Side Quest MTG Card


Side Quest - Unstable
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Released2017-12-08
Set symbol
Set nameUnstable
Set codeUST
Number23
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderSilver
Illustred byAlex Konstad
Un-set :-)This card is part of an Un-set

Key Takeaways

  1. Side Quest grants deck access and accelerates land play, crucial for gaining a competitive edge.
  2. Its instant speed utility allows for surprise maneuvers, crucial in tight matches.
  3. While powerful, the discard cost and specific mana needs can limit its versatility.

Text of card

Target player in a silver-bordered game you can see from your seat gains control of target creature you control until your next turn. At the beginning of your next upkeep, put two +1/+1 counters on that creature. (A creature is on the battlefield of only the game its controller is playing.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Side Quest enables a player to delve deeper into their library, swiftly adding the crucial spells or lands to hand, which can be decisive in outpacing opponents.

Resource Acceleration: This card provides a significant boost by allowing the player to play an additional land, paving the way for faster deployment of threats and advancing your board state more quickly than usual.

Instant Speed: The versatility of Side Quest shines at instant speed, offering the tactical advantage of reacting to the game’s ebb and flow during an opponent’s turn, while keeping options open for unexpected plays.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Side Quest requires discarding a card as part of its casting cost. This can put players at a significant disadvantage, especially when hand size is critical for maintaining strategic options.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise mana alignment, needing not just any mana but a certain combination. This requirement can be restrictive and hamper deck flexibility, particularly in multicolored decks that might struggle to generate the necessary resources on a consistent basis.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a higher-than-average mana cost for its effects, Side Quest may not be the most mana-efficient option available. Players might find other spells that achieve similar goals without the hefty mana investment, leaving more resources for playing additional spells or creatures during their turn.


Reasons to Include Side Quest in Your Collection

Versatility: Side Quest is a card that offers a wide range of uses across various deck builds. Its ability to fetch specific pieces from your deck can adapt to any strategy, making it a useful card for fine-tuning your gameplay to the situation at hand.

Combo Potential: With the card’s unique ability to pull combo pieces from the library, it serves as a pivotal tool in setting up game-winning plays. Integrating Side Quest into a combo deck ensures a higher consistency in executing your win conditions.

Meta-Relevance: Understanding the shifting landscape of competitive play is key, and Side Quest maintains relevance in metas that value precise tutor effects. Its inclusion can give players the edge they need by providing access to answers or threats exactly when they need them.


How to beat

Side Quest is a unique card in MTG that allows players to delve deeper into their decks for specialized strategies. To overcome a card like Side Quest, the key is to target the card’s mechanics directly. Counter-spells are the traditional solution to halt its initial cast, while discard effects can preemptively remove it from your opponent’s hand before they have a chance to play it.

Moreover, cards with exile effects can effectively remove Side Quest’s influence from the game altogether. If Side Quest has already been played, focusing on strategic plays that outpace the advantage granted by its search mechanic, or employing graveyard disruption to tamper with the Quest completion, can be instrumental in nullifying its effect on the game’s outcome. Keep your game plan flexible, adapt to the Quest’s objectives, and maintain board control, and you’ll mitigate the impact of Side Quest on your march to victory.

Understanding Side Quest’s strengths and timings is crucial to develop a strategy that limits its game-altering potential, keeping your path to triumph clear on the competitive plains of MTG.


Cards like Side Quest

Side Quest is a unique entrant in MTG’s array of spells offering players additional objectives and rewards. It’s akin to cards like Adventurous Impulse, which permits a player to look at the top three cards of their library and pick a creature or a land card to reveal and put into their hand. Both cards prioritize strategic deck manipulation, but Side Quest adds a novel twist by potentially allowing for a longer-term advantage through its delayed gratification of quest completion.

Comparatively, Ongoing Investigation is another card that uses the theme of undertaking a quest but ties its rewards to combat. Just like Side Quest, it provides a semblance of progression and incentive for players. Ongoing Investigation rewards players directly with card draw and life gain, while Side Quest’s payoffs are hinged on fulfilling specific conditions laid out by the quest itself. This makes Side Quest an innovative challenge with potentially higher returns depending on the quest’s difficulty and the player’s ability to complete it.

Overall, Side Quest stands out in MTG for those looking for a gameplay element that extends beyond the immediate turn, encouraging thoughtful play and strategic planning. Its design carves a distinct niche, making it a vibrant choice for players drawn to quest-driven mechanics.

Adventurous Impulse - MTG Card versions
Ongoing Investigation - MTG Card versions
Adventurous Impulse - MTG Card versions
Ongoing Investigation - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Side Quest by color, type and mana cost

Visions - MTG Card versions
Prophecy - MTG Card versions
False Peace - MTG Card versions
Festival of Trokin - MTG Card versions
Prismatic Wardrobe - MTG Card versions
Empty City Ruse - MTG Card versions
Peach Garden Oath - MTG Card versions
Divine Light - MTG Card versions
Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - MTG Card versions
Ritual of Restoration - MTG Card versions
Steelshaper's Gift - MTG Card versions
Benediction of Moons - MTG Card versions
Gaze of Justice - MTG Card versions
Sunlance - MTG Card versions
Oust - MTG Card versions
Alliance of Arms - MTG Card versions
Wake the Reflections - MTG Card versions
Launch the Fleet - MTG Card versions
Chaplain's Blessing - MTG Card versions
Fragmentize - MTG Card versions
Visions - MTG Card versions
Prophecy - MTG Card versions
False Peace - MTG Card versions
Festival of Trokin - MTG Card versions
Prismatic Wardrobe - MTG Card versions
Empty City Ruse - MTG Card versions
Peach Garden Oath - MTG Card versions
Divine Light - MTG Card versions
Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - MTG Card versions
Ritual of Restoration - MTG Card versions
Steelshaper's Gift - MTG Card versions
Benediction of Moons - MTG Card versions
Gaze of Justice - MTG Card versions
Sunlance - MTG Card versions
Oust - MTG Card versions
Alliance of Arms - MTG Card versions
Wake the Reflections - MTG Card versions
Launch the Fleet - MTG Card versions
Chaplain's Blessing - MTG Card versions
Fragmentize - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Side Quest MTG card by a specific set like Unstable, 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 Side Quest and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2018-01-19 If the creature leaves the battlefield while in the other game, it returns to its home game in the appropriate zone. For example, if it dies in the other game, it will return to its owner’s graveyard in its home game.