Devastating Mastery MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Able to reset the board, Devastating Mastery can significantly alter the game in your favor.
  2. Its alternative casting cost offers strategic versatility, but requires careful mana management.
  3. Compare and contrast with similar cards to understand its unique role in MTG.

Text of card

You may pay rather than pay this spell's mana cost. If the cost was paid, an opponent chooses up to two nonland permanents they control and returns them to their owner's hand. Destroy all nonland permanents.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Devastating Mastery can act as a reset button, clearing the board of numerous threats and potentially leaving you in a favorable position.

Resource Acceleration: Though not directly providing mana, the spell’s alternative cost condition can result in a mana-efficient play, leaving resources open for further actions in your turn.

Instant Speed: While this powerful sorcery doesn’t have instant speed, its strategic use during your main phase can significantly disrupt your opponent’s plans, giving you a tactical edge.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Devastating Mastery requires careful hand management due to its potential downside of needing to discard your own cards. With a sweep of the board, you may even have to say goodbye to resources you’d rather keep.

Specific Mana Cost: The precision needed in gathering the right mana for Devastating Mastery can be taxing. Piling up four white mana is no small task, especially in a multi-colored deck, making it less universal and somewhat restrictive in deck inclusion.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sitting at a lofty six mana total, this spell demands a significant chunk of your resources. With several other board clearing options available at a lower cost, evaluating your strategy and mana curve is crucial when considering its inclusion in your deck.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Devastating Mastery is a unique board wipe that can adapt to different game situations. You can cast it for its full cost to clear the board, or take advantage of its reduced mana alternative cost, leaving your key permanents on the battlefield while still disrupting your opponents.

Combo Potential: This card works incredibly well with setups that benefit from board clears, such as strategies that capitalize on rebuilding quickly or utilizing graveyard synergies. It’s not just a reset button but can be an enabler for powerful comebacks or closeouts.

Meta-Relevance: In environments dominated by creature-heavy decks or those that tend to overextend on the board, Devastating Mastery gives you an edge. It answers wide strategies effectively and can tip the scales back in your favor when timed correctly.


How to beat

Devastating Mastery poses a unique challenge on the battlefield, offering players a powerful board wipe to reset the game state. With its potential to clear out all nonland permanents except for two of the caster’s choice, it can turn the tides of a match dramatically. This card echoes the impact of classic sweepers like Wrath of God, but with a twist allowing for strategic selection.

The key to overcoming Devastating Mastery lies in timing and resource management. For instance, cards that grant indestructibility or hexproof, like Selfless Spirit or Heroic Intervention, can effectively shield your valuable assets. Additionally, taking advantage of its costly mana requirement by executing a faster gameplan can leave opponents struggling to find the right moment to cast it. Also, playing around with counter spells or proactive discard strategies to remove it from their hand before it can be deployed is a smart move. By maintaining pressure and preserving resources for critical moments, players can outmaneuver the otherwise catastrophic effect of Devastating Mastery.

Though formidable, this reset button card isn’t insurmountable. A mindful approach and knowledge of your deck’s capabilities can help ensure that Devastating Mastery doesn’t spell the end for your strategy on the MTG battlefield.


BurnMana Recommendations

As we examine the intricate facets of Devastating Mastery, it’s clear that this card holds a significant stance in controlling your MTG battlefield. Its flexibility to either full cast or utilize an alternative cost, coupled with the strategic preservation of key permanents, creates dynamic gameplay opportunities. If you’re keen to wield this powerful reset button effectively, managing resources, timing, and maintaining deck synergy are paramount. Adapt your strategies, outmaneuver opponents, and optimize your collection with cards designed for resilience. Eager to master these techniques and refine your arsenal? Step into our realm of resources at BurnMana for deeper insights and strategies to turn the tables in your favor.


Cards like Devastating Mastery

Devastating Mastery is an intriguing sorcery in MTG that presents players with a powerful board control option. Comparable in effect to the iconic Planar Cleansing, Devastating Mastery allows for a clear comparison. While Planar Cleansing indiscriminately destroys all nonland permanents at a fixed mana cost, Devastating Mastery offers a flexible approach with its alternative casting cost, allowing players to choose a less destructive path by sparing any two permanents of their choice.

Another similar card in the sphere of mass removal is Fumigate, which clears the battlefield of creatures and provides life gain based on the number destroyed. Unlike Fumigate, Devastating Mastery extends its reach beyond creatures to all nonland permanents, making it more comprehensive albeit at a higher base casting cost. Day of Judgment also seeks to clear creatures but at a lower cost with no life gain or the additional noncreature permanent removal that comes with Devastating Mastery.

Altogether, Devastating Mastery provides a unique option for players strategizing to reset the board. Its flexible cost and selective clemency on permanents position it distinctly among MTG board wipes, potentially granting a significant advantage when tactfully deployed.

Planar Cleansing - MTG Card versions
Fumigate - MTG Card versions
Day of Judgment - MTG Card versions
Planar Cleansing - Magic 2010 (M10)
Fumigate - Kaladesh Promos (PKLD)
Day of Judgment - Zendikar (ZEN)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Devastating Mastery MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Strixhaven: School of Mages, 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 Devastating Mastery and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Devastating Mastery Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-04-23 and 2021-04-24. Illustrated by Jake Murray.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 899902015normalblackJake Murray
22021-04-23Strixhaven: School of MagesSTX 142015normalblackJake Murray
32021-04-23Strixhaven: School of MagesSTX 2882015normalblackJake Murray
42021-04-24Strixhaven: School of Mages PromosPSTX 14p2015normalblackJake Murray
52021-04-24Strixhaven: School of Mages PromosPSTX 14s2015normalblackJake Murray

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Devastating Mastery has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-04-16 If an effect increases or decreases the cost of spells you cast, that cost increase or decrease is applied to the alternative cost you chose to pay. In that case, the cost was still paid for the purposes of the effect, even if you paid more or less for it when it was cast.
2021-04-16 If you choose to pay one alternative cost, you can’t pay any other alternative costs. For example, if an effect lets you cast a “Mastery” spell “without paying its mana cost,” you can’t also choose to pay its given alternative cost.
2021-04-16 If you copy a “Mastery” spell and the alternative cost was paid, the copy will resolve as though the cost was paid.
2021-04-16 In a multiplayer game, you choose which opponent takes the prescribed action as the spell resolves.
2021-04-16 The mana value of a spell on the stack is determined by its mana cost, not any alternative costs you used to pay for it.

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