Stream of Thought MTG Card
2019-06-14 - Number 71
2019-11-07 - Number 508
2020-09-26 - Number MH1-71
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Mill,Replicate |
Key Takeaways
- Recycling spells with Stream of Thought can significantly bolster card advantage, impacting the game’s momentum.
- It demands precise mana and deck management to maximize the replicating effect’s potential benefits.
- Casting at instant speed strategically disrupts opponents while reinforcing your own game plan.
Text of card
Target player puts the top four cards of their library into their graveyard. You shuffle up to four cards from your graveyard into your library. Replicate (When you cast this spell, copy it for each time you paid its replicate cost. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Stream of Thought offers the ability to shuffle additional cards from your graveyard back into your library, effectively recycling crucial spells. This can potentially lead to gaining card advantage by drawing into these reused cards again.
Resource Acceleration: As you can replicate the spell under the right circumstances, Stream of Thought allows you to exploit mana availability at key moments. By investing more mana into the replication process, you accelerate the potential resource gain much further than a single iteration of the spell would allow.
Instant Speed: The ability to cast Stream of Thought at instant speed adds a layer of versatility. It allows you to wait until the last possible moment to make the most informed decision about what to shuffle back or to disrupt an opponent’s strategy during their turn without compromising your own turn’s game plan.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Tracking the effectiveness of Stream of Thought might be challenging due to its shuffle effect, as it requires precise deck tracking to ensure the targeted cards are drawn again, potentially complicating gameplay for the player.
Specific Mana Cost: Stream of Thought comes with a blue mana cost which means it is tailored for blue or blue-inclusive decks, this restricts its versatility across the varied MTG deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When comparing Stream of Thought to other spells in MTG, its mana cost might be seen as steep for its replication effect, especially in fast-paced games where mana efficiency is key to outpacing an opponent.
Reasons to Include Stream of Thought in Your Collection
Versatility: Stream of Thought offers a multifaceted approach to gameplay, adeptly fitting into decks that seek to manipulate the library. Its shuffle effect is practical for recycling key cards back into your deck.
Combo Potential: This spell has inherent synergy with strategies focused on casting multiple spells in a single turn or those that benefit from repetitive casting, such as prowess or storm decks.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where graveyard strategies are predominant, Stream of Thought can serve as a valuable tool for disrupting your opponent’s plans while fortifying your own deck against possible threats.
How to Beat Stream of Thought
Stream of Thought emerges as a unique utility spell in the world of Magic: The Gathering, primarily focused on deck manipulation and recursion. This card, while seemingly innocuous at first glance, can be formidable in milling strategies or when aiming to reshuffle key cards back into your library. To successfully counter this nuanced card, an understanding of its strategic use is a must.
When facing an opponent who leverages Stream of Thought, timing is everything. Keep counter spells handy to prevent the recursion of pivotal cards into their library and disrupt their game plan. Graveyard hate cards, like Tormod’s Crypt, can also nullify the impact of Stream of Thought by exiling the targeted cards before they’re shuffled back. It’s crucial to monitor your opponent’s graveyard and anticipate Stream of Thought’s application within their overarching strategy.
To wrap it up, Stream of Thought can create a sustainable loop of strategy for your opponent. Still, with prepared counterplays, the threat can be mitigated. Interrupting their sequencing with instant-speed responses and being vigilant about the state of both graveyards will give you an edge against this subtle yet impactful spell. Consistent pressure and graveyard control are key to overcoming the recursiveness Stream of Thought brings to the table.
Cards like Stream of Thought
Stream of Thought presents itself as an intriguing puzzle piece within the realm of recursion spells in Magic: The Gathering. It invites comparisons to other spells that shuffle cards from the graveyard back into the library, like the efficient Elixir of Immortality. Elixir, unlike Stream of Thought, also offers a small amount of life gain but does not provide the targeted selection that Stream of Thought does when it comes to recycling your deck’s components. Additionally, Stream of Thought has the replicating mechanic, granting the ability to repeat the process multiple times in a single casting.
Moving into green territory, cards like Gaea’s Blessing also serve the purpose of graveyard recycling, with the added benefit of being automatically triggered when it hits the graveyard from a library. Yet it lacks Stream of Thought’s direct milling aspect which can subtly disrupt an opponent’s game plan. There’s also the multifaceted Clear the Mind, which melds the shuffle-back mechanic with a fresh draw. However, it targets only the player’s own graveyard, whereas Stream of Thought offers the flexibility of targeting any player’s graveyard, allowing for intricate strategic plays.
Ultimately, Stream of Thought’s nuanced capabilities for selective graveyard recycling, together with its potential for multi-use in a single cast, render it a distinctive option among its cohort in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Stream of Thought by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Stream of Thought MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons 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 Stream of Thought 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 Stream of Thought Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2019-06-14 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Seb McKinnon.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019-06-14 | Modern Horizons | MH1 | 71 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Seb McKinnon | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 508 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Seb McKinnon | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | MH1-71 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Seb McKinnon |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Stream of Thought has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Stream of Thought card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-06-14 | If you replicate Stream of Thought, the copies resolve before the original spell, so they can’t shuffle Stream of Thought into your library. |
| 2019-06-14 | Stream of Thought is still on the stack while you choose cards in your graveyard to shuffle into your library. It can’t shuffle itself into your library. |
| 2019-06-14 | The copies that replicate creates are created on the stack, so they’re not “cast.” Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won’t trigger. |
| 2019-06-14 | You choose which cards to shuffle into your library while Stream of Thought is resolving. If you target yourself with Stream of Thought, you may choose any of the four cards that you put into your graveyard or any cards that were there before. |
| 2019-06-14 | You’ll copy Stream of Thought for each time you paid its replicate cost, even if it’s countered. |
