Mystery Key MTG Card
2022-06-10 - Number 85
2020-09-26 - Number CLB-85
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact — Equipment |
| Abilities | Equip |
Key Takeaways
- Enhances strategic options through card advantage and instant-speed activation.
- Demands careful resource management due to discard and specific mana costs.
- Provides versatility and combo potential, making it meta-relevant for players.
Text of card
When equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, sacrifice Mystery Key. If you do, draw three cards. Equip (: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Mystery Key provides a unique opportunity to sift through your deck and enhance your hand, effectively ensuring that you have access to more options and strategies as the game progresses. Unearthing just the right card could be the tipping point to outmaneuver the opposition.
Resource Acceleration: By unlocking your deck’s potential faster than normal, the Mystery Key can catapult your gameplay, letting you utilize resources at a pace that can overwhelm your adversaries. It’s not just about playing the game; it’s about staying several moves ahead.
Instant Speed: The ability to activate the Mystery Key at instant speed offers a tactical advantage, granting the flexibility to respond to an opponent’s actions or to end your turn with a flourish of strategic depth. Timing is everything, and with instant speed, you control the clock.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Mystery Key card demands that you discard another card to activate its ability. This condition can put you at a resource disadvantage, making it challenging to maintain card advantage in the game.
Specific Mana Cost: Casting Mystery Key requires a particular combination of mana. This necessity can pose deck-building restrictions as it may not seamlessly fit into all mana bases, especially in multicolored decks with a tight mana curve.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a higher mana investment compared to some other key options in the game, Mystery Key might not be the most mana-efficient choice. Players might find alternatives that offer more flexibility or impactful effects for less mana.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: The Mystery Key unlocks a wide array of possibilities across different deck archetypes, serving various roles whether you’re aiming for utility or synergy.
Combo Potential: This card’s ability to search for specific components makes it a linchpin in combo decks, setting the stage for game-changing plays.
Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to adapt to evolving decks and strategies, including the Mystery Key enhances your gameplay by providing an edge in the current competitive landscape.
How to beat
The Mystery Key card is an intriguing artifact within the Magic: The Gathering universe. This card poses a unique challenge to players, given its ability to unlock potential from deep within one’s library. As a player who finds themselves opposed to the Mystery Key, it is essential to recognize that artifact disruption and efficient library manipulation are your best strategies to neutralize its advantage.
Counterspells, discard strategies, and removal spells targeted at noncreature permanents can be highly effective in disrupting an opponent’s reliance on the Mystery Key. It’s prudent to incorporate versatile cards like Naturalize or Disenchant into your deck, which address a broad spectrum of threats, including pesky artifacts. Moreover, forcing your adversary to shuffle their library can upset their search for answers, a strategic move often underrated in matches.
In summary, handling a card as variable as the Mystery Key calls for foresight and adaptable deck building. By preparing your deck with a few strategically chosen responses, you not only diminish the power of the Mystery Key but also strengthen your position against a spectrum of other threats in the multifaceted world of MTG.
Cards like Mystery Key
The intrigue of Magic: The Gathering expands with the Mystery Key, a unique card that unlocks various strategic possibilities. This card bears similarities to the likes of Izzet Keyrune or Voltaic Key, both of which also provide utility in manipulating artifacts. What sets Mystery Key apart is its potential to tap into unforeseen value, offering a whiff of unpredictability to the gameplay that can turn the tide in favor of its user.
For a more direct comparison, Manifold Key springs to mind, granting not only the ability to untap another artifact but also to make a creature unblockable for the turn. Although Manifold Key has a consistent and defined outcome, the adaptable nature of Mystery Key introduces a broader range of outcomes, adding an element of surprise to a player’s strategy. Then there is the ever-reliable Skeleton Key, which may not have the artifact synergy but provides the added benefit of skulk and card drawing capacity.
In assessing these counterparts, Mystery Key stands out as an adaptable card in any MTG player’s arsenal. Its variable effects can present unforeseen advantages that, when played wisely, could transform the state of play to its wielder’s favor. It’s this adaptability that positions Mystery Key favorably among cards with similar artifact interaction capabilities.
Cards similar to Mystery Key by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Mystery Key MTG card by a specific set like The List and Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, 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 Mystery Key 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 Mystery Key Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2022-06-10 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by Yeong-Hao Han.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The List | PLST | CLB-85 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Yeong-Hao Han | ||
| 2 | 2022-06-10 | Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate | CLB | 85 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Yeong-Hao Han |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Mystery Key has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |