Thought Prison MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact |
| Abilities | Imprint |
| Released | 2003-10-02 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Mirrodin |
| Set code | MRD |
| Number | 261 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Glen Angus |
Text of card
Imprint When Thought Prison comes into play, you may have target player reveal his or her hand. If you do, choose a nonland card from it and remove that card from the game. (The removed card is imprinted on this artifact.) Whenever a player plays a spell that shares a color or converted mana cost with the imprinted card, Thought Prison deals 2 damage to that player.
Cards like Thought Prison
Thought Prison is an intriguing artifact in Magic: The Gathering that insinuates itself into the mind games aspect of play. Likening it to other information-gathering cards such as Telepathy, Thought Prison allows insight into an opponent’s hand, albeit under different conditions. While Telepathy grants constant open view of all opponents’ hands, Thought Prison hones in on a single card, offering potential to disrupt strategies by possibly removing key cards from the game.
Comparably, there’s the card Gonti’s Machinations, which shares the element of imposing a disadvantage on an opponent, but through energy counters and life loss. Thought Prison, on the contrary, does not rely on the energy mechanic but instead focuses on knowledge and anticipation of the opponent’s moves. Another peer in this category is Psychic Intrusion, which not only reveals a player’s hand but also exiles a card with the opportunity to play it, giving you direct access to your opponent’s resources.
Overall, Thought Prison stands out for its unique mix of hand disruption and anticipation, aiming at incremental advantage over time, while its counterparts in the MTG universe focus on immediate disruption or benefit. Its distinct approach to undercutting an opponent’s plans could offer valuable strategic depth in the right deck.
Cards similar to Thought Prison by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Thought Prison provides a unique avenue for card information, allowing you to see your opponent’s hand upon casting. This insight can lead to significant card advantage as you’re able to strategically plan your moves with knowledge of your opponent’s potential plays.
Resource Acceleration: While Thought Prison itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, understanding your opponent’s hand can indirectly influence your resource management. By knowing which threats or answers they hold, you can better allocate mana and other resources throughout the match.
Instant Speed: Although Thought Prison operates at sorcery speed, its ability to exile a nonland card from the opponent’s hand can disrupt their instant-speed interactions. Removing key pieces from their strategy can provide a timing advantage, crucially impacting the pace and outcome of the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Thought Prison necessitates discarding a card as part of its activation, which could be detrimental if you’re already struggling with hand size. This condition can impede your ability to maintain card advantage, putting you at a potential disadvantage in the game.
Specific Mana Cost: Requiring precise mana types for casting, Thought Prison demands both colorless and black mana. This specificity can make it less flexible, aligning it primarily with mono-black or specific two-color strategies and potentially locking out a broad range of multicolor decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost to leverage Thought Prison’s effect isn’t negligible, summing up to a total of five mana, three of which must be black. In a fast-paced game, this can be costly, especially when other cards might offer disruption or control at a lower mana investment, allowing for more efficient turn progression.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Thought Prison’s ability to name a card and then monitor your opponent’s actions gives it a place in control decks that thrive on information. This flexibility makes it valuable in a variety of matchups, adapting to the deck you’re facing.
Combo Potential: In decks crafted around hand disruption or knowledge of the opponent’s hand, Thought Prison can become a key piece. Its synergy with effects that reveal or discard cards from your opponent’s hand increases its power exponentially.
Meta-Relevance: With the ever-changing landscape of competitive play, Thought Prison has the potential to be a meta call against decks that rely heavily on specific cards. It can narrow an opponent’s options and give you the upper hand in the battle of strategy and foresight.
How to Beat Thought Prison in Your MTG Deck
Thought Prison, a unique card found in some MTG decks, has the potential to disrupt your opponent’s strategy by making key cards in their hand more costly to play. It’s a card that makes foreknowledge and forecasting an opponent’s moves incredibly valuable. To effectively counteract the constraints imposed by Thought Prison, it’s essential to utilize a multifaceted approach.
One method is incorporating ample artifact removal into your deck to dismantle Thought Prison before it significantly hampers your gameplay. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant are prime candidates, offering a cheap and effective way to deal with troublesome artifacts. In addition, running counterspell options like Cancel or Mana Leak can prevent Thought Prison from hitting the field in the first place. It’s also beneficial to have alternative cards or strategies in your deck, thereby reducing the impact of the increased casting cost on any single card.
Lastly, consider including diverse casting cost cards to minimize the chance that Thought Prison will target multiple cards in your hand. By doing so, you maintain the flexibility of your game plan while diluting the effects of this controlling artifact. Beating Thought Prison comes down to preparation and versatility in your MTG deck construction.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Thought Prison MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin, 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 Thought Prison and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Thought Prison has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Thought Prison card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-12-01 | The second ability triggers only once per spell. If the spell shares both a color and a converted mana cost with the imprinted card, Thought Prison deals 2 damage, not 4. |