Sacred Rites MTG Card

Odyssey (ODY)
2001-10-01 - Number 44

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number ODY-44

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant

Key Takeaways

Offers card advantage and resource acceleration for those who can manage its discard requirement and specific mana needs.
The card’s instant speed offers flexibility, crucial for adapting to ever-changing game states and maximizing strategy.
Despite having a higher mana cost, Sacred Rites’ versatility and combo potential make it a valuable collection addition.

Text of card

Discard any number of cards from your hand. Creatures you control get +0/+1 until end of turn for each card discarded this way.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sacred Rites shines by providing the potential for substantial card advantage. Drawing cards while performing other actions leverages your game, keeping your hand full and options open.

Resource Acceleration: By offering a quick way to amass resource tokens, this trick bolsters your board state. These resources can feed into powerful spells earlier than usual, giving a significant tempo push.

Instant Speed: The flexibility offered by instant speed cannot be overstated. Sacred Rites casts at the pace of your game, ensuring you are always primed to respond or optimize your strategy at the most advantageous moment.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the limitations of the Sacred Rites card is its discard requirement. To fully utilize the card’s effect, you need to part with another card from your hand, which can be detrimental when options are slim or if each card in your hand is vital to your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Sacred Rites demands a specific combination of mana colors to be cast. This restriction means that decks not running these colors or that are color-screwed during gameplay might find it difficult to use this card effectively at the right moment.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that may be considered high for its effect, Sacred Rites poses a challenge when you require efficiency. There are alternatives in the game that can provide similar benefits for a lower mana investment, making it less appealing when constructing a tight, competitive deck.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Sacred Rites is a card with the flexibility to mesh with various deck archetypes, particularly those that capitalize on instant-speed tricks and the graveyard’s resources.

Combo Potential: It can seamlessly integrate into combos, acting as a conduit to fuel graveyard synergies or to protect key creatures from removal at critical junctions.

Meta-Relevance: Given the importance of resilience and adaptability in fluctuating metagames, Sacred Rites provides an edge by offering protection and resource manipulation that can outmaneuver opponents.

How to beat

Sacred Rites is a versatile card in Magic: The Gathering that can pose a challenge to players when it’s actively bolstering an opponent’s creatures during combat. Understandably, overcoming this enchantment requires strategic planning and the right responses. By employing instant-speed removal spells, you can disrupt the synergy of the Sacred Rites’ enabled strategies before they unfold during the attack phase. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant can effectively nullify the threat by removing the enchantment directly from the battlefield.

Countermeasures extend to leveraging countermagic when Sacred Rites is first cast, ensuring it never impacts the game. For those running creature-heavy decks, consider tactics to evade boosted defenders, such as trample or flying abilities, neutralizing the combat trick advantage that Sacred Rites offers. Lastly, always manage your resources to keep your options open, as Sacred Rites requires a resource investment from your opponent, which can be turned to your advantage with clever play sequences.

Overall, facing Sacred Rites in MTG calls for adaptability and timely intervention, capitalizing on its requirements and knowing when to strike against the card to maintain the upper hand in your matches.

Cards like Sacred Rites

Sacred Rites is an intriguing card in the world of Magic: The Gathering, bearing similarities to other spells that offer protection and combat trickery. Take Gods Willing, for instance, which is another spell that can give a creature protection from the color of your choice for a single white mana. The key difference lies in Gods Willing providing scry 1, allowing a peek into future draws. Sacred Rites, however, focuses on a more aggressive strategy by potentially enhancing multiple creatures.

Centering around a similar theme, we encounter Shelter, a spell that not only grants protection but also allows you to draw a card. While it provides additional value through card draw, it carries a higher mana cost compared to Sacred Rites. This could be a vital factor in decision-making for players seeking a more economical combat trick.

In essence, Sacred Rites fits into the landscape of MTG as a multi-target alternative to protective spells, leaning towards aggressive gameplay with its ability to affect numerous creatures. It strikes a balance between cost and combat adaptability, making it a noteworthy option for players who value swift and wide-reaching tactical moves.

Cards similar to Sacred Rites by color, type and mana cost

Swords to Plowshares - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sacred Rites MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey 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 Sacred Rites and other MTG cards: