Psychic Trance MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Instant
Released	2002-10-07
Set symbol
Set name	Onslaught
Set code	ONS
Number	102
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Rebecca Guay

Key Takeaways

Psychic Trance provides potential card advantage and can disrupt opponents, changing the pace of the match.
It turns wizards into resources, but requires careful management of your hand and mana pool to be effective.
Strategically invaluable, Psychic Trance demands precise play but offers significant tactical advantages in various situations.

Text of card

Until end of turn, Wizards you control gain "oc T: Counter target spell."

The Riptide Project was perhaps the only school devoted to preventing the spread of knowledge.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Psychic Trance is a notable card in that it can shift the tide of a game by hampering your opponent’s spellcasting while filling your hand with options. This can be a decisive play, making it integral in gaining the upper hand in longer, more drawn-out matches.

Resource Acceleration: This spell does more than disrupt; it can effectively turn your wizards into a resource production line. As each wizard becomes a potential source of additional mana, you accelerate your available resources, allowing you to deploy more threats or answers.

Instant Speed: The instant speed of Psychic Trance provides flexibility, allowing you to respond to threats or opportunities at the most opportune moment. This ensures that you’re always one step ahead, using it tactically to surprise an opponent who may not anticipate a counterplay outside the typical windows of interaction.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When playing Psychic Trance, you need to be prepared as it asks you to discard a number of cards equal to the spell’s converted mana cost. This can put you at a disadvantage, especially if your hand is already thinning out and you can’t afford to lose any more card options.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Psychic Trance is not just steep; it requires a precise blend of blue mana. This specificity demands that your deck is heavy on islands or has other means to generate blue mana, potentially limiting your deck-building choices and strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that demands three blue mana and one of any color, Psychic Trance’s mana cost is on the higher side when you consider the immediate impact on the game. Other cards at this cost could potentially provide a more significant effect right away, thus making Psychic Trance a challenging inclusion in many decks based on its cost-to-benefit ratio.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Psychic Trance offers unique flexibility allowing players to turn any number of Wizards they control into an equivalent number of Counterspells. This can adapt your game plan to various situations, fitting well into Wizard-tribal decks or control strategies.

Combo Potential: This card creates an opportunity for combo plays with cards that generate Wizard tokens or with effects that untap your Wizards, letting you counter multiple spells in a single turn. This high synergy can be a game-changer in the right setup.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta dominated by instant and sorcery spells, Psychic Trance can give you a significant edge. The power to counter spells while developing your board with Wizards can shift the balance of the game in your favor, especially in spell-heavy matchups.

How to beat

Psychic Trance is a unique blue spell in Magic: The Gathering that can turn the tide of a match by granting instant and sorcery spells with Flash until end of turn. It’s an enhancing multi-tool, giving players the flexibility to cast pivotal spells during any phase of the game, including the opponent’s turns. Consequentially, overcoming this card requires clever strategy and timing.

One effective method to combat Psychic Trance involves the strategic use of counter spells. As players use Psychic Trance to potentially unleash a barrage of instants and sorceries, having counter spells at the ready can neutralize this threat. Similarly, cards that limit spell casting or increase the cost of spells, such as Damping Sphere or Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, can deter or impair an opponent’s plan.

Players might also opt to take aggressive measures, targeting the player’s mana base to disrupt their ability to cast multiple spells in a single turn. Additionally, focusing on a fast-paced, offensive strategy can pressure the Psychic Trance player before they amass enough mana or resources to capitalize on their card advantage. Careful planning and predictive play are essential when facing off against this adaptable card.

Cards like Psychic Trance

Psychic Trance is an intriguing spell in Magic: The Gathering that offers players unique tactical advances by countering all spells that opponents cast this turn. Its uniqueness lies in its blanket effect, akin to cards such as Summary Dismissal which also exiles all spells and abilities from the stack. However, Summary Dismissal’s power doesn’t revolve around a specific turn’s duration.

Comparatively, we have Teferi’s Protection which also provides a sweeping defensive strategy by phasing out the player’s permanents and making them invulnerable for a full turn cycle. While it acts more on a protective basis as opposed to the countering mechanic of Psychic Trance, both cards excel in disrupting opponents’ plans. Then there is Overwhelming Denial, which serves a similar counterplay role. Despite its Surge ability offering a reduced casting cost under certain situations, Psychic Trance stands out with its potential to impact multiple spells at once rather than a single target like Overwhelming Denial.

Assessing the strategic depth of Psychic Trance against its counterparts, it’s evident that the card affords a sound defense mechanism against multiplayer assaults, positioning it as a smart choice for players looking to thwart formidable spells across the entire table.

Cards similar to Psychic Trance by color, type and mana cost

Careful Consideration - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Psychic Trance MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught, 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 Psychic Trance and other MTG cards: