Ormos, Archive Keeper MTG Card
2020-07-17 - Number 13
2020-09-26 - Number JMP-13
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Sphinx |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Power | 5 |
| Toughness | 5 |
Text of card
Flying If you would draw a card while your library has no cards in it, instead put five +1/+1 counters on Ormos, Archive Keeper. , Discard three cards with different names: Draw five cards.
Cards like Ormos, Archive Keeper
Ormos, Archive Keeper is a unique creature card that carves its niche in the vast library of Magic: The Gathering. This Sphinx is not only a flier but also offers a significant advantage by allowing its controller to draw cards if they have exactly seven in hand at the end of their turn. It’s often compared to The Locust God, which also interacts with card draw but goes in a different direction, creating insect tokens instead of amassing cards in hand.
Another card of interest in this discussion is Psychosis Crawler, which deals damage to opponents whenever its owner draws a card. While Psychosis Crawler turns card draw into immediate pressure on opponents, Ormos can provide an explosive future turn by refilling the user’s hand. Jace’s Archivist is another parallel, offering the ability to draw multiple cards, though it replaces the entire hand and affects all players, as opposed to the selective advantage Ormos provides at maintaining a specific hand size.
Each of these cards reflects a diverse approach to leveraging card draw for strategic advantage in Magic: The Gathering. Ormos stands out for its potential for a sizeable card advantage, assuming one can maintain the magic number of cards in hand, which showcases its unique contribution to decks focusing on hand size management.
Cards similar to Ormos, Archive Keeper by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Ormos, Archive Keeper is a potent force in the realm of card draw mechanics. When you reach seven cards in hand, Ormos allows you to draw a card for each card you’ve drawn beyond the first each turn, potentially skyrocketing your card advantage and overwhelming opponents with a torrent of options.
Resource Acceleration: While not a direct ramp tool, Ormos can effectively accelerate your resources by ensuring you consistently hit your land drops. A flush hand often includes lands, and with Ormos’s ability, you can cycle through your deck quicker, ensuring you don’t miss crucial land plays that keep you ahead in the game.
Instant Speed: Ormos’s second ability triggers at instant speed—a safety net against milling. By discarding three cards with different names, Ormos dodges the graveyard, shuffling it and your graveyard into your library. This maneuver can be a game-changer, saving your library from depletion and allowing you to react to threats immediately and with versatility.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: To unlock its potential, Ormos, Archive Keeper demands you to discard a card. This can backfire when your hand is already running on empty, leaving you in a pinch where every card counts.
Specific Mana Cost: Ormos requires a precise mix of blue mana, which makes splashing it into multicolored decks somewhat tricky. This specificity can hinder flexibility in deckbuilding and may not gel well with all strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Fetching six mana to conjure Ormos can feel sluggish against faster, more aggressive opponents. This steep investment might not always align with the pace you need, especially when facing down decks that aim to win in the blink of an eye.
Reasons to Include Ormos, Archive Keeper in Your Collection
Versatility: Ormos, Archive Keeper offers a flexible approach to deck building, seamlessly integrating into strategies that capitalize on drawing and discarding cards. Its ability to potentially draw large amounts of cards makes it a valuable asset for control and combo decks alike.
Combo Potential: This sphinx’s unique ability to draw cards if you have no cards in hand can activate a multitude of combos within your deck. It works exceptionally well with cards that allow you to control your hand size and creates opportunities for explosive plays.
Meta-Relevance: In metas where resilience is paramount, Ormos provides a recovery mechanism against discard effects and board wipes. Being able to refill your hand in one fell swoop can turn the tide, making Ormos a smart inclusion for adapting to diverse and shifting competitive environments.
How to beat
Ormos, Archive Keeper introduces a unique dynamic to the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This formidable creature thrives on a full hand, preventing players from losing the game for having too many cards and allowing for massive card draw if your hand is empty. To best this archive connoisseur, deck-thinning strategies or discard effects could be advantageous as they reduce the potential card advantage Ormos can provide.
Spot removal spells, like Murder or Path to Exile, are effective for sending Ormos back to the library or graveyard. Counterspells also shine here, in particular those that can be played at instant speed, ensuring that Ormos never hits the field. Ensnaring Ormos with enchantments that prevent creatures from attacking or blocking, such as Pacifism, can also neutralize the threat while you build your resources.
Ultimately, the key to defeating Ormos lies in readiness and maintaining control. Keeping your opponent’s hand size in check and being prepared with an answer to Ormos before its abilities can impact the game will elevate your strategy and increase your chances for victory in your Magic: The Gathering duels.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ormos, Archive Keeper MTG card by a specific set like Jumpstart 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 Ormos, Archive Keeper and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- eBay
- 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 Ormos, Archive Keeper Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-07-17 and 2020-07-17. Illustrated by G-host Lee.
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ormos, Archive Keeper has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ormos, Archive Keeper card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-06-23 | If a spell or ability causes you to put a card into your hand without specifically using the word “draw,” it’s not a card drawn. |
| 2020-06-23 | If two or more replacement effects would apply to a card-drawing event, the player drawing the card chooses the order in which to apply them. |
| 2020-06-23 | If you’re instructed to draw more than one card and you have fewer cards in your library, you draw each card in your library, then you begin replacing draws with counters for the remaining draws. |