Oath of Mages MTG Card

Oath of Mages offers card advantage and can disrupt opponents, shaping the pace of the game. Its mana requirements may hinder multi-colored deck strategies and requires careful hand management. Oath of Mages’s versatility and meta-relevance make it a unique addition to any collection.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment
Released	1998-06-15
Set symbol
Set name	Exodus
Set code	EXO
Number	90
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Keith Parkinson

Text of card

During each player's upkeep, if that player has less life than target opponent, he or she may have Oath of Mages deal 1 damage to that opponent.

Cards like Oath of Mages

Oath of Mages stands out in the pantheon of life-manipulating cards within Magic: The Gathering. It shares thematic similarities with cards like Browbeat, allowing players a choice with potential for significant impact on the game. Browbeat offers opponents a decision between damage or card draw which, like Oath of Mages, places psychological pressure on the opposing player to choose their own poison. However, Browbeat’s immediate effect differs from the ongoing potential threat posed by Oath of Mages in each upkeep.

Another comparable card is Vexing Devil, which provides a creature drop that forces an opponent to opt between accepting damage or letting a formidable creature stay on board. While Vexing Devil poses a single, crucial choice, Oath of Mages instills continuous tension round after round. Curse of the Pierced Heart also aligns closely, with a repetitive damage effect each turn. Still, it eliminates the element of choice central to Oath of Mages’s gameplay dynamic.

Oath of Mages holds a unique position in the roster of MTG cards that give power to the opponents’ choices, a subtle but potent tool for strategic players who excel in psychological manipulation. Its distinctive feature of recurring during each player’s upkeep can become a cornerstone of decks exploiting life as a resource.

Curse of the Pierced Heart - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Oath of Mages by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Oath of Mages enables a recurring mechanism to potentially draw additional cards, provided your life total is lower than your opponents’. This ongoing effect can tip the scales by providing you with more options and answers from your deck as the game progresses.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly increasing your mana pool, Oath of Mages can speed up your game by disrupting your opponent’s strategy. The damage it deals could ease the path for your creatures or incentivize your opponent to play spells earlier, which indirectly accelerates your board state by affecting theirs.

Instant Speed: The triggered ability of Oath of Mages works at the speed of each player’s upkeep, functioning seamlessly within the flow of the game. This obliges opponents to consider their life total on not just their turn but yours as well, making it a vigilant and efficient tool in the pace of your strategy.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Oath of Mages necessitates discarding another card, which may not be ideal when your hand is already depleted or when every card is crucial for your game strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: With Oath of Mages asking for two specific red mana, it can be restrictive, potentially interfering with the casting of spells in multi-colored decks that don’t prioritize red mana or have a diversified mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment of four, including two red, is relatively steep considering its ability. Players might find that other cards could offer more impactful outcomes or provide better synergy with their deck’s overall plan at a similar or lower mana cost.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Oath of Mages is a flexible card that can be integrated into a variety of deck styles, particularly those focusing on spell casting or player life total manipulation strategies.

Combo Potential: It holds potential for combinations with cards that benefit from or trigger upon players casting spells or taking damage, thus opening up creative avenues for deck building.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where life totals are aggressively manipulated or where spell-slinging decks prevail, Oath of Mages can serve as a pivotal component, potentially swaying the outcome of a duel in your favor.

How to beat

Oath of Mages is a unique spell that can impact both players in a Magic: The Gathering match. Understanding its strengths is key to turning the tables in your favor. Notably, it deals damage to the player with the highest life total at the beginning of their upkeep, equal to the difference in life totals between the two players. This can quickly become a double-edged sword if you’re leading in life points.

One effective strategy is to manage your life total. Spells and abilities that can either increase your opponent’s life or reduce your own without putting you in danger are valuable. Consider using cards that grant you life, like life link creatures, cautiously. Instead, execute controlled life payments for powerful abilities or additional resources. It’s also wise to pack some enchantment removal in your deck to dispatch Oath of Mages directly, or employ counterspells to prevent it from hitting the battlefield in the first place. The key is to monitor the board and your life total, ensuring that Oath of Mages becomes more of a liability than an asset for your opponent.

Essentially, playing around Oath of Mages requires a balance of life total manipulation and timely removal. Keeping these tactics in mind can dismantle the advantage it may give to your opponent and secure your path to victory.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Oath of Mages MTG card by a specific set like Exodus, 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 Oath of Mages and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Oath of Mages has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2009-10-01	The ability can only target an opponent of the current player.
2009-10-01	The targeted player having more life than the current player is a part of the targeting requirement. A player can’t be targeted by this ability unless it’s true, and the ability doesn’t resolve if it’s no longer true at that time.