Ribbons of Night MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ribbons of Night shines by offering you the chance not only to remove a threat on the battlefield but also to draw a card, thereby maintaining momentum and keeping your hand full.

Resource Acceleration: If Ribbons of Night’s color combo is on point, it awards you with an extra sparkle by giving back some of the mana spent. This refund helps in casting additional spells sooner, providing a nice boost in the resource game.

Instant Speed: While Ribbons of Night operates at sorcery speed, its impact is often as decisive as at instant speed. The ability to swing the game in your favor with a well-timed play can be just as crucial, paving the way to victory.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Ribbons of Night does not specifically necessitate discarding as part of its casting cost or effect, it falls within a category of spells that may indirectly influence your hand size. Casting it without a robust draw engine could deplete your resources, particularly if you’re using it in a control match where each card in hand is precious.

Specific Mana Cost: Ribbons of Night bears a multicolored mana cost, specifically requiring black and blue mana. This makes it a less versatile choice for decks that are not tuned to meet these color requirements. Players looking to include this card in their deck will have to consider the impact on their mana base and the potential for color-screw scenarios.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a cost of four mana to cast, Ribbons of Night might be considered heavy for its effects, especially when compared to other removal or life gain options in the game. In formats where the pace of play is quicker or the mana curve is lower, investing four mana into a single card might not always be the most efficient play, especially if facing down more aggressive strategies that put on early pressure.

Reasons to Include Ribbons of Night in Your Collection

Versatility: Ribbons of Night is a highly adaptable card, effortlessly sliding into control or midrange decks. Its ability to offer life gain, removal, and card draw means it fulfills multiple roles with one card slot.

Combo Potential: This card opens up avenues for synergy, particularly in decks that capitalize on spell effects. Casting multiple spells that have life swapping elements allows you to rapidly shift game dynamics in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: Within the shifting tides of the MTG metagame, Ribbons of Night remains relevant. Against creature-heavy decks, it acts as a pivotal turn point to regain footing, making it a persistent threat and a boon for players needing to stabilize.

How to beat

Ribbons of Night is a versatile spell in Magic: The Gathering that offers players both life gain and direct damage, all tied up with the bonus of card draw. This unique combination presents a significant swing in any game’s momentum. To mitigate this card’s impact, consider employing strategies that restrict your opponent’s ability to cast multi-colored spells, such as through the use of color-specific land destruction or counterspells that specifically target multi-colored spells. Cards like Damping Sphere can also slow down the casting of Ribbons of Night in a multi-spell strategy.

The timing of counterspells is crucial; wait for your opponent to invest their resources into casting Ribbons of Night, knowing that negating it costs them more than just the card—they also lose out on the life and card advantage they would have otherwise gained. Alternatively, lean on your own life-gain measures. This could include creatures with lifelink or spells that increase your life total, softening the blow of Ribbons of Night. Lastly, keeping a balanced board presence ensures you are less likely to be on the receiving end of its full potency. By maintaining a healthy life total and pressure on your opponent’s resources, you can reduce the impact of Ribbons of Night on the game’s outcome.