Seize the Initiative MTG Card


Seize the Initiative - Scars of Mirrodin
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeInstant
Released2010-10-01
Set symbol
Set nameScars of Mirrodin
Set codeSOM
Number20
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred bySteve Argyle

Key Takeaways

  1. Seize the Initiative ensures strategic top-deck control with its scry ability for better game planning.
  2. The card’s instant speed usage disrupts opponents’ turns while optimally using mana for strong plays.
  3. It offers quick token generation for immediate use or strategic play development in various situations.

Text of card

Target creature gets +1/+1 and gains first strike until end of turn.

The time between spotting a leonin shikari and feeling its claws is just time enough to draw your last breath.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: One of the compelling attributes of Seize the Initiative is its capacity to enable a player to scry 1, thus helping to sift through the deck for strategic plays. It’s an excellent tactic for adjusting the upcoming draws to your benefit and ensuring you get the cards you need when you need them.

Resource Acceleration: Seize the Initiative can be quite the surprise element by providing a token that can be used right away or saved for a crucial moment. This sort of quick resource gain can be a game-changer, allowing for more flexibility in your plays or enabling larger spells to be cast sooner than expected.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Seize the Initiative at instant speed offers a tactical advantage by responding to your opponent’s moves. It can be deployed either during their turn to disrupt their strategy or at the end of their turn to maximize mana usage, setting you up for a strong play on your own turn without sacrificing tempo.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside of Seize the Initiative is the inherent need to discard another card to capitalize on its effects. For players who might be hand-scrapped or aiming to maintain card advantage, this can pose a strategic setback, potentially disrupting their game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: Seize the Initiative requires both white and blue mana to play. This specificity can be a limiting factor for decks that don’t run on an Azorius mana base, narrowing its versatility across the diverse array of MTG strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating card efficiency, the combined mana cost for Seize the Initiative might seem steep to some players, especially when compared to other options within the same mana range that may provide a greater immediate impact or more substantial long-term benefits.


Reasons to Include Seize the Initiative in Your Collection

Versatility: Seize the Initiative slips effortlessly into a wide array of decks. Whether you’re leading a battalion in Limited or defining combat phases in Commander, this card adjusts to numerous playstyles with its capacity to alter combat dynamics on the fly.

Combo Potential: This enabler can be the linchpin in intricate combos, synergizing with cards that thrive on tapping or untapping creatures. It can set off a domino effect that might just tip the scales in your favor during a critical moment.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where combat tricks reign, Seize the Initiative shines. With nimble play, it turns the tide against creature-heavy decks, potentially neutralizing threats and giving you the upper hand during pivotal turns.


How to beat

Seize the Initiative is a versatile card that can impact a game of Magic: The Gathering significantly, providing both offensive and defensive advantages. This card allows its controller to temporarily boost a creature’s power and toughness, potentially turning the tide of battle in their favor. But how can you effectively navigate against this tactical move? To counter Seize the Initiative, it’s crucial to anticipate the plays. Holding back instant-speed removal or damage spells until your opponent commits to casting it can neutralize the threat. Similarly, utilizing cards that apply hexproof or shroud to your creatures can protect them from being the targets of such combat tricks.

Control strategies that limit the number of creatures your opponent has in play can also diminish the potential impact of Seize the Initiative. Board wipes or creature counterspells preemptively cut the legs out from under it. In essence, while Seize the Initiative can tip the scales briefly, maintaining a strategic mindset with timely removal and defensive spells will help you overcome an opponent’s attempt to seize control of the game.


Cards like Seize the Initiative

Seize the Initiative redefines combat tricks in Magic: The Gathering by offering a fine balance between boosting your creatures and conservation of cards. Standing alongside spells like Giant Growth, which notably provides a more substantial immediate power increase, Seize the Initiative shines instead with its flexibility, allowing you to not only pump a creature but also untap it, enabling surprise blocks or multiple attacks.

Comparatively, we examine Strength of Arms, another card that augments a creature’s power and additionally provides a benefit if you control an Equipment or an Aura. While Strength of Arms could be superior in decks tailored to Equipment and Auras, Seize the Initiative’s untapping flexibility is irreplaceable in others. Another spell in this sphere is Defiant Strike, which, apart from a minor power increase, offers the valuable advantage of drawing a card. Even though it doesn’t affect the creature’s toughness or grant the equivalent untapping feature of Seize the Initiative, card draw in itself can be a game-changer.

Overall, in the realm of combat enhancements, Seize the Initiative holds its ground by offering a dual-purpose tool that can change the tide of battle and is a worthy consideration for any MTG deck looking for nimble yet impactful strategies.

Giant Growth - MTG Card versions
Strength of Arms - MTG Card versions
Defiant Strike - MTG Card versions
Giant Growth - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Strength of Arms - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)
Defiant Strike - Khans of Tarkir (KTK)

Cards similar to Seize the Initiative by color, type and mana cost

Death Ward - MTG Card versions
Blaze of Glory - MTG Card versions
Healing Salve - MTG Card versions
Purelace - MTG Card versions
Swords to Plowshares - MTG Card versions
Guardian Angel - MTG Card versions
Righteousness - MTG Card versions
Indestructible Aura - MTG Card versions
Glyph of Life - MTG Card versions
Warning - MTG Card versions
Heal - MTG Card versions
Anoint - MTG Card versions
Reaping the Rewards - MTG Card versions
Rally the Troops - MTG Card versions
Enlightened Tutor - MTG Card versions
Orim's Touch - MTG Card versions
Pollen Remedy - MTG Card versions
Sacred Rites - MTG Card versions
Pay No Heed - MTG Card versions
Path to Exile - MTG Card versions
Death Ward - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Blaze of Glory - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Healing Salve - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Purelace - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Swords to Plowshares - Fallout (PIP)
Guardian Angel - Limited Edition Beta (LEB)
Righteousness - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Indestructible Aura - Chronicles (CHR)
Glyph of Life - Legends (LEG)
Warning - Ice Age (ICE)
Heal - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Anoint - Tempest (TMP)
Reaping the Rewards - Exodus (EXO)
Rally the Troops - Portal Second Age (P02)
Enlightened Tutor - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Orim's Touch - Invasion (INV)
Pollen Remedy - Planeshift (PLS)
Sacred Rites - The List (PLST)
Pay No Heed - Torment (TOR)
Path to Exile - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Seize the Initiative MTG card by a specific set like Scars of Mirrodin, 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 Seize the Initiative and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Seize the Initiative has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2011-01-01 A creature that gains first strike after other creatures with first strike or double strike deal combat damage in the first combat damage step will still deal damage in the second combat damage step.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks