Moonlace MTG Card
2006-10-06 - Number 68
2020-09-26 - Number TSP-68
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Instant |
Text of card
Target spell or permanent becomes colorless.
Once a vision of constancy in the sky, the moon had long been hidden from view by the haze that chokes the heavens. The very sight of it had become a sign that change was in the air.
Cards like Moonlace
Moonlace is an intriguing option in the realm of color protection and interaction within Magic: The Gathering. It draws parallels with cards like Blue Elemental Blast that specifically targets red spells and permanents. Yet, Moonlace offers something different — the ability to turn any spell or permanent colorless. This can create unique interactions that aren’t possible with a more specific card like Blue Elemental Blast.
Another card that often comes up in comparison is Vines of Vastwood, which can also provide protection, but it focuses on creatures and beefs them up. Moonlace, in contrast, doesn’t give that pump effect, but its broader target selection gives it a versatility that Vines of Vastwood doesn’t possess. Furthermore, it’s comparable with cards such as Apostle’s Blessing, which can give protection from colors or artifacts, but at the cost of paying life or mana. Moonlace requires no such trade-off, being a pure mana investment.
In summary, while Moonlace doesn’t offer the creature boosting of Vines of Vastwood or the pinpoint targeting of Blue Elemental Blast, its unique offer to alter the color — and therefore, the interaction of a spell or permanent — places it in its own niche within the versatile world of Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Moonlace by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Though Moonlace does not directly provide card draw, it can serve as a pivotal protection piece for key spells or permanents, effectively negating an opponent’s disruption attempt and maintaining your card advantage on the board.
Resource Acceleration: While Moonlace doesn’t boost your mana resources, it can be an accelerant for color-based strategy. By changing the color of a card temporarily, it enables interactions with cards or abilities requiring specific color conditions, potentially unlocking new paths of play faster than usual.
Instant Speed: The ability to cast Moonlace at instant speed offers substantial flexibility. It can be used as a surprise element, disrupting opponents’ expectations and strategies at critical moments, thus allowing one to react to threats or opportunities as they arise during a game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Moonlace doesn’t mandate a discard, but in a broader sense, using it may feel like a discard. You’re essentially exchanging a potentially more impactful card for a niche effect that alters the color of a spell or permanent for a single turn.
Specific Mana Cost: Moonlace requires a blue mana, which may not be readily available in all decks. Decks that don’t operate heavily in blue may find it hard to justify an inclusion of a card so narrowly focused in color requirements.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For one blue and one other mana, you achieve a color change effect that doesn’t necessarily impact the board state in a significant way. When considering the slots in a deck, Moonlace’s mana cost can be seen as steep for the effect it provides, given that other cards at this cost could offer more influential game mechanics or board presence.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Moonlace offers a unique ability to permanently change the color of spells or permanents. This trait allows it to seamlessly integrate into decks that exploit color-specific interactions or need protection against certain color-targeting effects.
Combo Potential: This card possesses an inherent combo potential with cards that benefit from color changes. It can be a key piece in turning your permanents into the desired color for synergies with other cards, such as those that provide bonuses for controlling permanents of a certain color.
Meta-Relevance: While not a staple in every meta, Moonlace can be a silver bullet in environments where color matters significantly. In metas dominated by color-intensive spells and abilities, the ability to alter colors on-the-fly can catch opponents off-guard and turn the tide in your favor.
How to beat Moonlace
Moonlace, as an intriguing utility card from Magic the Gathering, offers players the ability to turn any spell or permanent into the color of their choice. This can protect your strategies from color-specific counters or enable beneficial interactions with cards requiring a certain color. However, while this sounds advantageous, Moonlace is not without its weaknesses.
To effectively counter Moonlace, the key lies in timing and strategic spell choice. Since Moonlace can only target a spell or permanent at the time it’s cast, one strategy is to bait out the Moonlace early with less critical spells. Alternatively, holding onto instant-speed removal or counter spells until after your opponent has committed Moonlace to the stack can leave them vulnerable, wasting their card on a non-critical target. Understanding the meta and anticipating when Moonlace might be played can turn this seemingly protective spell into a liability for your opponent.
Taking everything into account, Moonlace carries the potential to be a game-changer, yet remains a high-risk, niche card. Assessing its value on the battlefield requires skillful play and thoughtful deck building, making it a unique, albeit situational, asset in a player’s MTG arsenal.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Moonlace MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral 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 Moonlace 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Moonlace Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2006-10-06 and 2006-10-06. Illustrated by Mike Dringenberg.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2006-10-06 | Time Spiral | TSP | 68 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Mike Dringenberg | |
| 2 | The List | PLST | TSP-68 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Mike Dringenberg |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Moonlace 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 Moonlace card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2006-09-25 | If Moonlace is cast on a spell that becomes a permanent (a creature spell, an artifact spell, or an enchantment spell), the permanent will enter the battlefield colorless and will remain colorless until it leaves the battlefield (or until another effect changes its color). |
| 2006-09-25 | Moonlace’s effect doesn’t wear off. |