Penance MTG Card

Penance’s ability to adjust draws can be critical for maintaining card quality and strategy. The requirement to discard a card for its effect can limit its late-game usefulness. Its unique instant-speed manipulation sets it apart from similar library interaction cards.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment
Released	1998-06-15
Set symbol
Set name	Exodus
Set code	EXO
Number	15
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Terese Nielsen

Text of card

Choose a card from your hand and put that card on top of your library: Prevent all damage from a black or red source. (Treat further damage from that source normally.)

Cards like Penance

The Penance card is a unique tool in the Magic: The Gathering universe due to its ability to manipulate the top of a player’s library and returning nonland cards to it. This is reminiscent of the function seen in cards like Reclaim and Noxious Revival, which also provide a way to manipulate the top of the library. However, Penance offers a defensive edge by allowing players to prevent damage from a red source, distinguishing itself from the straightforward retrieval seen in Reclaim and Noxious Revival.

In terms of interacting with the top of the deck, Crystal Ball stands out as well. Crystal Ball provides consistent deck filtering with its scry ability, whereas Penance’s approach is more situational yet can strategically mitigate red threats in a pinch. Additionally, Guile is another card that interacts with the stack and library placement, but it leans towards counterplay rather than Penance’s damage prevention strategy.

Ultimately, Penance offers a unique blend of defensive capabilities and library manipulation that can be pivotal in games where red damage spells pose a considerable threat. Its strategic value in certain decks elevates it among similar cards that influence the top of the library in MTG.

Cards similar to Penance by color, type and mana cost

The Restoration of Eiganjo // Architect of Restoration - MTG Card versions

Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant // Rune-Tail's Essence - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Penance provides a unique mechanism that allows you to place a card on top of your library from your hand. This can effectively protect your key cards from hand disruption, ensuring your strategic pieces remain available for later turns. Additionally, this setup can aid in manipulating your draws for better card quality, ensuring you access the best cards when you need them.

Resource Acceleration: While Penance itself does not directly provide resource acceleration, it can be an essential piece in decks that capitalize on the top of the library. Its synergy with cards that allow you to play the top card of your library means that Penance can functionally help accelerate your play by filtering and preparing your draws.

Instant Speed: Penance operates at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to respond to your opponent’s actions. You can adjust your strategy on the fly, protecting your interests by placing cards out of harm’s way in response to your opponent’s moves. This versatile timing makes Penance a valuable tool for maintaining control over the pace and flow of the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One notable drawback of Penance is its mandatory discard condition. Activating this ability requires you to part with another card in your hand, which might not always be feasible, especially during the late game when each card can play a crucial role in securing victory. Players need to weigh the cost of card advantage against the utility Penance offers.

Specific Mana Cost: Penance’s activation is also anchored to a specific mana cost that involves both white mana and generic mana. This can pose a challenge in multicolored decks that might struggle with mana consistency. Ensuring that the right types of mana are available at the correct time can often be a stumbling block for decks that include Penance.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Furthermore, Penance carries a relatively high mana cost for its protective effect. In a game where tempo and efficiency are key, dedicating four mana to set up a defense might detract from a player’s ability to develop their board or disrupt opponents’ strategies. Savvy players might opt for alternatives that offer more immediate impact or lower-cost solutions to achieve their defensive needs.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Penance offers the ability to manipulate the topdeck of your library at instant speed, allowing for tactical control over your draws or surprise interactions with the battlefield.

Combo Potential: This card seamlessly integrates with strategies that revolve around the top card of your library, such as Miracle decks, or those looking to dodge hand disruption by tucking cards away for later.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where high-powered spells or abilities from opponents are common, Penance stands as a formidable tool, giving you the means to react during their turn and potentially disrupt their plans.

How to beat

Penance in Magic: The Gathering offers an intriguing method of manipulating what’s on top of your library while potentially saving cards from removal. However, this enchantment can be trumped by strategies that don’t rely heavily on targeted removal or that can apply pressure in ways that don’t involve destroying creatures.

Consider using spells that force your opponent to draw multiple cards or that empty their hand entirely—Strategies built around Underworld Dreams or similar effects punish the opponent for drawing extra cards, which can backfire on a Penance user. Additionally, employing graveyard-hate cards like Rest in Peace or Relic of Progenitus mitigates the benefits that Penance provides by recycling cards.

Therefore, while it requires some deck adjustments, countering Penance’s utility is a matter of crafting a strategy that undermines the advantages Penance offers, pushing the game in a direction where it becomes more of an obstacle than an asset to your opponent.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Penance MTG card by a specific set like Exodus, 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 Penance and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Penance has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal