Direct Current MTG Card
2018-10-05 - Number 96
2019-11-07 - Number 905
2024-02-23 - Number 132
2020-09-26 - Number GRN-96
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Jump-start |
Key Takeaways
- Jump-start allows Direct Current to be cast twice, converting unneeded cards into damage output.
- Specific mana requirements and discard condition may limit its inclusion in varied decks.
- Despite higher mana cost, its versatility makes it a fit for burn and control decks.
Text of card
Direct Current deals 2 damage to any target. Jump-start (You may cast this card from your graveyard by discarding a card in addition to paying its other costs. Then exile this card.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Direct Current provides a way to deal damage as well as recoup resources through its jump-start ability, allowing you to cast it again from the graveyard by discarding a card, essentially converting excess or unneeded cards into potential damage.
Resource Acceleration: While Direct Current itself doesn’t accelerate resources in the form of mana or tokens, the act of recurring it from the graveyard with jump-start can be seen as a form of resource acceleration, as you effectively get two uses out of a single card.
Instant Speed: Direct Current’s flexibility partly comes from its ability to be used at instant speed, once it’s in the graveyard with jump-start. This capability allows you to react to your opponent’s moves during their turn, catching them off-guard or responding to threats as they arise.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: In the case of Direct Current, a player must have another red card in hand to discard for its jump-start ability. This can be counterproductive when you’re trying to maintain hand advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Direct Current requires two red mana to cast. This specific cost can impede flexibility in multicolored decks that may have mana bases less tailored to producing multiple mana of the same color consistently.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of three mana, including the aforementioned specific red mana requirements, Direct Current’s damage output is somewhat inefficient compared to other burn spells available in the game that might achieve more for less or offer additional utility.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Direct Current is quite the adaptable spell. Not only can it target both creatures and players, but it also fits smoothly into burn and control decks that require removal spells with the flexibility to finish a game.
Combo Potential: Being a sorcery that deals damage, it has synergy with spellslinger decks and can activate abilities that respond to casting red spells or dealing noncombat damage. Combo it with cards that copy sorcery spells or with damage doublers for more impact.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta with an abundance of x/2 creatures or those with key activated abilities, Direct Current’s ability to remove them while potentially dealing those last few points of damage to a player can be crucial for maintaining board control or closing out the game.
How to Overcome Direct Current
Direct Current occupies a unique niche in Magic: The Gathering’s plethora of burn spells. Its defining trait is the flexibility afforded by the jump-start mechanic, enabling players to cast it from the graveyard by discarding a card in addition to paying its mana cost. It’s essential to recognize that while Direct Current can deal damage twice, it always requires a card to be discarded for the second cast.
One way to mitigate the impact of Direct Current is by leveraging creatures with toughness higher than 2, ensuring they survive the initial damage. Additionally, cards with lifelink can counterbalance the life total loss, making it more challenging for Direct Current to threaten your stance in the game. Utilizing instant-speed spells that provide hexproof or indestructibility can also nullify Direct Current’s effect when wielded at the right moment.
Facilitating card advantage is another effective strategy. Since the Direct Current caster has to discard a card for its jump-start, ensure your actions in the match lead to a superior draw engine or card recursion methods that surpass the one-for-one trade off Direct Current offers. Employ these tactics, and you will reduce the burn spell’s potential, maintaining a stronger position on the battleground.
Cards like Direct Current
Direct Current finds its niche in the broad spectrum of burn spells in Magic: The Gathering. This spell echoes the function of Shock, a fundamental burn spell, which inflicts 2 damage to any target. Direct Current distinguishes itself with the ability to be used from the graveyard thanks to its jump-start ability, albeit at the expense of discarding a card. Shock, with no such mechanism, may not offer the same repeatable usage.
Another peer to Direct Current is Lightning Strike, which delivers a potent 3 damage to any target for the same amount of mana. However, Lightning Strike does not possess the jump-start capability, leaving Direct Current as the more flexible option in longer matches where card advantage is key. Further comparisons can be made with Searing Spear, which, like Lightning Strike, deals 3 damage at an instant speed but again lacks the reusability feature provided by jump-start.
Ultimately, Direct Current presents a reliable choice within the arsenal of damage-dealing spells in Magic: The Gathering, balancing the trade-off between damage output and strategic depth granted by its unique jump-start ability.
Cards similar to Direct Current by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Direct Current MTG card by a specific set like Guilds of Ravnica and Mystery Booster, 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 Direct Current 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
Printings
The Direct Current Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2018-10-05 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by Dan Scott.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-10-05 | Guilds of Ravnica | GRN | 96 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dan Scott | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 905 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dan Scott | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | GRN-96 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dan Scott | ||
| 4 | 2024-02-23 | Ravnica: Clue Edition | CLU | 132 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dan Scott |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Direct Current has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Direct Current 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 | A spell cast using jump-start will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, it’s countered, or it leaves the stack in some other way. |
| 2018-10-05 | If a card with jump-start is put into your graveyard during your turn, you’ll be able to cast it right away if it’s legal to do so, before an opponent can take any actions. |
| 2018-10-05 | If an effect allows you to pay an alternative cost rather than a spell’s mana cost, you may pay that alternative cost when you jump-start a spell. You’ll still discard a card as an additional cost to cast it. |
| 2018-10-05 | You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions, including those based on the card’s type. For instance, you can cast a sorcery using jump-start only when you could normally cast a sorcery. |
