Rivalry MTG Card


Rivalry - Urza's Legacy
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment
Released1999-02-15
Set symbol
Set nameUrza's Legacy
Set codeULG
Number90
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byBrian Snõddy

Key Takeaways

  1. Rivalry provides selective card draw, enabling strategic hand optimization and game-changing plays.
  2. It accelerates resources, potentially unlocking powerful spells early and tipping the game.
  3. Instant speed allows Rivalry to be a reactive and adaptable surprise in duels.

Text of card

During each player's upkeep, if that player controls more lands than any other, Rivalry deals 2 damage to him or her.

The goblins revered it; the viashino defended it. Only Urza understood it.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Rivalry streamlines your hand by offering selective card draw, permitting you to sift through your deck and grab the cards you need when you need them. This can tip the scales during tight matches by granting you access to a wider variety of strategic options.

Resource Acceleration: Fueled by the synergistic aspects of the card, Rivalry can turn the tide by ramping up your resources when played strategically. It empowers your deck by potentially unlocking high-cost spells earlier than expected, giving you the upper hand against opponents.

Instant Speed: The swift nature of Rivalry at instant speed enables reactive play, offering you the flexibility to respond to opponents’ threats on-the-fly. This adaptability makes it a formidable tool, keeping opponents guessing and allowing for surprise shifts in the game’s momentum.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One notable downside of the Rivalry card is its discard requirement. In a situation where your hand is already depleted, triggering its ability can be more of a setback than a boon, compelling you to sacrifice potentially crucial plays in upcoming turns.

Specific Mana Cost: Deck building can be constrained by the Rivalry card’s specific mana demands. Its requirement for precise mana types can make it challenging to fit into multi-colored decks, potentially limiting its versatility and necessitating a more tailored manabase.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the overall cost-efficiency, the Rivalry card does demand a significant investment of resources. In the fast-paced game environment where early turns can dictate the flow of the match, the mana investment required to play this card may hinder your ability to maintain tempo against decks with lower curves and quicker plays.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Rivalry thrives in diverse deck builds due to its ability to potentially draw cards or deal damage, making it a flexible option for various situations.

Combo Potential: This card’s mechanics allow savvy players to design clever deck synergies, utilizing its damage-dealing or card-drawing capabilities to complement their strategic objectives.

Meta-Relevance: As metagames evolve, Rivalry consistently proves its worth by adapting to different competitive environments, aligning well with decks that challenge the current popular strategies.


How to beat

Rivalry is an impactful card that brings a level of unpredictability and board influence within the game of Magic: The Gathering. This card can create a challenging scenario for players trying to maintain a strong board presence. Overcoming Rivalry requires strategic manipulation of one’s own creature count, ensuring that the card’s effects can’t tip the balance unfavorably. A common approach is to deploy removal spells or abilities strategically, keeping your creature count lower than your opponent’s at the time Rivalry resolves. Prioritizing the casting of instant-speed removal allows you to respond to Rivalry by adjusting the creature count on the battlefield in your favor.

Another method is to pivot towards strategies less reliant on creature-based play, such as control or combo decks, which inherently minimize Rivalry’s impact. Running counter spells can also prevent Rivalry from resolving in the first place. Additionally, integrating cards that can be sacrificed or utilizing abilities that protect your creatures can ensure that Rivalry’s negative effects are mitigated. Always remember that understanding and anticipating your opponent’s possibilities are essential in planning the appropriate counters to Rivalry.


Cards like Rivalry

Rivalry presents an interesting dynamic within Magic: The Gathering’s array of red spells. One could draw parallels with cards like Incendiary Command, which also allows for multiple choices upon casting. Rivalry, with its ability to force card discard or deal damage, brings significant versatility to the red mage’s arsenal. But what sets Rivalry apart from Incendiary Command is its lower mana cost and focus on opponent interaction, rather than flexibility in target selection.

Then there’s Blightning, another spell that synergizes damage and discard. While Blightning deals damage and discards without a choice, Rivalry provides the strategic advantage of choice, adapting to the situation at hand. Call to the Netherworld also resembles Rivalry in terms of discard strategy but lacks the direct damage component that makes Rivalry so formidable to an opponent’s life total and hand size alike.

Ultimately, Rivalry holds its ground as an impactful red card, offering a blend of aggressive hand disruption and potential damage that can adapt to the contours of any duel. Its comparative advantage lies in its flexibility and lower cost, essential qualities in the fiercely competitive landscape of Magic: The Gathering.

Incendiary Command - MTG Card versions
Blightning - MTG Card versions
Call to the Netherworld - MTG Card versions
Incendiary Command - MTG Card versions
Blightning - MTG Card versions
Call to the Netherworld - MTG Card versions

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Heat Stroke - MTG Card versions
Seismic Assault - MTG Card versions
Torch Song - MTG Card versions
Ghitu War Cry - MTG Card versions
Goblin Warrens - MTG Card versions
Fervor - MTG Card versions
Spellshock - MTG Card versions
Mana Cache - MTG Card versions
Citadel of Pain - MTG Card versions
Insolence - MTG Card versions
Steam Vines - MTG Card versions
Magma Vein - MTG Card versions
Pyromania - MTG Card versions
Curse of Hospitality - MTG Card versions
Anax, Hardened in the Forge - MTG Card versions
Draconic Destiny - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rivalry MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Legacy, 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 Rivalry and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rivalry has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Rivalry card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2004-10-04 This ability will only trigger if the player controls more lands at the beginning of upkeep. This condition is checked again at the start of resolution, and if not true, then nothing happens.

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