Rivals' Duel MTG Card
2008-02-01 - Number 99
2012-06-01 - Number 51
2016-11-25 - Number 51
2019-11-07 - Number 1041
2020-09-26 - Number PCA-51
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Fight |
Text of card
Choose two target creatures that share no creature types. Each of those creatures deals damage equal to its power to the other.
They could agree on one thing only: one of them must die.
Cards like Rivals' Duel
Rivals’ Duel finds its niche in Magic: The Gathering as a targeted creature control spell, akin to Prey Upon. Both cards involve two creatures fighting each other, a mechanic that allows a player to use their creature’s strength to deal with opponents’ threats. Rivals’ Duel, however, carves its own path with its ability to dictate the combatants, selecting one creature you control and one your opponent controls. Prey Upon lacks this precision, as it requires mutual agreement on the creatures that will fight.
When considering other like-minded options, Emerge Unscathed also emerges as a spell aiming to protect your creatures while disrupting your opponent’s board. Unlike Rivals’ Duel, it provides protection and rebound at a lower mana cost. It doesn’t remove creatures but ensures survival during crucial turns. Then there’s Pit Fight, which functions similarly to Rivals’ Duel but with the flexibility of being an instant. This allows for more strategic plays during your opponent’s turn, contrary to the sorcery speed of Rivals’ Duel.
Analyzing these spells reveals that Rivals’ Duel holds a strategic advantage in creature engagement. The control it offers over battle outcomes, when leveraged effectively, can turn the tides of a game, affirming its valuable role in a player’s arsenal.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Rivals’ Duel offers a powerful twist in card efficiency by allowing you to potentially remove two threats from the board with a single card. This can result in a significant advantage positioning you ahead in the battle for board control.
Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t directly accelerate resources in terms of mana or tokens, it can disrupt your opponent’s resource development by eliminating their key creatures. This strategic reduction can hinder their momentum and provide you with a relative increase in resources and choices on your subsequent plays.
Instant Speed: Rivals’ Duel’s instant speed is a major benefit, providing flexibility in your gameplay. You can respond immediately to threats, wait for the most opportune moment during your opponent’s turn, or even in the middle of combat, making it a versatile tool for controlling the state of play.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Rivals’ Duel demands you to toss away a card from your hand, which can leave you at a card disadvantage, especially in the late game when each card’s value is maximized.
Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost needs both red and green mana, which can be restrictive as it necessitates a dual-colored mana base, potentially reducing its versatility in mono-colored decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost requiring four mana, Rivals’ Duel stands on the pricier side. Considering its specific effect, other low-cost alternatives may fulfill a similar role without such a steep investment, thus providing a more economical approach for players managing their mana curve.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Rivals’ Duel is a card with broad appeal, perfect for decks that thrive on pinpoint removal. Its capacity to force creatures your opponents control to fight each other makes it a strategic addition, offering flexibility in handling threats on the board.
Combo Potential: This card works exceptionally well in strategies that revolve around creature-based interactions. It pairs seamlessly with cards that benefit from creatures dying, making it a linchpin in many combos and synergistic plays.
Meta-Relevance: In a play environment where creature-heavy decks dominate, Rivals’ Duel shines. Its relevance grows in metas where ensuring your key creatures survive while disrupting your opponent’s board is crucial to victory.
How to beat
Rivals’ Duel shines as a selective removal tool in any red player’s arsenal, with the power to turn opposing creatures against each other. Crafty players might compare it to the likes of Prey Upon or Domri’s Ambush, but Rivals’ Duel comes with a unique twist—each creature must be controlled by a different player. The card is not restrained by summoning sickness, which makes it instantly pivotal upon entering the fray. Versatile yet specialized, it’s the answer to a problematic creature when you don’t have direct removal at hand.
To navigate around Rivals’ Duel, versatile creatures that carry hexproof or shroud become key. Cards like Invisible Stalker or Silhana Ledgewalker are adept at evading such targeted effects. Alternatively, swift, indestructible units like Avacyn, Angel of Hope ensure survival against forced confrontations. Creatureless decks, on the other hand, naturally sidestep Rivals’ Duel’s intended impact, allowing control archetypes and combo-based strategies to thrive without the fear of inter-creature conflict.
Understanding Rivals’ Duel’s strengths and circumventing them with strategic deck building emphasizes the depth of gameplay in Magic: The Gathering. By investing in creature protection, or by crafting a strategy less reliant on creatures, players can maintain an edge against this impactful card.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Rivals' Duel MTG card by a specific set like Morningtide and Planechase 2012, 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 Rivals' Duel and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Rivals' Duel Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2008-02-01 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by 6 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2008-02-01 | Morningtide | MOR | 99 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai | |
| 2 | 2012-06-01 | Planechase 2012 | PC2 | 51 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai | |
| 3 | 2016-11-25 | Planechase Anthology | PCA | 51 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai | |
| 4 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1041 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai | |
| 5 | The List | PLST | PCA-51 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Rivals' Duel has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Rivals' Duel card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-04-01 | If either one of the creatures leaves the battlefield before Rivals’ Duel resolves, no damage is dealt to or by the remaining creature. If both creatures leave the battlefield before Rivals’ Duel resolves, the spell doesn’t resolve for having no legal targets. |
| 2008-04-01 | If, by the time Rivals’ Duel resolves, an effect has caused the two target creatures to share a creature type, Rivals’ Duel doesn’t resolve for having no legal targets. |
| 2008-04-01 | The two creatures may be controlled by the same player. |