Scroll of Isildur MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment — Saga

Key Takeaways

  1. Scroll of Isildur excels at drawing cards and ramping mana, essential for card advantage and tempo.
  2. Instant speed activation of Scroll offers strategic flexibility and surprise plays in tight situations.
  3. The necessity to discard for casting and its restrictive mana cost could pose challenges during play.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Scroll of Isildur 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 Scroll of Isildur and other MTG cards:

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Text of card

(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter. Sacrifice after III.) I — Gain control of up to one target artifact for as long as you control Scroll of Isildur. The Ring tempts you. II — Tap up to two target creatures. Put a stun counter on each of them. III — Draw a card for each tapped creature target opponent controls.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Scroll of Isildur enables you to sift through your library by drawing several cards. This capability is essential in deck strategies focused on maintaining a robust hand and outmaneuvering opponents with a wealth of options.

Resource Acceleration: This powerful artifact can ramp up your mana resources. By efficiently advancing your in-game economy, it allows you to play more influential spells sooner than your opponent might anticipate, setting the stage for a potentially game-changing tempo swing.

Instant Speed: The Scroll of Isildur can be activated at instant speed, offering significant flexibility during the game. It can be strategically used at the end of an opponent’s turn or in response to an action, keeping your options open while you expertly navigate through each phase of play.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: With Scroll of Isildur, you’ll find that casting it comes at the price of not just mana but also card advantage. This requirement to discard a card can be particularly punishing when your hand is already dwindling, forcing you to make tough decisions about which resources to sacrifice.

Specific Mana Cost: This enchantment’s mana cost calls for a combination specific to its set’s color identity. For players running multicolor decks, this could pose a restriction, making the Scroll less flexible than more universally castable cards.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The investment of four mana for its effect might be viewed as steep compared to other cards within the same mana range. Savvy players will weigh the Scroll against these alternatives, considering whether its impact on the game justifies the cost, especially in fast-paced matches where efficiency is key.


Reasons to Include Scroll of Isildur in Your Collection

Versatility: Scroll of Isildur offers flexibility across a variety of deck archetypes. With its ability to fit into build styles that value graveyard interaction and card draw, it’s a card that can support multiple strategies.

Combo Potential: The card’s retrieval of instants or sorceries from the graveyard presents combo opportunities with spells that have potent effects or that complement your existing game plan, enhancing long-term tactical advantages.

Meta-Relevance: Given the card’s utility in recurring valuable instants or sorceries, it holds relevance in a meta that emphasizes spell-driven control or combo decks, making it a solid contender for inclusion.


How to beat

The Scroll of Isildur is a nuanced tool for any MTG deck builder, providing both foresight and potential card advantage. This mystical artifact card allows players to look at the top card of their library at any time and cast sorceries from the top of their library by exiling them. To effectively counteract the advantages that Scroll of Isildur brings to the table, it’s essential to disrupt your opponent’s library and their access to it.

Among the strategies to consider is applying pressure with cards that force shuffling of the opponent’s library, such as Field of Ruin, disrupting their planned draws. Alternatively, hand disruption techniques can strip their ability to play those crucial sorcery spells, with Thoughtseize and Duress being prime examples of such tactics. Artifact removal spells like Naturalize or Abrade can also directly address the Scroll of Isildur, preventing your opponent from leveraging its unique capabilities. As with any challenge in MTG, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of Scroll of Isildur is key to crafting a successful strategy against it—anticipate, disrupt, and remove are your mantras here.

In dissecting the mechanics of Scroll of Isildur and the myriad of ways to counter it, this analysis reveals how to effectively maintain control over a game facing this powerful card.


BurnMana Recommendations

Cultivating a balanced MTG deck involves more than just powerful cards; it’s about synergy, strategy, and the right support. The Scroll of Isildur presents not only a tool for achieving card advantage but also a nuanced addition to decks that relish graveyard play and intricate spellwork. Its flexibility at instant speed and its combo potential make it a contender for any strategist looking to weave more complex plays. While its mana cost and specific color identity may require thoughtful deck construction, the power to fetch key instants or sorceries could flip the script on your matches. Keen to expand your MTG prowess? Dive deeper with us and enhance your collection with cards that are not just powerful, but pivotal.


Cards like Scroll of Isildur

The Scroll of Isildur introduces a unique effect to the pantheon of utility artifacts found in MTG. Drawing parallels with seasoned favorites like the Scroll of Avacyn, it carves its niche. While the Scroll of Avacyn offers a straightforward draw for those steering a deck with Angels, the Scroll of Isildur rewards players who delve into their libraries, catering to deck strategies focused on pulling the historical pages of the game.

Another artifact to consider is the Mazemind Tome, a versatile option for card advantage and life gain. However, while the Tome requires a mana investment to draw each card, Scroll of Isildur, once set up with the appropriate delve requirement, potentially gives access to more cards without additional costs. Codex Shredder is a contender too, providing repeatable deck manipulation but lacking the direct draw power that the Scroll of Isildur specializes in.

Ultimately, Scroll of Isildur’s allure lies in its potential for card advantage in a synergistic setup. Although often compared to other artifacts in the realm of MTG, its specific interplay with history-themed decks sets it apart, providing both flavor and functionality for players.

Scroll of Avacyn - MTG Card versions
Mazemind Tome - MTG Card versions
Codex Shredder - MTG Card versions
Scroll of Avacyn - MTG Card versions
Mazemind Tome - MTG Card versions
Codex Shredder - MTG Card versions

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Printings

The Scroll of Isildur Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2023-06-23 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by Audrey Benjaminsen.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth PromosPLTR 69s2015SagaBlackAudrey Benjaminsen
22023-06-23The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earthLTR 5202015SagaBlackAudrey Benjaminsen
32023-06-23The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earthLTR 692015SagaBlackAudrey Benjaminsen

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Scroll of Isildur has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Scroll of Isildur 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 Scroll of Isildur leaves the battlefield or you lose control of it before its first chapter ability resolves, control of the target artifact doesn't change at all.
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 If the target is not legal as Scroll of Isildur's first chapter ability tries to resolve, the ability is removed from the stack. The Ring won't tempt you.
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.