Sauron's Ransom MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Card advantage stems from controlling opponents’ creatures or planeswalkers, tipping the scales in your favor.
  2. Indirect resource acceleration is possible by capturing mana-generating opponent cards, speeding up your play.
  3. Instant-speed usage interrupts opponents unpredictably, making Sauron’s Ransom a strategic game-changer.

Text of card

Choose an opponent. They look at the top four cards of your library and separate them into a face-down pile and a face-up pile. Put one pile into your hand and the other into your graveyard. The Ring tempts you.

"He was dear to you, I see. And now he shall endure the slow torment of years."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The ability of Sauron’s Ransom to allow players to take control of an opponent’s creature or planeswalker isn’t just a one-for-one exchange; it effectively adds a valuable asset to your side while depriving your opponent of one of theirs, swinging the balance of power significantly in your favor. This creates a significant card advantage, as you are gaining key resources while depleting your opponent’s.

Resource Acceleration: While Sauron’s Ransom doesn’t directly produce mana or Treasure tokens, the card can indirectly lead to resource acceleration by seizing control of mana-producing creatures or planeswalkers with abilities that ramp your mana or generate other resources. This translates into an uptick in the pace at which you can deploy your threats and answers.

Instant Speed: The real allure of Sauron’s Ransom lies in its instant speed. This flexibility means you can disrupt your opponent’s strategy at the most opportune moment, whether that’s after they’ve declared attackers, in response to an ability, or at the end of their turn. This unpredictability can put your opponent on the back foot, as they must always consider the possibility of you flipping the script in an instant.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The casting of Sauron’s Ransom necessitates the player to discard a card, making it a potential setback particularly when your hand is already depleted or if the cards in hand are valuable for maintaining game strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Sauron’s Ransom requires a distinct combination of mana types which confines it to decks that can reliably produce both the needed colors. This may restrict the card’s versatility across a broader range of deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that’s on the higher side for its effects, Sauron’s Ransom could be seen as less favorable when compared to other cards with similar abilities but lower mana requirements. Players might opt for more economical alternatives that allow for a quicker gameplay tempo.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Sauron’s Ransom is a card that can easily find its place in a variety of deck archetypes. Its capacity to disrupt an opponent’s strategy by forcing them to choose between losing a card or paying life makes it adaptable and a valuable tool in many situations.

Combo Potential: For those who enjoy constructing intricate combos, Sauron’s Ransom offers an array of synergy possibilities. It can be paired with life-draining effects or cards that capitalize on an opponent’s diminished hand size, for a powerful cumulative impact on the game.

Meta-Relevance: Given the dynamic nature of the MTG meta, a card like Sauron’s Ransom can be particularly influential. It can serve as a counter to decks that rely heavily on card advantage, making it a timely addition to your collection to address shifts in the competitive scene.


How to beat

Sauron’s Ransom presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. This card can alter the flow of the game, holding a player’s precious creatures hostage until a price is paid. To outmaneuver this tricky spell, it’s crucial to plan ahead and manage resources wisely. Ensuring you have multiple ways to generate mana can be a lifesaver, allowing you to pay the ransom and reclaim your creature without sacrificing your tempo. Additionally, having spells in your deck that can counter or remove enchantments directly is invaluable. Cards like Disenchant or Naturalize can help you get rid of Sauron’s Ransom before it becomes a problem. Keeping a balance of creature spells and non-creature spells is another effective strategy. This way, even if you’re unable to pay the ransom immediately, you can still maintain board presence and pressure your opponent. Finally, don’t overlook the power of sacrificial tactics. Utilizing creatures with leave-the-battlefield effects or those that don’t mind being in the graveyard can turn Sauron’s Ransom from a punishment into an opportunity.


BurnMana Recommendations

The strategic depths of Magic the Gathering offer myriad ways to outwit opponents, and Sauron’s Ransom can be a pivotal card in your arsenal. With its power to overturn the tides of battle and the versatility to adapt to various gameplay strategies, it’s essential to recognize the full potential this card offers. If you’re looking to harness its combo potential, disrupt the flow of your adversary’s plans, or simply want to know where it fits in the current meta, our guides can show you how. Discover more strategic insights and fine-tune your deck for optimum conquest with Sauron’s Ransom by taking a deep dive with us. Enhance your collection, elevate your gameplay, and keep your adversaries guessing your next move. Dive deeper and forge your path to victory with us by your side.


