The Phasing of Zhalfir MTG Card
Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
Mana cost | |
Converted mana cost | 4 |
Rarity | Rare |
Type | Enchantment — Saga |
Abilities | Read Ahead |
Text of card
Read ahead (Choose a chapter and start with that many lore counters. Add one after your draw step. Skipped chapters don't trigger. Sacrifice after III.) I, II — Another target nonland permanent phases out. It can't phase in for as long as you control The Phasing of Zhalfir. III — Destroy all creatures. For each creature destroyed this way, its controller creates a 2/2 black Phyrexian creature token.
Unlocking the Magic of The Phasing of Zhalfir
In the diverse world of Magic: The Gathering, The Phasing of Zhalfir offers a unique approach to manipulating the battlefield much like other cards in the phasing mechanic family. This card has its own distinctive qualities when compared to its peers. An obvious associate in the ecosystem would be Teferi’s Protection, which also phases out your belongings for a turn, grants you protection from everything, and is an instant, allowing defensive strategies at a moment’s notice.
Cards like The Phasing of Zhalfir
The Phasing of Zhalfir shares traits with Vanishing Verse, which targets and phases out monocolored permanents specifically. The Phasing of Zhalfir doesn’t discriminate; it’s an equal-opportunity phaser that can impact each player’s strategy. Another comparison might be Tawnos’s Coffin; it also exiles creatures but unlike phasing, they come back with summoning sickness and it can only affect one creature at a time. The Phasing of Zhalfir, on the other hand, is more about mass-temporary exile, offering a way to swing the tide of battle significantly in your favor or prepare for a mass removal spell.
When examining power and flexibility among cards with similar effects, The Phasing of Zhalfir creates opportunities for strategic gameplay that other phasing cards can’t. Its undiscriminating nature allows savvy players to exploit timing and board state to turn the tables in complex and sudden ways, elevating it beyond a mere preventative measure and into a game-winning strategy.
Cards similar to The Phasing of Zhalfir by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Phasing of Zhalfir card is a powerhouse when it comes to offering players a chance to shift the tide of the game by disrupting opponent’s strategies while maintaining your own board state. This adds a layer of strategy that can swing card advantage in your favor.
Resource Acceleration: While The Phasing of Zhalfir itself may not directly accelerate resources, it allows you to effectively manage your permanents by phasing out key pieces for protection or evading sweepers, ensuring that your resources remain available for future turns.
Instant Speed: Its capability to act at instant speed provides an enormous advantage, allowing for reactive play that can save crucial permanents from removal or negate an opponent’s combat phase entirely. This flexibility can be a significant advantage, keeping opponents guessing and allowing for surprise shifts in the board state.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Phasing of Zhalfir requires you to part with another card from your hand, which can set you back, especially when your hand is already running low on cards.
Specific Mana Cost: The mana needed to cast this card is not just demanding in quantity but also in color specificity, requiring a blue mana arrangement that could hinder its inclusion in decks that are not heavily blue-oriented.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Summoning The Phasing of Zhalfir comes with a substantial mana cost, which may be seen as prohibitive when measured against other cards with similar or more impactful abilities that come at a lower cost threshold.
Reasons to Include The Phasing of Zhalfir in Your Collection
Versatility: The Phasing of Zhalfir offers a unique mechanism that allows you to outmaneuver your opponents by temporarily removing your creatures from the battlefield to avoid removal, or to have them re-enter with beneficial enter-the-battlefield effects.
Combo Potential: This card works wonders with abilities that trigger when a creature enters or leaves the battlefield. It can be included in decks that look to exploit these triggers for substantial advantage.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state that values control and tempo play, The Phasing of Zhalfir can play a crucial role. It can disrupt opponent strategies or protect your board from sweepers, keeping you one step ahead in the current competitive scene.
How to Beat
Dealing with The Phasing of Zhalfir in the world of Magic: The Gathering requires a strategic approach. This particular card is known for its ability to temporarily remove things from play without triggering leaves-the-battlefield abilities. It can be a real headache if you’re not prepared for its unique mechanic.
To effectively play against The Phasing of Zhalfir, you’ll need to rely on methods that disrupt your opponent’s timing or make use of cards that are unaffected by phasing. Counterplay can also include the use of instant-speed spells that can be played in response to the phasing trigger or leveraging permanents that have static abilities or those that provide benefits even when they are not directly involved in the combat.
Remember, the key to conquering The Phasing of Zhalfir lies in understanding its mechanics and having a well-thought-out game plan. By using your deck’s adaptability and resilience, you can diminish the impact of this formidable card and maintain control of the game state.
BurnMana Recommendations
Master the intricacies of MTG and enhance your strategy with The Phasing of Zhalfir, an asset that could redefine your deck’s capabilities. Navigate through the battlefield by artfully using its phasing ability to protect and reset your pieces, ensuring your permanents live to fight another turn. As the game evolves, understanding the depth of each card plays a pivotal role in securing victory. Harness the power of The Phasing of Zhalfir’s versatility and grab the competitive edge it offers. Dive deeper into the strategic potential of this card and others by joining our community of seasoned players. Elevate your gameplay with BurnMana and turn the tides to your favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase The Phasing of Zhalfir MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria United Promos and Dominaria United Promos, 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 The Phasing of Zhalfir and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The The Phasing of Zhalfir Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2022-09-09 and 2022-09-09. Illustrated by LA Draws.
# | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United Promos | PDMU | 59s | 2015 | Saga | Black | LA Draws | |
2 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United Promos | PDMU | 59p | 2015 | Saga | Black | LA Draws | |
3 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United | DMU | 59 | 2015 | Saga | Black | LA Draws |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where The Phasing of Zhalfir 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 The Phasing of Zhalfir card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
Date | Text |
---|---|
2022-09-09 | An attacking or blocking creature that phases out is removed from combat. |
2022-09-09 | Any continuous effects with a “for as long as” duration, such as that of Extraction Specialist, ignore phased-out objects. If ignoring those objects causes the effect’s conditions to no longer be met, the duration will expire. |
2022-09-09 | As a Saga with read ahead enters the battlefield, its controller chooses a number from one to that Saga’s greatest chapter number. The Saga enters the battlefield with the chosen number of lore counters. Neither choosing the number nor putting the counters on the Saga use the stack, and neither can be responded to. |
2022-09-09 | As a permanent is phased out, Auras and Equipment attached to it also phase out at the same time. Those Auras and Equipment will phase in at the same time that permanent does, and they’ll phase in still attached to it. |
2022-09-09 | Choices made for permanents as they entered the battlefield are remembered when they phase in. |
2022-09-09 | Normally, permanents phase back in during their controller’s untap step, immediately before that player untaps their permanents. Creatures that phase in this way are able to attack and pay a cost of during that turn. If a permanent had counters on it when it phased out, it will have those counters when it phases back in. |
2022-09-09 | Permanents that phase out as The Phasing of Zhalfir’s first and second chapter abilities resolve don’t phase in during their controllers’ untap steps while the Saga is on the battlefield. After it leaves the battlefield, they will phase in during their controller’s next untap step as normal. |
2022-09-09 | Phased-out permanents are treated as though they don’t exist. They can’t be the targets of spells or abilities, their static abilities have no effect on the game, their triggered abilities can’t trigger, they can’t attack or block, and so on. |
2022-09-09 | Phasing out doesn’t cause any “leaves the battlefield” abilities to trigger. Similarly, phasing in won’t cause any “enters the battlefield” abilities to trigger. |