Valki, God of Lies // Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor MTG Card

Gain card advantage by using Tibalt to exile and utilize opponent’s cards, altering game dynamics. Despite challenges, Tibalt’s resource acceleration and versatility make it a worthwhile deck inclusion. Conquer Tibalt by employing counterspells, direct removals, and aggressive strategies early in the game.
Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Planeswalker — Tibalt
Loyalty 5

Text of card

As Tibalt enters the battlefield, you get an emblem with "You may play cards exiled with Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor, and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast those spells."
+2: Exile the top card of each player's library.
-3: Exile target artifact or creature.
-8: Exile all graveyards. Add .

Cards like Valki, God of Lies // Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor

Within the vast universe of MTG, Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor distinguishes itself with its multi-faceted abilities. Cards like Nicol Bolas, the Ravager also transition from creature to an impactful planeswalker providing card advantage and control over the game’s pace. However, Tibalt’s emblem, which exiles the top card of a player’s library whenever they draw and allows you to play those cards, is a unique feature that sets him apart.

Analogous to Tibalt’s disruptive presence on the board is Ashiok, Nightmare Muse. Ashiok generates nightmares that also exile opponents’ cards, but Tibalt’s universality in allowing you to cast an array of spells from all players gives it an advanced edge in versatility. Moreover, while Ugin, the Spirit Dragon offers mass removal and exiling capabilities, it lacks the direct, persistent theft of resources provided by Tibalt’s emblem.

Assessing various planeswalkers in MTG, Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor, with its encompassing skills in exiling, playing opponents’ cards, and continuous card advantage, holds a formidable position. Though similar in some respects to other cards, Tibalt offers a uniquely aggressive strategy for dominating the game.

Ashiok, Nightmare Muse - MTG Card versions
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon - MTG Card versions
Ashiok, Nightmare Muse - MTG Card versions
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor ensures a steady gain in card advantage through its exile effect, allowing you to draw from a pool of your opponent’s resources. This can drastically tip the scales of a match, by both depleting your opponent’s potential plays and providing you with additional options.

Resource Acceleration: While Tibalt himself doesn’t produce mana, his ability to exile cards and allow you to play them using mana of any color can effectively accelerate your resource potential and utility, widening the array of strategies at your disposal.

Instant Speed: Although Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor is a planeswalker and not an instant, his inherent abilities can disrupt opponents during their turn. For instance, his -3 ability can remove a creature or artifact at a crucial moment, altering the pace and outcome of a game. Moreover, being able to interact with the game during your opponent’s turn via abilities or the cards you exiled provides a strategic advantage akin to instant speed interactions.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside of Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor is the prerequisite of discarding a card for certain abilities. This can be particularly concerning when your hand is already stretched thin, making each card a valuable asset that you’d rather not lose.

Specific Mana Cost: Tibalt’s loyalty abilities are potent, but this power comes at a steep price. The card requires a specific set of mana colors—one black, one red, and one blue—which could be a challenging fit outside of dedicated Grixis decks or those with a flexible mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of seven mana, Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor sits on the higher end of the mana curve. While the impact on the game is undeniable once it resolves, the investment is steep and may be too slow compared to other strategies that capitalize on speed and efficiency.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor is a multi-faceted planeswalker card which can slot into numerous deck archetypes. Its ability to exile cards and grant you access to them offers both disruption to your opponent and card advantage to you, boosting your game regardless of the strategy you employ.

Combo Potential: As Tibalt exiles cards with emblems and provides a swath of options, it opens up combo opportunities across the board. It can seamlessly integrate into strategies focused on resource denial, or complement a deck centered around leveraging opponents’ cards.

Meta-Relevance: Given Tibalt’s powerful ultimate ability and the shifting landscape of the meta, its presence can deter opponents from settling into a comfortable game plan. Its efficacy against a variety of decks makes it a valuable asset in an unpredictable competitive environment.

How to beat

Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor represents a unique challenge on the battlefield. As a card that can take control of the game with its ability to exile cards from a player’s hand and graveyards, it requires a strategic approach to overcome. The key to victory against this powerful Planeswalker lies in anticipation and proactive measures. Playing cards that limit or negate opponent’s actions can be highly effective. Cards with abilities to counter noncreature spells, such as Negate or Dovin’s Veto, are prime examples of how to prevent Tibalt from hitting the board in the first place.

Additionally, direct removal spells are crucial in these matchups. Instant-speed interaction like Hero’s Downfall or Bedevil can take Tibalt out of play before his influence becomes insurmountable. Another tactic is to apply pressure early on. Aggressive strategies can force a Tibalt player to use resources defensively, setting them back and keeping Tibalt at bay. Lastly, include cards that can shuffle back into the library from the graveyard to minimize the impact of Tibalt’s exiling ability, ensuring you don’t run out of important resources.

Combining these strategies can tilt the odds in your favor, making the formidable Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor a surmountable obstacle in your path to victory.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Valki, God of Lies // Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Magic Online 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 Valki, God of Lies // Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Valki, God of Lies // Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2021-02-05 and 2023-05-08. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 882702015Modal DFCBlackJeff Miracola
22002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 882722015Modal DFCBlackGrzegorz Rutkowski
32021-02-05Kaldheim Art SeriesAKHM 672015Art seriesBorderlessYongjae Choi
42021-02-05Kaldheim PromosPKHM 114s2015Modal DFCBlackYongjae Choi
52021-02-05KaldheimKHM 1142015Modal DFCBlackYongjae Choi
62021-02-05KaldheimKHM 2862015Modal DFCBorderlessGrzegorz Rutkowski
72021-02-05KaldheimKHM 3082015Modal DFCBlackJeff Miracola
82023-05-08From Cute to BrutePCTB 192015Modal DFCBlackYongjae Choi

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Valki, God of Lies // Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Valki, God of Lies // Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2021-02-05 A modal double-faced card can’t be transformed or be put onto the battlefield transformed. Ignore any instruction to transform a modal double-faced card or to put one onto the battlefield transformed.
2021-02-05 If Valki becomes a copy of a creature during the same turn Valki enters the battlefield, you can’t attack with him or use any abilities he gains.
2021-02-05 If Valki leaves the battlefield before its enters-the-battlefield ability resolves, each opponent will reveal their hand, but no cards will be exiled.
2021-02-05 If an effect allows you to play a land or cast a spell from among a group of cards, you may play or cast a modal double-faced card with any face that fits the criteria of that effect.
2021-02-05 If an effect allows you to play a specific modal double-faced card, you may cast it as a spell or play it as a land, as determined by which face you choose to play. If an effect allows you to cast (rather than “play”) a specific modal double-faced card, you can’t play it as a land.
2021-02-05 If an effect begins to apply to Valki before it becomes a copy, that effect will continue to apply.
2021-02-05 If an effect instructs a player to choose a card name, the name of either face may be chosen. If that effect or a linked ability refers to a spell with the chosen name being cast and/or a land with the chosen name being played, it considers only the chosen name, not the other face’s name.
2021-02-05 If an effect puts a double-faced card onto the battlefield, it enters with its front face up. If that front face can’t be put onto the battlefield, it doesn’t enter the battlefield.
2021-02-05 If another object becomes a copy of Valki, it will become whatever Valki is copying. That object remains a copy even if Valki leaves the battlefield.
2021-02-05 If there are no creature cards exiled with Valki with converted mana cost equal to the value of X as Valki’s activated ability resolves, nothing happens. God of Lies, indeed.
2021-02-05 In the Commander variant, a double-faced card’s color identity is determined by the mana costs and mana symbols in the rules text of both faces combined. If either face has a color indicator or basic land type, those are also considered.
2021-02-05 Playing the cards exiled with Tibalt follows the normal rules for playing those cards. You must pay their costs, if any, and you must follow all applicable timing rules. For example, if one of the cards is a sorcery card, you can cast that card by paying its mana cost only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
2021-02-05 The cards exiled by Tibalt’s loyalty abilities are all exiled face up.
2021-02-05 The converted mana cost of a modal double-faced card is based on the characteristics of the face that’s being considered. On the stack and battlefield, consider whichever face is up. In all other zones, consider only the front face. This is different than how the converted mana cost of a transforming double-faced card is determined.
2021-02-05 The emblem given to you by Tibalt allows you to play cards exiled with that specific Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor, even after that Tibalt leaves the battlefield. If a different Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor comes under your control, it’s a new object (even if it’s represented by the same card). Of course, the new Tibalt will also give you an emblem so you can play the cards he exiles.
2021-02-05 There is a single triangle icon in the top left corner of the front face. There is a double triangle icon in the top left corner of the back face.
2021-02-05 To determine whether it is legal to play a modal double-faced card, consider only the characteristics of the face you’re playing and ignore the other face’s characteristics.
2021-02-05 Unless an effect allows you to play additional lands that turn, you can play land cards exiled with Tibalt only if you haven’t played a land yet that turn.
2021-02-05 Valki copies the printed values of the exiled creature card. Notably, once Valki becomes a copy of another creature card, he won’t have his own printed activated ability.
2021-02-05 While resolving Tibalt’s last ability, you’ll add even if you don’t exile any cards.
2021-02-05 You can activate Valki’s ability multiple times in response to one another. This may briefly allow Valki to copy different creature cards. You’ll get priority to cast spells or activate abilities in between each of Valki’s activated abilities.
2021-02-05 You don’t choose which creature card exiled with Valki that Valki will become a copy of until that ability is resolving. (In many cases, the value you chose for X will give away your intentions.)