Richard Garfield, Ph.D. MTG Card

Richard Garfield, Ph.D. excels in card advantage with its unique, strategic toolkit capabilities. Indirect resource acceleration is possible by optimizing spell play and board control. Flexibility from instant speed play makes this card formidable in adaptive strategies.

Richard Garfield, Ph.D. - Unhinged (UNH)

Unhinged (UNH)
2004-11-19 - Number 44★

Unhinged (UNH)
2004-11-19 - Number 44

Richard Garfield, Ph.D. - Unsanctioned (UND)

Unsanctioned (UND)
2020-02-29 - Number 26

Richard Garfield, Ph.D. - 30th Anniversary Misc Promos (P30M)

30th Anniversary Misc Promos (P30M)
2022-09-02 - Number 1★

Richard Garfield, Ph.D. - The List (Unfinity Foil Edition) (ULST)

The List (Unfinity Foil Edition) (ULST)
2022-10-07 - Number 17

Card sets	Released in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Legendary Creature — Human Designer
Power	2
Toughness	2
Un-set :-)	This card is part of an Un-set

Text of card

You may play cards as though they were other cards of your choice with the same mana cost. You can't choose the same card twice. (Mana cost includes color.)

And yea he doth spake: "Let there be Magic."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Richard Garfield, Ph.D. showcases its utility by providing a versatile toolbox approach. As a card that rewards knowledge and strategy, playing it effectively can lead to gaining significant card advantage. The ability to choose from a wide array of spells could tip the scales in your favor during the game.

Resource Acceleration: This unique card doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the conventional sense of producing mana, but it does allow you to utilize your spells in a manner that can indirectly lead to resource acceleration. By enabling access to the right spells at the right time, it can help streamline your board development and increase the efficiency of your plays.

Instant Speed: The ability to play spells at instant speed grants you flexibility and unpredictability, two advantages that cannot be overstated in MTG. With Richard Garfield, Ph.D., you can adapt to the state of the game on the fly, making it difficult for your opponents to anticipate and effectively counter your moves.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In the case of Richard Garfield, Ph.D., while the card offers a unique and flexible effect, it also comes with the caveat that you must discard a card to use its ability. This could potentially leave you at a disadvantage, especially if your hand is already depleted and you need to maintain card advantage in a tight game situation.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting requirement, which includes both blue and generic mana, makes it a better fit for decks with a solid blue mana base. For multicolored or colorless-focused decks, meeting the necessary blue mana can be challenging, thus limiting the card’s versatility across various deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The five-mana investment needed to play Richard Garfield, Ph.D. can be steep in games where tempo is crucial. When you consider other cards with similar or better effects at a lower mana cost, it’s evident that the mana required for this card may not align with the demands of faster, more aggressive strategies.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Richard Garfield, Ph.D. offers a unique flexibility to players, allowing them to bend the rules of the game in creative ways, which can be entertaining and engaging in various casual formats.

Combo Potential: This card can serve as a key component in combo decks, capable of synergizing with numerous spells and interactions that can potentially tilt the game in your favor in unexpected ways.

Meta-Relevance: Despite not being a staple in current competitive formats, its ability to disrupt opponent strategies and the underlying homage to the game’s creator can catch unprepared players off guard, making it a fun and surprising card to pilot in casual settings.

How to beat

Richard Garfield, Ph.D. is a unique card in Magic: The Gathering that rewards players for their knowledge of the game with a nod to its beloved creator. This card poses a challenge, but not an insurmountable one. To outmaneuver this card, you must undermine the advantages it confers. This involves having a strategy to counteract the inevitability it can bring to a game.

One effective tactic is utilizing instant speed removal spells to dispatch the card before too much value is accrued. Cards like Path to Exile or Assassin’s Trophy can efficiently deal with the threat posed by Richard Garfield, Ph.D. It’s also advantageous to apply pressure early in the game since the card does require a considerable mana investment, which might deter players from casting it too prematurely.

Include disruption elements in your deck, such as Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek, to proactively remove it from your opponent’s hand. If it hits the battlefield, understand that the card’s strength lies in the player’s MTG knowledge, therefore try to minimize the game’s complexity and avoid overextending with spells that could turn into potential disadvantages against the PhD’s playful might.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Richard Garfield, Ph.D. MTG card by a specific set like Unhinged and Unhinged, 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 Richard Garfield, Ph.D. and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Richard Garfield, Ph.D. Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2004-11-19 and 2022-10-07. Illustrated by Dave Dorman.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2004-11-19	Unhinged	UNH	44★	2003	Normal	Silver	Dave Dorman
2	2004-11-19	Unhinged	UNH	44	2003	Normal	Silver	Dave Dorman
3	2020-02-29	Unsanctioned	UND	26	2015	Normal	Silver	Dave Dorman
4	2022-09-02	30th Anniversary Misc Promos	P30M	1★	2015	Normal	Silver	Dave Dorman
5	2022-10-07	The List (Unfinity Foil Edition)	ULST	17	2015	Normal	Silver	Dave Dorman

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Richard Garfield, Ph.D. card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2020-02-29	By default, you are limited to cards legal in the format you’re playing. If you’re playing Draft or Sealed Deck, you can name any card available in the format you’re playing. If you’re playing with Unsanctioned decks, anything goes. Discuss with your playgroup if you’d prefer to modify or eliminate these limitations.
2020-02-29	Each Richard tracks its own list of played cards. If one leaves the battlefield and another enters, cards previously played under the first Richard are available once again.
2020-02-29	If more than one player controls a Richard Garfield, Ph.D., the cards one player plays has no effect on the other players. For example, each player could play Savannah Lions as a Swords to Plowshares this way.
2020-02-29	Playing cards as though they were other cards is optional.
2020-02-29	Richard Garfield, Ph.D. essentially makes you play a variant of the Magic game called “Mental Magic.” Here’s how the game works. Whenever you cast a spell, you reveal the card to all players and choose any other card (see below for the cards that you can use) that has that card’s mana cost. (Note that color very much does matter.) That spell can then be cast as though it was the chosen card. You aren’t allowed to choose the same card twice.
2020-02-29	The same is true if Richard Garfield, Ph.D. changes controllers. If you play a Savannah Lions as Swords to Plowshares, then an opponent gains control of Richard Garfield, Ph.D., that player can then do the same.