Reality Spasm MTG Card


Reality Spasm - Rise of the Eldrazi
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant
Released2010-04-23
Set symbol
Set nameRise of the Eldrazi
Set codeROE
Number81
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byJason Felix

Key Takeaways

  1. Reality Spasm offers dual utility by untapping for offense or tapping to disrupt opponents, adding strategic depth.
  2. The card’s instant speed provides versatility, enabling reactionary plays or end-of-turn surprises for advantage.
  3. Despite its mana-demanding cost, Reality Spasm’s ability to target multiple types makes it a unique control option.

Text of card

Choose one — Tap X target permanents; or untap X target permanents.

From the moment the first Eldrazi spawn squirmed free, everything on Zendikar took on an adjusted meaning, a new slant toward or away from the waking giants.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Reality Spasm provides a flexible way to potentially unlock multiple avenues to card advantage. By untapping lands or necessary permanents, it sets you up for multilayered plays, allowing you to capitalize on the untapped resources.

Resource Acceleration: This card is particularly adept at resource acceleration. By selectively untapping your lands, Reality Spasm can effectively grant you a surge of mana, enabling more significant and potentially game-changing plays within the same turn.

Instant Speed: The power of instant speed cannot be overstated. Reality Spasm can be cast at the end of your opponent’s turn, keeping your mana open for responses and leaving your opponents guessing. This element of surprise provided by its instant nature can shift the tide of the match in your favor.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Reality Spasm demands a precise combination of blue mana. This specification can restrict its integration into multicolored decks that might not always have the necessary blue resources available when needed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring two blue mana plus additional generic mana based on the desired effect can make Reality Spasm a costly option, particularly when aiming to tap multiple targets. There are scenarios where less mana-intensive cards could perform a similar role more efficiently.

Discard Requirement: While Reality Spasm itself doesn’t have a discard requirement, it’s important to consider that it does not provide any card advantage. Using it could mean a loss in tempo, especially if it doesn’t lead to a significant shift in board state or prevent imminent threats from opponents.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Reality Spasm’s flexible nature allows it to adapt to a multitude of situations on the battlefield, whether you need to untap your own permanents for a big play or stall your opponent by tapping theirs.

Combo Potential: The card has significant synergy in decks that capitalize on untapping mechanics or need a versatile way to either go off with a combo or to interrupt opponents during crucial turns.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where control decks rule or ones that rely on key permanents, Reality Spasm’s ability to manipulate the board can be an unexpected game changer, keeping you one step ahead of the competition.


How to beat

Reality Spasm is a versatile utility card in Magic: The Gathering, with the ability to untap or tap multiple lands or creatures. It can disrupt your opponent’s strategy by freezing their resources or creatures at a pivotal moment. To effectively counter this, it’s crucial to have a plan. This can include instant-speed removal or counterspells to stop Reality Spasm before it resolves, which would allow you to maintain control over your game state. Consider spells like Negate or Dispel which are designed to specifically target noncreature spells and are usually less costly, ensuring you have the mana to respond to threats.

Additionally, having a diverse range of permanents that can operate outside of the traditional combat phase can help mitigate the impact of Reality Spasm. Cards with activated abilities that aren’t reliant on tapping, for example, aren’t hindered by Reality Spasm’s effect. Finally, always keep an eye on your opponent’s mana availability, as Reality Spasm’s X cost means it can be more potent later in the game. By planning ahead and preparing for the disruption this card can cause, you can maintain the upper hand in your Magic: The Gathering matches.


BurnMana Recommendations

As you sculpt your MTG prowess, incorporating cards like Reality Spasm into your arsenal could be a game changer. With its dual ability to either tap or untap multiple permanents, this card excels in versatility, combo potential, and can be a thorn in your opponent’s side, especially at instant speed. Whether you’re facing down control decks or looking to maximize your plays, remember to balance its advantages with its specific blue mana requirement. Embrace the strategic depth of MTG and thrive on the battlefield. Keen to enhance your deck and outplay your opponents? Dive deeper with us and master the art of control.


Cards like Reality Spasm

Reality Spasm offers a unique approach to board control in Magic: The Gathering. Mirroring its flexible utility, cards like Turnabout serve as a close relative, allowing players to either tap or untap all artifacts, creatures, or lands of one type. While Turnabout is restricted to choosing one type, Reality Spasm’s scalability offers control over multiple permanents of different types, providing nuanced strategic adjustments during play.

Comparing further, we find Twitch in the discussion. Twitch enables the untapping of a single target and the additional benefit of drawing a card, emphasizing immediate utility over the scalable effect of Reality Spasm. Another parallel is found in Sleep, which taps all creatures your opponents control. Unlike Reality Spasm, Sleep doesn’t offer the versatility of targeting multiple permanent types, but it does affect all opponent creatures, setting it apart when wide-reaching incapacitation is the goal.

In reflecting on these alternatives, Reality Spasm stands out as a particularly dynamic option within the realm of MTG control spells, catering to players who appreciate tactical flexibility over raw power or specific targeting.

Turnabout - MTG Card versions
Twitch - MTG Card versions
Sleep - MTG Card versions
Turnabout - Urza's Saga (USG)
Twitch - Tempest (TMP)
Sleep - Magic 2010 (M10)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Reality Spasm MTG card by a specific set like Rise of the Eldrazi, 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 Reality Spasm and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Reality Spasm has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2010-06-15 You choose Reality Spasm’s mode as you cast it.
2010-06-15 You may target any permanents with Reality Spasm, regardless of whether they’re tapped or untapped.

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