Path to Exile MTG Card
Card sets | Released in 43 setsSee all |
Mana cost | |
Converted mana cost | 1 |
Rarity | Rare |
Type | Instant |
Text of card
Exile target creature. Its controller may search their library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
Cards like Path to Exile
Path to Exile firmly balances the scale of removal spells within Magic the Gathering. Comparable to Swords to Plowshares, both perform the crucial function of exiling creatures, a potent mechanic that bypasses most protective abilities. Swords to Plowshares does so at an even lower cost, but it grants opponents life points equivalent to the creature’s power, a potential drawback in specific strategies. Path to Exile gives the opponent a basic land instead, a trade-off savvy players can exploit by removing blockers or threats during a pivotal turn.
Another analogue is Condemn, which tucks an attacking creature back into the owner’s library. While this also neutralizes threats temporarily, unlike Path to Exile, it doesn’t offer a permanent solution and can lead to recurring issues. Furthermore, there’s Oblivion Ring, offering more versatility by targeting any nonland permanent but at a higher mana investment and vulnerability to enchantment removal, which can potentially undo the spell’s effect.
In measuring the strategic impact against mana cost and potential risks, Path to Exile solidifies its status as a premier option for creature removal. It contrasts favorably with counterparts by providing a swift and enduring resolution to opposition creatures while pacing land progression, an enduring balance for player decks.
Cards similar to Path to Exile by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Path to Exile transforms a potential threat on the battlefield into a basic land for your opponent. While this may seem like giving them a resource, the trade-off is often in your favor. Removing a key creature can disrupt their strategy and swing the tempo to your advantage.
Resource Acceleration: While Path to Exile does offer an opponent a land, it’s an essential trade for the immediate elimination of a significant threat. This allows you to deal with creatures that are difficult to remove through damage or those that may have detrimental effects if left on the field longer.
Instant Speed: The power of being able to cast Path to Exile at instant speed cannot be overstated. It enables reactive gameplay, allowing you to wait until the most opportune moment during your opponent’s turn. In multiturn dynamics, this flexibility is critical, potentially altering the course of the game by saving your creatures or removing an attacker without prior notice.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Path to Exile requires no discard, it grants opponents a basic land as compensation for the exiled creature, potentially accelerating their mana development and giving them a strategic advantage, especially if used early in the game.
Specific Mana Cost: Path to Exile’s mana cost is specifically one white, which means it fits primarily in decks that run white mana. This requirement can limit its inclusion in multicolored decks that may not focus on white or have consistent access to white mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Though Path to Exile’s mana cost is relatively low, it doesn’t come without a potential downside. In comparison to other one-cost removal spells, the trade-off of providing your opponent with a land is a notable strategic consideration, particularly in formats where mana efficiency is crucial.
Reasons to Include Path to Exile in Your Collection
Versatility: Path to Exile shines in its ability to adapt to various situations. This card can remove pesky blockers or key threats in a single swift motion, making it a perfect addition to control decks, midrange strategies, and even some aggressive lineups that aim to clear the way for their attackers.
Combo Potential: Beyond its obvious use as removal, Path to Exile can feed graveyard-based strategies or be used in a pinch to ramp your own mana by targeting one of your creatures. This plays well in decks that might have expendable creatures or ones that benefit from being in the graveyard.
Meta-Relevance: With many decks relying on powerful creatures to dominate the game, Path to Exile offers a direct and cost-efficient answer that never goes out of style. Its enduring presence in competitive formats makes it a staple card that has the ability to swing the tide of matches in your favor.
How to beat
Path to Exile is a powerful removal tool in Magic: The Gathering, allowing players to exile any creature at the cost of granting its controller a basic land. Its versatility and instant speed make it a mainstay in decks that favor control and tempo. To effectively play around this card, the key is in understanding that it gives land ramp to your opponent.
One approach to mitigate the downside of Path to Exile is to limit the quantity of creatures you play, making the targets for the spell less valuable. Utilizing creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects or death triggers can also turn the exile into a less profitable move for your opponent. Moreover, employing hexproof or shroud creatures can completely negate the spell’s effects, rendering it useless in their hands. Nonbasic lands with land type such as dual lands can often evade the land ramp disadvantage since the card specifies basic land.
Ultimately, playing against Path to Exile requires patience and strategy. By adjusting your deck composition and anticipating your opponent’s plays, you can leverage the situation to your advantage and outmaneuver the exile effect, keeping you ahead in the game.