Cards like Sauron's Ransom

Dwelling in the shadow of powerful spells in Magic: The Gathering, Sauron’s Ransom joins the arsenal of intriguing control cards. It mirrors the essence of cards like Diabolic Edict, which forces opponents to sacrifice a creature. Sauron’s Ransom takes it a step further by allowing the caster to choose the creature to be sacrificed, granting pinpoint accuracy at the cost of revealing one’s own hand.

Further comparisons can be drawn to Crackling Doom, another spell that demands a sacrifice from the opponent, but it also inflicts damage while circumventing the need to expose one’s strategic holdings. Geth’s Verdict is another relative, requiring less mana investment while also extracting life from an adversary; yet, it doesn’t offer the level of control over the opponent’s battlefield that Sauron’s Ransom provides.

Ultimately, the strategic advantage of choosing the target with Sauron’s Ransom could be pivotal in competitive play. Despite the potential trade-off of revealing strategic information, this card could be a game-changer by dismantling an opponent’s key defenses. It exemplifies the kind of tactical leverage that seasoned players seek to harness in MTG.

Diabolic Edict - MTG Card versions
Crackling Doom - MTG Card versions
Geth's Verdict - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Edict - MTG Card versions
Crackling Doom - MTG Card versions
Geth's Verdict - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Sauron's Ransom by color, type and mana cost

Essence Vortex - MTG Card versions
Undermine - MTG Card versions
Recoil - MTG Card versions
Forbidden Alchemy - MTG Card versions
Perplex - MTG Card versions
Soul Manipulation - MTG Card versions
Psychic Strike - MTG Card versions
Dihada's Ploy - MTG Card versions
Essence Vortex - MTG Card versions
Undermine - MTG Card versions
Recoil - MTG Card versions
Forbidden Alchemy - MTG Card versions
Perplex - MTG Card versions
Soul Manipulation - MTG Card versions
Psychic Strike - MTG Card versions
Dihada's Ploy - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sauron's Ransom MTG card by a specific set like Tales of Middle-earth Promos and The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, 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 Sauron's Ransom and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sauron's Ransom Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2023-06-23 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by Alex Brock.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth PromosPLTR 225s2015NormalBlackAlex Brock
22023-06-23The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earthLTR 6762015NormalBlackAlex Brock
32023-06-23The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earthLTR 7822015NormalBlackAlex Brock
42023-06-23The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earthLTR 3712015NormalBlackAlex Brock
52023-06-23The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earthLTR 2252015NormalBlackAlex Brock

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sauron's Ransom has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2023-06-16 As the Ring tempts you, you get an emblem named The Ring if you don't have one. Then your emblem gains its next ability and you choose a creature you control to become (or remain) your Ring-bearer.
2023-06-16 Each player can have only one emblem named The Ring and only one Ring-bearer at a time.
2023-06-16 Each time the Ring tempts you, you must choose a creature if you control one.
2023-06-16 If the creature you choose as your Ring-bearer was already your Ring-bearer, that still counts as choosing that creature as your Ring-bearer for the purpose of abilities that trigger "whenever you choose a creature as your Ring-bearer" or abilities that care about which creature was chosen as your Ring-bearer.
2023-06-16 Some spells and abilities that cause the Ring to tempt you may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. The Ring won't tempt you.
2023-06-16 The Ring can tempt you even if you don't control a creature. In this case, abilities that trigger "whenever the Ring tempts you" will still trigger.
2023-06-16 The Ring gains its abilities in order from top to bottom. Once it gains an ability, it has that ability for the rest of the game.
2023-06-16 The opponent may split the cards into one pile of four and one pile of zero. The pile of four cards could be the face-up pile or the face-down pile.
2023-06-16 You choose just one opponent to look at the top four cards of your library and put them into piles. Other players can't look, but they may attempt to offer advice without knowing what cards are there. The player who looks may choose what information to share with others if that player wants advice on how to split the cards, but that player doesn't have to share any information at all.
2023-06-16 You don't have to reveal the cards in the face-down pile if you put it into your hand.