Recantation MTG Card


Recantation - Urza's Saga
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment
Released1998-10-12
Set symbol
Set nameUrza's Saga
Set codeUSG
Number91
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byGreg Simanson

Key Takeaways

  1. Recantation can turn the tide of a match, offering players strategic enchantment control at instant speed.
  2. It provides flexibility in gameplay, allowing for powerful instant-speed responses and enchantment reuse.
  3. Nonetheless, its specific mana needs and discard cost might challenge players to adapt their decks accordingly.

Text of card

During your upkeep, you may put a verse counter on Recantation. o U, Sacrifice Recantation: Return up to X target permanents to owner's hand, where X is the number of verse counters on Recantation.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Recantation offers a pivotal moment in a match, returning an enchantment to its owner’s hand. With enchantments often being key to many strategies, Recantation disrupts opponents while simultaneously providing you a route to reuse your own enchantments effectively.

Resource Acceleration: By potentially recycling your own cost-effective enchantments, Recantation indirectly contributes to resource acceleration. It allows you to capitalize on the recurring benefits of enchantments that offer mana generation or cost reduction mechanics.

Instant Speed: The ability to operate at instant speed elevates Recantation’s strategic value. It enables responsive gameplay, allowing players to wait for the most opportune moment to either foil an opponent’s plans or to maximize the benefit of reusing their enchantments during either player’s turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Recantation comes with the steep price of discarding another card, which could press players into tough decisions, particularly when hand size is dwindling.

Specific Mana Cost: Recantation demands a mix of blue and generic mana, potentially complicating its inclusion in multicolored or mana-intensive decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a combination of blue and additional mana required, other alternatives might offer similar effects at a lower or more flexible cost, making Recantation a heavier investment.


Reasons to Include Recantation in Your Collection

Versatility: Recantation serves as a flexible piece in control or combo decks. With its ability to return spells to their owner’s hand, it can be used defensively to protect your key cards or aggressively to disrupt opponent strategies.

Combo Potential: This card is a linchpin for multiple combos, playing into strategies that involve casting the same spell numerous times or recycling other valuable instants and sorceries for maximum impact.

Meta-Relevance: With a play environment that often features heavy interaction and spell-based tactics, Recantation can be a game-changer by recycling your most impactful spells, making sure you always have an answer or threat at the ready.


How to beat

Recantation presents a unique challenge for players in the realm of Magic: The Gathering. This card has the power to alter the course of the game by allowing its controller to return a spell to its owner’s hand. To effectively counter Recantation, it’s imperative to have plans that minimize the impact of such bounce effects. One strategy involves playing low-cost spells that can either be recast easily or that don’t represent a significant tempo loss when returned to your hand. Another method is to prioritize playing spells with immediate effects upon casting or utilizing abilities that trigger upon casting to ensure some value even if Recantation interrupts your main action.

Another angle is to pressure your opponent with a swift and relentless board presence, rendering Recantation less impactful due to the pressure you’re exerting. Additionally, spells with “can’t be countered” clauses or abilities that protect them from being targeted can be excellent for maintaining your strategic momentum against a player relying on Recantation. Lastly, direct disruption such as hand attack spells can preemptively remove Recantation from your opponent’s hand, circumventing its shield of protection entirely.


Cards like Recantation

Recantation is an intriguing utility spell in Magic: The Gathering that allows a player to return an enchantment to its owner’s hand. Its closest relatives in effect include Disenchant, which permanently removes enchantments or artifacts from the game, and Leave No Trace, which cleanses the battlefield of enchantments sharing a color. However, Recantation offers a nuanced difference, giving players the option to reuse their enchantments or tactically disrupt an opponent without destroying their resources outright.

Also in its family is Replenish, which brings enchantments back directly from the graveyard to the battlefield, providing a powerful comeback mechanism. While Replenish offers potentially greater value in the long game, Recantation ensures immediate interaction with the board state. Another similar card is Cyclonic Rift, a versatile spell capable of bouncing not just enchantments but all nonland permanents opponents control, although at a significantly higher mana cost and rate of impact.

Ultimately, Recantation finds its unique place among MTG spells that manipulate enchantments. It strikes a balance between aggressive board control and strategic play, allowing players to reshape the flow of the game with a single enchantment returning to the hand.

Disenchant - MTG Card versions
Leave No Trace - MTG Card versions
Replenish - MTG Card versions
Cyclonic Rift - MTG Card versions
Disenchant - MTG Card versions
Leave No Trace - MTG Card versions
Replenish - MTG Card versions
Cyclonic Rift - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

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

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Recantation has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Recantation 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 Adding a counter is optional. If you forget to add one during your upkeep, you cannot back up and add one later.

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