BurnMana Recommendations
MTG players know that a well-rounded deck hinges on strategic card choices. Path to Exile stands out as a crucial part of any player’s arsenal, blending adaptability with effective threat neutralization. Whether you’re aiming to optimize your deck’s control elements or you need that tactical edge in a tight match, understanding the nuanced uses of this card can be pivotal. Piecing together a winning strategy? We encourage you to explore the full potential of Path to Exile. Dive deeper with us, and soon you’ll be making game-changing plays that can tip the scales in your favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Path to Exile MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Magic Online Promos, 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 Path to Exile and other MTG cards:
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- 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
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Printings
The Path to Exile Magic the Gathering card was released in 35 different sets between 2006-01-02 and 2024-07-05. Illustrated by 14 different artists.
Show/hide all sets# | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 36174 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Rebecca Guay | ||
2 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 77957 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Daarken | ||
3 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 57580 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Raf Sarmento | ||
4 | 2006-01-02 | DCI Promos | PDCI | 24 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Rebecca Guay | |
5 | 2009-02-06 | Conflux | CON | 15 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
6 | 2010-06-18 | Archenemy | ARC | 4 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
7 | 2011-06-17 | Commander 2011 | CMD | 25 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
8 | 2012-03-30 | Duel Decks: Venser vs. Koth | DDI | 23 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Erica Yang | |
9 | 2013-06-07 | Modern Masters | MMA | 25 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
10 | 2014-05-30 | Modern Event Deck 2014 | MD1 | 3 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
11 | 2017-03-17 | Modern Masters 2017 | MM3 | 17 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
12 | 2017-06-09 | Commander Anthology | CMA | 19 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
13 | 2017-11-24 | Explorers of Ixalan | E02 | 3 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
14 | 2019-06-28 | Signature Spellbook: Gideon | SS2 | 3 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Daarken | |
15 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 196 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
16 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 226 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Marija Tiurina | ||
17 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 477 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Riot Games | ||
18 | 2020-01-01 | MagicFest 2020 | PF20 | 1 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Seaman | |
19 | 2020-07-17 | Jumpstart | JMP | 127 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
20 | 2020-08-07 | Double Masters | 2XM | 25 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
21 | The List | PLST | CON-15 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | ||
22 | The List | PLST | E02-3 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | ||
23 | 2021-03-19 | Time Spiral Remastered | TSR | 299 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
24 | 2022-04-29 | New Capenna Commander | NCC | 208 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
25 | 2022-07-08 | Double Masters 2022 | 2X2 | 23 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Raf Sarmento | |
26 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United Commander | DMC | 104 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
27 | 2022-10-14 | Game Night: Free-for-All | GN3 | 15 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
28 | 2023-02-03 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One Commander | ONC | 84 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
29 | 2023-04-21 | March of the Machine Commander | MOC | 198 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
30 | 2023-06-23 | Tales of Middle-earth Commander | LTC | 175 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Torgeir Fjereide | |
31 | Commander Masters Art Series | ACMM | 33 | 2015 | Art series | Borderless | |||
32 | 2023-08-04 | Commander Masters | CMM | 626 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Ron Spears | |
33 | 2023-08-04 | Commander Masters | CMM | 49 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
34 | 2023-10-13 | Doctor Who | WHO | 801 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Colin Boyer | |
35 | 2023-10-13 | Doctor Who | WHO | 210 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Colin Boyer | |
36 | 2023-11-17 | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander | LCC | 134 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
37 | 2024-02-09 | Murders at Karlov Manor Commander | MKC | 78 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
38 | 2024-03-08 | Fallout | PIP | 169 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Stephen Stark | |
39 | 2024-03-08 | Fallout | PIP | 697 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Stephen Stark | |
40 | 2024-04-19 | Breaking News | OTP | 6 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Calder Moore | |
41 | 2024-04-19 | Outlaws of Thunder Junction Commander | OTC | 85 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
42 | 2024-07-05 | Assassin's Creed | ACR | 81 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Kim Sokol | |
43 | 2024-07-05 | Assassin's Creed | ACR | 178 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Kim Sokol |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Path to Exile has restrictions
Format | Legality |
---|---|
Commander | Legal |
Legacy | Legal |
Modern | Legal |
Oathbreaker | Legal |
Vintage | Legal |
Duel | Legal |
Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Path to Exile card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
Date | Text |
---|---|
2021-03-19 | If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Path to Exile tries to resolve, the spell won't resolve. The creature's controller won't search for a basic land card. |
2021-03-19 | The controller of the exiled creature isn't required to search their library for a basic land. If that player doesn't, the player won't shuffle their library. |