and potentially avoiding the downside of Wrench Mind.

Considering the dynamic of discard strategies, Mind Rake serves as a potent tool offering flexibility and strategic depth. Its comparison with related MTG cards highlights its distinctive advantage in player-versus-player scenarios, making it a solid choice in formats that value immediate and targeted hand disruption.

Delirium Skeins - MTG Card versions
Rotting Rats - MTG Card versions
Wrench Mind - MTG Card versions
Delirium Skeins - Dissension (DIS)
Rotting Rats - Conflux (CON)
Wrench Mind - Mirrodin (MRD)

Cards similar to Mind Rake by color, type and mana cost

Darkpact - MTG Card versions
Demonic Attorney - MTG Card versions
Jovial Evil - MTG Card versions
Inquisition - MTG Card versions
Infernal Contract - MTG Card versions
Touch of Death - MTG Card versions
Call from the Grave - MTG Card versions
Wicked Pact - MTG Card versions
Nature's Ruin - MTG Card versions
Buried Alive - MTG Card versions
Choking Sands - MTG Card versions
Brush with Death - MTG Card versions
Perish - MTG Card versions
Stupor - MTG Card versions
Coercion - MTG Card versions
Hand of Death - MTG Card versions
Grim Tutor - MTG Card versions
Forced March - MTG Card versions
Midnight Ritual - MTG Card versions
Soul Burn - MTG Card versions
Darkpact - Revised Edition (3ED)
Demonic Attorney - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Jovial Evil - Legends (LEG)
Inquisition - The Dark (DRK)
Infernal Contract - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Touch of Death - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Call from the Grave - Astral Cards (PAST)
Wicked Pact - Starter 1999 (S99)
Nature's Ruin - Portal (POR)
Buried Alive - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Choking Sands - World Championship Decks 1997 (WC97)
Brush with Death - Stronghold (STH)
Perish - The List (PLST)
Stupor - Arena League 2000 (PAL00)
Coercion - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Hand of Death - Starter 2000 (S00)
Grim Tutor - Core Set 2021 Promos (PM21)
Forced March - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Midnight Ritual - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Soul Burn - Invasion (INV)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mind Rake // Mind Rake MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons Art Series and Modern Horizons, 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 Mind Rake // Mind Rake and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Mind Rake // Mind Rake Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2019-06-14 and 2021-08-26. Illustrated by Jason Rainville.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-06-05Modern Horizons Art SeriesAMH1 332015art_seriesborderlessJason Rainville
22019-06-14Modern HorizonsMH1 962015normalblackJason Rainville
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 7122015normalblackJason Rainville
42020-09-26The ListPLST MH1-962015normalblackJason Rainville
52021-08-26Jumpstart: Historic HorizonsJ21 3572015normalblackJason Rainville

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Mind Rake has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2019-06-14 If you don’t pay the overload cost of a spell, that spell will have a single target. If you pay the overload cost, the spell won’t have any targets.
2019-06-14 While most spells with overload affect only permanents you control or only permanents your opponents control, Mind Rake affects all players, including you, if it’s overloaded.

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