Second Chance MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment
Released	1999-02-15
Set symbol
Set name	Urza's Legacy
Set code	ULG
Number	41
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Mark Tedin

Key Takeaways

Second Chance excels in decks adept at managing life totals and exploiting extra turns.
The card’s strict life condition adds complexity and necessitates precise timing in gameplay.
Its uniqueness among MTG cards offers a thrilling edge to strategic players.

Text of card

During your upkeep, if you have 5 life or less, sacrifice Second Chance and take an extra turn after this one.

The greatest gift is the opportunity to right one's wrongs.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Second Chance provides a unique opportunity to draw into your game-winning combo by enabling an extra turn to play, potentially cycling through your deck more efficiently.

Resource Acceleration: It can serve as a key component in strategies aimed at manipulating life totals to gain a significant tempo advantage by essentially “skipping” to a later part of the game where your resources are more developed compared to your opponent.

Instant Speed: Although Second Chance is an enchantment, it works well in tandem with instant speed interactions. It allows players to set up their board and defenses, only triggering its effect at the right moment, when its condition of having 5 or less life is met at the upkeep.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Utilizing Second Chance involves meeting a strict condition, which is that your life total must be exactly 5 or less. This can be a risky proposition, as it pigeonholes the strategy into a narrow window of opportunity. It’s all about timing, as having a Second Chance too early or late in the game can render it useless, essentially wasting the card slot in your deck.

Specific Mana Cost: Second Chance comes with a blue mana cost, which requires a commitment to that color in your deck. Not all decks can afford or want to run blue mana, thus potentially limiting the versatility and inclusion of Second Chance in various strategies or color combinations.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of 3 mana, Second Chance is a card that can be seen as a significant investment, particularly because the payoff is conditional and delayed. For the same cost, players might find more immediate impacts on the game board from other cards available in the rich tapestry of MTG’s card pool.

Reasons to Include Second Chance in Your Collection

Versatility: Second Chance offers unique utility in decks that manage life totals strategically. Its ability to grant an extra turn can be game-changing, fitting into various blue-based strategies that aim to manipulate time and turns for the player’s advantage.

Combo Potential: In conjunction with life manipulation mechanisms and recursion effects, Second Chance has the potential to create powerful and sometimes infinite turn combos. Clever deck builders will find this to be an intriguing challenge with a high payoff.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where games are drawn out or in metas where players can effectively control and stabilize their life totals, Second Chance turns into a sleeper hit. It becomes especially relevant in formats like Commander, where sudden shifts in the game state are common and can lead to surprising victories.

How to beat

Second Chance offers a unique twist in Magic: The Gathering, presenting players with a shot at an extra turn—but only if their life total is 5 or less. With such a specific trigger, overcoming this enchantment requires a strategic approach. An effective method is manipulating life totals; ensuring either the Second Chance owner maintains a healthier life count or employing instant speed removal when the trigger condition is met. Remember, once the life total dips below the threshold, you need to act fast, as any delay could grant your opponent that coveted extra turn.

Aside from life manipulation, you could utilize enchantment removal spells like Disenchant or Mortify to directly target Second Chance, preemptively removing the enchantment before your adversary can meet its condition. Counterspells are also an ally in this duel, as they can block Second Chance from hitting the battlefield altogether, saving you the worry of it triggering. Alternatively, redirect focus towards a faster-paced, aggressive strategy, seeking to end the game before Second Chance can become a factor.

Ultimately, while Second Chance can propel a player to victory under the right conditions, with attentive play and a solid grasp of interaction timing, you can dismantle its potential and keep the game firmly within your control.

Cards like Second Chance

Second Chance stands out in the realm of MTG as a unique offering within the subset of enchantments that manipulate turns. Much like the coveted Time Walk, it allows a player to take an extra turn. However, Second Chance has a significant activation condition; a player must have 5 or less life to trigger its ability. This requirement situates it within strategies that toe the line between high risk and high reward, unlike Time Walk’s straightforward additional turn.

The enchantment Lighthouse Chronologist shares this extra turn granting ability, but instead of life total, it uses level-up mechanics to slowly build up to the payoff. Then there’s Capture of Jingzhou, a spell very similar to Time Walk but with a substantially higher mana cost, rendering its use more strategic and less frequent. Examining these comparisons, it’s clear Second Chance can be a game-changer for those players willing to dance dangerously close to defeat, offering a unique tactical layer to games that few other cards provide.

By weighing the risks and rewards, Second Chance indeed carves a niche for itself among MTG extra turn spells, providing a thrilling path to victory for players who dare to harness its power judiciously.

Lighthouse Chronologist - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Second Chance by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Second Chance 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 Second Chance and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Second Chance has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Second Chance 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	If multiple “extra turn” effects resolve in the same turn, take them in the reverse of the order that the effects resolved.
2004-10-04	It is not optional.
2004-10-04	The ability will only trigger if you have 5 or less life at the beginning of upkeep. This is checked again at the start of resolution and nothing happens if you do not still have 5 or less life.
2010-06-15	On resolution of the trigger you have to sacrifice this card if you have 5 life or less. If you can’t (because it is not on the battlefield, for example), then you still take an extra turn after this one.