Fool's Tome MTG Card

Tempest (TMP)
1997-10-14 - Number 289

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number TMP-289

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Artifact

Key Takeaways

Fool’s Tome enhances card economy by offering additional draws from your library.
Its ability for resource acceleration allows casting of spells or threats more rapidly.
Instant speed provides tactical advantages, utilizing mana and surprise effectively.

Text of card

, oc T: Draw a card. Use this ability only if you have no cards in your hand.

Squee: "What's that?" Ertai: "It's a magical book." Squee: "Am I smart enough ta use it?" Ertai: "You could say that."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Fool’s Tome offers a substantial boost in card economy by allowing you to draw additional cards from your library. This not only helps you find key pieces of your strategy faster but also keeps your hand stocked to outmaneuver your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: This card also shines in terms of resource acceleration. With its ability, you can rapidly increase your mana resources, thus enabling you to cast more spells or deploy more threats onto the battlefield at a quicker pace than usual.

Instant Speed: The instant speed nature of Fool’s Tome is a cunning advantage, providing flexibility to react to your opponent’s moves. You can optimize your mana usage by waiting until the end of your opponent’s turn, maintaining the element of surprise and making sure you’re always one step ahead.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Involves a discard as part of the casting cost, potentially depleting valuable hand assets that could be critical for your game strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: The card’s activation requires both generic and colored mana inputs, which might not align with the flexibility needs of multi-color decks looking to keep options open.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Given its mana value, Fool’s Tome’s activation cost might strain mana resources in crucial game moments, making it less appealing compared to lower-cost alternatives.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Fool’s Tome can seamlessly adapt to different styles of play. Being an artifact, it’s a great fit in decks that thrive on artifact synergy. Furthermore, its ability to draw cards can be a boon in any game situation, making it a reliable choice across various archetypes.

Combo Potential: This card’s utility in enabling combinations is noteworthy. It can be used with cards that untap artifacts or with cost-reducing effects to churn through your deck rapidly, thereby offering an engine for combo decks to exploit.

Meta-Relevance: With shifting competitive landscapes, an asset like Fool’s Tome retains its relevance due to its potential to outmaneuver control strategies with consistent card advantage, keeping your hand replenished against any adversary.

How to beat

Fool’s Tome can be a challenging artifact to face in a game of Magic: The Gathering, primarily because it allows a player to extract additional card value from their deck. However, despite its potential utility, the key to overcoming Fool’s Tome lies in its activation cost and the timing of its use. Recognition of its strategic deployment during gameplay can drastically reduce its impact.

One approach to countering this artifact is through the use of direct artifact removal spells, which can quickly put an end to the advantage it provides. Green and red, for example, offer a variety of efficient removal options, such as Naturalize or Shatter, which can destroy the Tome before its benefits fully manifest. On the other hand, introducing card disruption strategies, like discard or mill effects, can hinder your opponent’s ability to effectively leverage the Fool’s Tome, particularly if they are counting on it for a crucial draw.

Lastly, maintaining pressure with aggressive strategies can limit the artifact’s utility. Keeping your opponent on the defense means they have less spare mana to invest in drawing extra cards, thereby diminishing the value of Fool’s Tome in their overall game plan.

Cards like Fool's Tome

Fool’s Tome offers a unique spin in the realm of artifact cards within Magic: The Gathering. When paired against similar items like Jayemdae Tome, which also provides card drawing capabilities, Fool’s Tome stands out with its no mana activation cost. This feature allows players to tap the card for its effect without spending precious mana resources, which can be essential in tight situations.

In the same category, we have the well-known Mind’s Eye. This artifact too allows for card drawing, yet the trigger is different, relying on opponent’s actions rather than a tap mechanic. Moreover, while Fool’s Tome needs to be tapped and later sacrificed, Mind’s Eye can remain on the battlefield for continual use, albeit at a higher mana cost for activation. Then there’s Arcane Encyclopedia, offering a steady card draw benefit. Unlike Fool’s Tome, which requires a sacrifice to utilize, the Encyclopedia persists, albeit with an associated mana cost for each use.

Considering the nuances, Fool’s Tome can be a strategic choice for players who value the surprise element of drawing in the absence of mana expenditure, potentially providing that crucial card at a pivotal game moment.

Cards similar to Fool's Tome by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Fool's Tome MTG card by a specific set like Tempest and The List, 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 Fool's Tome and other MTG cards: