Psychic Intrusion MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery
Released	2013-09-27
Set symbol
Set name	Theros
Set code	THS
Number	200
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jaime Jones

Key Takeaways

Psychic Intrusion disrupts and potentially turns an opponent’s strategy to your advantage with dual utility.
The card offers versatility in play, fitting into multiple deck strategies and adapting to various metagames.
Despite its higher mana cost and specific mana requirements, its strategic value may justify its inclusion.

Text of card

Target opponent reveals his or her hand. You choose a nonland card from that player's graveyard or hand and exile it. You may cast that card for as long as it remains exiled, and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast that spell.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Psychic Intrusion enables you to handpick a nonland card from your opponent’s hand, which not only disrupts their strategy but also gives you the upper hand by potentially casting that card yourself. This can lead to significant card advantage as you utilize resources from both decks.

Resource Acceleration: While Psychic Intrusion itself doesn’t directly provide mana acceleration, being able to cast an opponent’s card could result in gaining access to their accelerants. This indirect resource acceleration can provide a surprising tempo boost in the right circumstances.

Instant Speed: Although Psychic Intrusion is cast at sorcery speed, the stolen card can be an instant or possess flash, offering you flexible options to respond during any phase of the game. this flexibility in timing can put you at an advantage, especially against opponents who aren’t expecting you to have certain spells at your disposal.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Psychic Intrusion asks players to reveal their hand in order to choose a nonland card. If your strategy is reliant on keeping card choices hidden, this peek into your plans might be counterproductive, providing opponents with unintended insights into your hand and strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Required colored mana for Psychic Intrusion includes both blue and black, which necessitates a dedicated two-color deck or a more complex mana base to consistently cast it on curve. This can be restrictive, especially in formats where mana flexibility is crucial.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of five mana, including three generic and two specific, Psychic Intrusion sits at a higher end for its effect. Considering the fast pacing of many games, the cost efficiency becomes questionable when other lower-cost spells could be played to disrupt opponents’ hands and strategies.

Reasons to Include Psychic Intrusion in Your Collection

Versatility: Psychic Intrusion offers a unique flexibility, fitting seamlessly into control or theft-style decks. Its ability to steal a nonland card from an opponent’s hand lends itself to various strategies, especially in games that go to the long haul.

Combo Potential: This card opens the door for numerous combo opportunities, allowing players to utilize their opponent’s cards to their advantage. Its use can be a game-changer, especially when seizing a key piece from an adversary’s arsenal.

Meta-Relevance: In a gameplay environment with diverse strategies, Psychic Intrusion stands out by offering a preemptive answer to threats and enhancing your own plan with purloined options. Keeping up with a fluctuating meta often means having access to versatile and reactive cards, making this a critical inclusion.

How to Beat

Psychic Intrusion stands out in MTG with its unique ability to delve into an opponent’s hand and exile any non-land card of your choice. Then, using the card’s ability, you gain the opportunity to cast that card using mana as though it were mana of any color. This powerful effect can turn an opponent’s strength into your own, which makes it a tricky card to play against.

To counter this strategic threat, one should consider running cards in their deck that limit opponents’ access to their hand, such as Leyline of Sanctity, which provides you with hexproof. This prevents the casting of Psychic Intrusion against you directly. Additionally, proactive hand disruption via Thoughtseize or Duress can be effective in removing Psychic Intrusion before it’s played. Holding up mana for counterspells like Negate or Dovin’s Veto can ensure Psychic Intrusion never resolves, securing your hand against undue intrusion. Optimizing your deck with these tactics can mitigate the impact of Psychic Intrusion and help retain control over the game’s flow.

Remember, understanding the mechanics and potential counters to cards like Psychic Intrusion is essential for any player looking to maintain the upper hand in a match. With thoughtful strategy and careful deck building, overcoming such obstacles becomes a rewarding part of MTG gameplay.

Cards like Psychic Intrusion

Psychic Intrusion stands out in the realm of hand disruption mechanics within Magic: The Gathering. It bears resemblance to cards like Thoughtseize, which allows a deep dive into the opponent’s hand with the distinct advantage of potential card disruption. Yet, Psychic Intrusion stretches the limits of mere disruption by also permitting the casting of the chosen piece from the opponent’s arsenal, provided the colors in your mana pool align.

However, when we look at Praetor’s Grasp, another notable inclusion surfaces. Praetor’s Grasp also permits the snatching of an opponent’s card, but it differs in secrecy as the card remains hidden from the opponent. Furthermore, Mindclaw Shaman could be whispered in this discussion. Despite its need for a creature form to take effect, it similarly offers a theft of your opponent’s magic, yet limited to an instant or sorcery already in their hand.

Thus, while assessing utility and adaptability in MTG, Psychic Intrusion has a remarkable edge. It not only disorients opponents by raiding their hand for options but also shamelessly casts their spells, possibly turning the tides in any match where psychic prowess reigns supreme.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Psychic Intrusion MTG card by a specific set like Theros, 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 Psychic Intrusion and other MTG cards: