Magus of the Jar MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Human Wizard
Released	2006-10-06
Set symbol
Set name	Time Spiral
Set code	TSP
Power	3
Toughness	3
Number	67
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai

Key Takeaways

Offers instant card refresh, providing numerous options and a chance to pull ahead in the game.
Equips players with unexpected plays, leveraging the surprise factor at crucial moments.
Requires careful management, as it also presents risks with its symmetrical hand reset ability.

Text of card

, Sacrifice Magus of the Jar: Each player removes his or her hand from the game face down and draws seven cards. At end of turn, each player discards his or her hand and returns to his or her hand each card he or she removed from the game this way.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Magus of the Jar provides a pivotal opportunity to refresh your hand, potentially drawing into seven new cards. This can turn the tide by giving you more options and the ability to outmaneuver your opponent through sheer card quantity.

Resource Acceleration: By refilling your hand, Magus of the Jar accelerates your resource access. This not only gives you fresh fuel for the long rounds but could also disrupt the pacing by overwhelming the opponent with new threats they might not be prepared for.

Instant Speed: The ability to activate Magus of the Jar at the end of your opponent’s turn or in response to an action can catch adversaries off-guard. It maximizes the element of surprise and strategic depth, ensuring you’re always one step ahead.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When using Magus of the Jar, you must be prepared to discard your hand at the end of the turn, which can backfire if you’re unable to utilize the new cards effectively.

Specific Mana Cost: Magus of the Jar has a mana cost that includes two blue mana, making it less flexible and harder to cast outside of mono-blue or two-color decks that can reliably produce blue mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Five mana for a one-time effect that both you and your opponent benefit from might not always give you the edge, especially if your opponent can take advantage of the new hand before you do.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Magus of the Jar offers a unique ability to reset your hand, making it a valuable resource in decks that burn through their cards quickly. It’s a fit for strategies that rely on card flow for an advantage.

Combo Potential: This card can be a linchpin in combos, allowing players to exploit its symmetrical effect by drawing into an explosive play or setting up a win condition while the opponent is still recovering.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capability to disrupt opponents’ plans by shaking up their hand composition, Magus of the Jar holds relevance in various competitive environments where strategic hand management can turn the tides of the game.

How to beat

Magus of the Jar is a unique creature in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, presenting a compelling strategy for players who want to capitalize on drawing new cards. Its ability to mimic Timetwister lets everyone refresh their hand, but this comes at a significant risk—it also benefits your opponents, offering them new resources and strategies to counter yours.

To effectively incapacitate Magus of the Jar, you should focus on timing and control. Employ instant-speed removal to dispatch the Magus before it can activate its ability, thereby maintaining the upper hand in card advantage. Counterspells are especially potent against Magus of the Jar as they prevent its ability from ever being used. Utilize hand disruption tactics early to ensure your opponents cannot capitalize on the new hand they might receive. Furthermore, graveyard manipulation can be a handy tool, as Magus of the Jar’s ability requires it to be sacrificed, thus exiling it and preventing its reuse. Strategic use of these tactics can certainly tilt the scales in your favor against Magus of the Jar.

Understanding when to disrupt your opponent’s plans is vital in MTG, and knowledge of how to counteract powerful card effects such as those from Magus of the Jar can be the difference between victory and defeat.

Cards like Magus of the Jar

Magus of the Jar offers a unique strategic advantage in the realm of blue spells within Magic: The Gathering, much like its ancestor, the revered Memory Jar. Both cards enable a massive draw by lifting the ceiling on your immediate options. While Memory Jar offers a one-shot windfall of cards, Magus of the Jar provides a similar effect on a body that can be reused with flicker or untap strategies, making it a versatile choice in decks that exploit such synergies.

Then we have Mind’s Desire, echoing the concept of digging deeper into your deck, albeit through a different axis – the storm mechanic. This card rewards players for chaining spells, but unlike Magus of the Jar, it’s hit or miss based on the current sequence of play. Another card that draws parallels is Day’s Undoing, which also refills hands and resets the game’s tempo but ends the turn, limiting strategic responses.

Each of these spells carves out its niche in MTG, yet it’s the Magus of the Jar’s potential for repeated use and tactical manipulation that sets it apart, giving players a potent tool for controlling the flow of the game.

Cards similar to Magus of the Jar by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Magus of the Jar MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral, 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 Magus of the Jar and other MTG cards: