Ostracize MTG Card

Ostracize offers early game disruption by removing key creatures from opponents’ hands, affecting their strategy. Instant speed play allows for flexible, responsive tactics, enhancing bluffing and strategic pressure. The requirement to reveal your own hand while using Ostracize can expose your strategies, requiring careful use.

Urza's Legacy (ULG)
1999-02-15 - Number 57

Seventh Edition (7ED)
2001-04-11 - Number 153

Seventh Edition (7ED)
2001-04-11 - Number 153★

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery

Text of card

Look at target opponent's hand and choose a creature card there. That player discards that card.

Kerrick was to find that some borders can never be crossed.

Cards like Ostracize

Ostracize holds a special place in the realm of creature-specific hand disruption spells within Magic the Gathering. With its unique ability to pluck creatures from the opponent’s hand, it’s reminiscent of other potent spells like Duress. While Duress allows for a broader selection, targeting noncreature, nonland cards, Ostracize focuses exclusively on creatures which can be a strategic advantage in creature-heavy matchups.

Regarding cost and efficiency, we can draw parallels to Thoughtseize. Though Thoughtseize comes with a life loss and a higher price tag, it gives you the liberty to target any card, offering versatility. On the cheaper end of the spectrum, we find Despise, which shares the same mana cost as Ostracize but extends its reach to planeswalkers as well.

When we dissect the utility and applicability of these hand disruption cards, Ostracize finds its niche against creature-reliant adversaries. It may have constraints compared to its relatives in the discard spell family, but in the right circumstances, Ostracize can efficiently outpace more costly or damaging alternatives in MTG.

Cards similar to Ostracize by color, type and mana cost

Bloodcurdling Scream - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ostracize offers the strategic advantage of plucking a key creature from an opponent’s hand, potentially disrupting their game plan early on. It’s an efficient way to prevent a threat before it hits the battlefield while getting a peek at the opponent’s hand composition.

Resource Acceleration: While Ostracize itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it effectively slows down your opponent’s resource development by removing a crucial creature card. This can give you a lead in tempo and reduce the pressure on your resources.

Instant Speed: Ostracize’s ability to be played at instant speed provides flexibility in your play. It allows you to act responsively to your opponent’s moves or bluff having other instant-speed interactions. This keeps opponents guessing and potentially forces them to play around answers you might not even have.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To harness Ostracize’s ability to remove a creature from an opponent’s hand has the downside of needing to reveal your entire hand as well. This can leave you strategically vulnerable by divulging your game plan to your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: Ostracize carries with it a specific mana cost that requires black mana. This can limit the card to mono-black or two-color decks that include black, potentially reducing its versatility across the varied spectrum of MTG decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Ostracize provides a peek at an opponent’s arsenal and rids them of a creature card, it does so at a cost that might be seen as steep for its effect. Other discard spells might perform similar functions at a lower mana cost, giving players more efficient options for their mana curve.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Ostracize offers a proactive approach to hand disruption, making it a useful tool in various deck archetypes that aim to control the opponent’s options early in the game.

Combo Potential: This card is excellent for setting up or protecting combos by removing key creature cards from the opponent’s hand before they can be played, ensuring your strategy goes uninterrupted.

Meta-Relevance: Given that creature-centric decks are common in many metagames, Ostracize holds its value as a relevant sideboard card that can be slotted in when you’re facing decks reliant on creatures to execute their gameplan.

How to beat

Ostracize is a distinctive card from Magic: The Gathering that offers players a strategic advantage by allowing them to target an opponent’s hand and extract a creature card. Standing out among other hand disruption spells, its single black mana cost makes it an attractive early game option. Unlike other similar spells such as Duress or Thoughtseize, Ostracize specifically focuses on creature cards, leaving noncreature spells unaffected.

To counter Ostracize’s potentially game-altering effect, smart deck construction and gameplay are key. Incorporate a mix of creatures and noncreature spells to minimize the impact of being targeted by Ostracize. Additionally, playing cards with Flash allows you to keep creatures in hand until the moment they are needed, bypassing the vulnerability of having your creatures plucked preemptively. Veil of Summer is another excellent counter, providing protection against targeted discard spells and drawing a card if an opponent has cast a blue or black spell this turn.

Ultimately, knowing when to play your creatures and having a balanced mix of card types in your deck will improve your resilience against Ostracize. This maintains your hand’s integrity and ensures you have multiple avenues to success even if Ostracize disrupts your initial plan.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ostracize MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Legacy and Seventh Edition, 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 Ostracize and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ostracize Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1999-02-15 and 2001-04-11. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1999-02-15	Urza's Legacy	ULG	57	1997	Normal	Black	Chippy
2	2001-04-11	Seventh Edition	7ED	153	1997	Normal	White	Hannibal King
3	2001-04-11	Seventh Edition	7ED	153★	1997	Normal	Black	Hannibal King

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ostracize has restrictions

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