Planeswalker's Mischief MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment |
| Released | 2001-02-05 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Planeshift |
| Set code | PLS |
| Number | 29 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Pete Venters |
Key Takeaways
- Its ability to peek and play opponent’s top cards offers both card advantage and potential game disruption.
- Flexibility to act at instant speed gives players a tactical edge and mana management advantage.
- Despite its casting cost and deck construction hurdles, it’s a potent tool for strategy-oriented players.
Text of card
o3o U: Target opponent reveals a card at random from his or her hand. If it's an instant or sorcery card, remove it from the game. As long as it remains removed from the game, you may play it as though it were in your hand without paying its mana cost. If it has X in its mana cost, X is 0. At end of turn, if you haven't played it, return it to its owner's hand. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Planeswalker’s Mischief shines by potentially letting you peek at an opponent’s top card and even play it, thereby not only depleting their resources but also enriching your own hand with additional options.
Resource Acceleration: Although Planeswalker’s Mischief doesn’t directly accelerate your resources, its ability to disrupt an opponent’s draw and occasionally cast their spells can indirectly hasten your game plan by setting them back.
Instant Speed: The power of Planeswalker’s Mischief comes from its flexibility, enabling you to utilize it at the end of an opponent’s turn. This creates a significant advantage by keeping your mana open for responses and maximizing the timing of your strategic moves.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Planeswalker’s Mischief forces the player to discard a card to activate its ability. This can be particularly detrimental when hand size is precious, putting players at a disadvantage if they don’t have expendable cards to throw away.
Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a demanding blue mana commitment which may not easily slot into multicolored decks that have other mana requirements. It can hinder deck flexibility and may necessitate additional resources to ensure consistency in gameplay.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a necessity for both three generic and one blue mana to cast, Planeswalker’s Mischief carries a high investment for an effect that doesn’t guarantee an immediate impact on the game state. Players might find more valuable plays at this stage of the game, especially when considering alternative spells that offer more direct control or advantage.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Planeswalker’s Mischief has the unique ability to temporarily snatch spells right from your opponent’s library. Such a versatile blue enchantment can slide into various blue-controlled and combo decks looking to outmaneuver opponents with their own resources.
Combo Potential: This card stands out for its potential to create unpredictable combos, potentially accessing some game-changing spells that can swing the match in your favor. It can also complement strategies designed around manipulating both players’ decks.
Meta-Relevance: Given the shifting landscape of competitive play, where Planeswalkers and strategic spellcasting often dominate, Planeswalker’s Mischief could offer that element of surprise and disruption against decks heavily relying on tightly curated spell suites.
How to Beat Planeswalker’s Mischief
Planeswalker’s Mischief is an intriguing blue enchantment from Magic: The Gathering that can subtly disrupt an opponent’s strategy. This card allows you to peek at the top card of an opponent’s library and, under certain conditions, play that card as though it were your own. Navigating against this mischievous enchantment requires a blend of deckbuilding acumen and tactical play.
One effective approach is incorporating cards that remove enchantments directly from the battlefield. Cards such as Disenchant or Naturalize provide a low-cost solution to eliminate Planeswalker’s Mischief swiftly. Another strategy involves the use of shuffle effects like those found on fetch lands or cards like Scavenging Ooze, which can effectively disrupt the library’s top card that your opponent may be targeting.
Control decks that limit hand and library interaction also serve as a solid countermeasure, with cards like Narset, Parter of Veils reducing the number of options available to an opponent using Planeswalker’s Mischief. By combining these approaches with a keen awareness of potential threats, players can effectively mitigate the impact of Planeswalker’s Mischief and maintain the upper hand in their matches.
Cards like Planeswalker's Mischief
Planeswalker’s Mischief is a unique addition to the blue spell category in MTG, boasting an ability that allows a level of control and unpredictability during gameplay. It finds kinship with cards like Psychic Intrusion, which shares the concept of playing with your opponent’s cards. However, Planeswalker’s Mischief stands out given its recurring nature, offering multiple opportunities to meddle with an opponent’s hand.
Another comparable spell in MTG is Praetor’s Grasp. Both cards delve into an opponent’s library, but Praetor’s Grasp is a one-time use with the advantage of searching the entire library, whereas Planeswalker’s Mischief targets only the top card but can be repeatedly activated. The card also shares a thematic link with Gonti, Lord of Luxury, though Gonti allows for a one-time theft of any card with less restrictive mana requirements.
Assessing Planeswalker’s Mischief alongside these analogous spells, it establishes its place within MTG as a card designed for those who enjoy strategic manipulation and long-term advantage. Although the upfront cost is higher, the potential for persistent disruption in your opponent’s plans makes it a spell worth considering for control-oriented decks.
Cards similar to Planeswalker's Mischief by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Planeswalker's Mischief MTG card by a specific set like Planeshift, 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 Planeswalker's Mischief and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Planeswalker's Mischief has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Planeswalker's Mischief card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | If Planeswalker’s Mischief leaves the battlefield, any cards it exiled are still under the effect of the ability and can be cast (and if they are not cast, they are returned to the owner’s hand). |
| 2004-10-04 | If the opponent has no cards in hand, then the ability does nothing. |
| 2004-10-04 | When cast, the card goes to its owner’s graveyard after it resolves. |