Self-Reflection MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Flashback |
| Released | 2023-11-17 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan |
| Set code | LCI |
| Number | 74 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Henry Peters |
Text of card
Create a token that's a copy of target creature you control. Flashback (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
Some Echoes remember every moment of their past lives and spend their existence contemplating past choices.
Cards like Self-Reflection
Self-Reflection stands out as an intriguing piece in Magic: The Gathering’s collection of strategic cards that enable players to manipulate their own deck. It bears similarity to cards like Serum Visions, which also allows for both drawing a card and scrying to effectively shape future plays. Where Self-Reflection differs is its distinct focus on reflecting upon the past, allowing players to revisit the previous turns of the game.
Peer through Depths is another card that conjures a comparable sensation for digging through a deck, though it specifically targets instants and sorceries, while Self-Reflection’s capabilities are broader. The latter offers a wider scope for strategic depth as it encompasses all card types. Additionally, there’s Tamiyo’s Journal, which shares the card selection theme but operates on a different axis by accumulating clues to facilitate the discovery of crucial pieces.
In the grand tapestry of Magic: The Gathering, Self-Reflection holds its own, compelling players to adopt new strategies with its unique approach to retrospection and deck manipulation. It’s an essential tool for those who thrive on carefully crafting their plays, turn after meticulous turn.
Cards similar to Self-Reflection by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Self-Reflection. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Five-color | Free form | Torino Tournament - Lost Caverns of Ixalan | |
 | Decklist | Free form | UOL LCI Sealed League |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Self-Reflection offers a unique mechanism for duplicating your successful creatures. Creating a token copy of a creature you control not only doubles the impact that creature can have on the game but also provides an immediate value, essentially giving you another card’s worth of power on the field without actually drawing a card.
Resource Acceleration: While Self-Reflection doesn’t directly generate mana or Treasure, by replicating mana dorks or creatures with abilities that untap lands, this card indirectly contributes to resource acceleration, allowing you to outpace your opponents by ramping up your available mana.
Instant Speed: The ability to play Self-Reflection at instant speed grants you the flexibility to wait until the most opportune moment. Be it during combat to surprise your opponent or at the end of their turn to best utilize your resources, instant speed ensures that you maintain the element of surprise and efficiency in your play strategy.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Self-Reflection comes with a built-in challenge, necessitating the discarding of a card upon execution. This can be a cumbersome detour, particularly when your hand is already threadbare, leaving you grappling with crucial decisions about resource management.
Specific Mana Cost: Shackled by its precise mana demands, Self-Reflection mandates a strict adherence to its color identity within your deck. This stricture can stymie deck diversity and potentially exclude the card from a variety of archetypal builds, limiting its versatility across the multiverse of strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its cost scaling on the higher side, the efficiency of Self-Reflection may come into question. Its demand on your mana pool must be weighed carefully against other alternatives, which could potentially dish out enhanced effects or present lower cost interventions without such a significant investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Self-Reflection offers unique flexibility for being played in various deck archetypes. This card can play a key role in strategies that hinge on duplicating spells or abilities, ensuring you can adapt to a multitude of game scenarios with ease.
Combo Potential: The card can serve as a cornerstone in powerful combos. By cloning specific spells or abilities, Self-Reflection can exponentially increase the impact of your game-plan, making it a threat that must be dealt with immediately by opponents.
Meta-Relevance: Considering the shifting landscapes of competitive play, Self-Reflection has the caliber to become a significant player in formats where replicating effects can sway the game’s outcome. Its capability to mesh with and enhance prevalent strategies makes it a strong contender for decks positioned to take on a variety of meta environments.
How to beat Self-Reflection
Self-Reflection is a unique enchantment in the world of Magic the Gathering that can turn the tide of a match by creating copies of your creatures. Unlike more straightforward buffs, Self-Reflection requires a strategic approach both in deck building and gameplay to harness its full potential. However, be mindful of cards like Echoing Truth and Oblivion Ring, which can single-handedly neutralize the advantage by removing or bouncing your copies back to your hand.
Moreover, employing spot removal spells or board wipes before the copied creatures come online ensures that the threat is contained. Counterspells are also effective, cancelling Self-Reflection before it can even enter the battlefield. Hand disruption to remove it before played can also dismantle the setup. Additionally, running cards that limit the number of tokens or creatures one can control creates a barrier against the flood of copies Self-Reflection aims to deploy. Anticipating your opponent’s plays and disrupting their strategy remains the best way to triumph over this enchantment.
Ultimately, while Self-Reflection can mirror any creature’s might and multiply its presence on the board, it can also leave your opponent vulnerable during setup. Tackling the card head-on with prepared counters or dismantling the board’s synergy before it comes into effect can effectively neutralize this otherwise potent threat.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Self-Reflection MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, 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 Self-Reflection and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Self-Reflection has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Self-Reflection card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-11-10 | Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when the token enters the battlefield. Any "as -his creature] enters the battlefield" or " -his creature] enters the battlefield with" abilities of the target creature will also work. |
| 2023-11-10 | If the copied creature has in its mana cost, X is 0. |
| 2023-11-10 | If the copied creature is a token, the new token that's created copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that created the token. |
| 2023-11-10 | If the copied creature is copying something else, then the token enters the battlefield as whatever that creature copied. |
| 2023-11-10 | The token copies exactly what was printed on the original creature (unless that permanent is copying something else or is a token; see below). It doesn't copy whether that creature is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or any Auras or Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that have changed its types, color, power and toughness, and so on. |