Council's Judgment MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Abilities Will of the council

Key Takeaways

  1. Council’s Judgment offers efficient removal, handling hard-to-remove nonland permanents and tipping the scales.
  2. It requires precise white mana but rewards players with effective momentum maintenance, though at a higher cost.
  3. The card is invaluable in various formats for its versatility and ability to counteract powerful threats.

Text of card

Will of the council — Starting with you, each player votes for a nonland permanent you don't control. Exile each permanent with the most votes or tied for most votes.

When its power is threatened, the council speaks with a unified voice.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Council’s Judgment excels at providing card advantage by targeting nonland permanents that are often difficult to remove otherwise. This can shift the balance in your favor, eliminating key threats from your opponent’s side of the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: Though not a direct means of accelerating resources, the card helps maintain your momentum by dealing with multiple threats simultaneously. This efficiency means you can use your resources elsewhere to develop your board or strategies.

Instant Speed: While Council’s Judgment operates at sorcery speed, its unique voting mechanism can act as an unexpected form of interaction during your turn, allowing strategic planning to navigate around instant speed responses your opponents might have.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Council’s Judgment doesn’t require a card to be discarded, its voting system may compel you to choose between losing a valuable permanent and an unfavorable outcome, putting you in a tight spot if you’re already short on in-game assets.

Specific Mana Cost: Council’s Judgment demands a precise mana composition – two white and one of any color. This can be restricting since it necessitates a heavy commitment to white mana sources, potentially limiting the card’s inclusion to predominantly white decks or those that can reliably generate white mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Its casting cost totals three mana, and although the effect is powerful – exiling any nonland permanent without targeting – in highly competitive formats, this may be considered steep. Especially when other removal options are available that can deal with threats at a lower mana cost, even if they don’t provide the same level of versatility or permanency of removal.


Reasons to Include Council’s Judgment in Your Collection

Versatility: Council’s Judgment is a flexible removal spell capable of targeting any nonland permanent, which makes it a valuable addition to decks that need to deal with various threats. Its unique voting mechanic allows it to bypass protective abilities like hexproof, making it a potent tool for dealing with otherwise difficult-to-remove permanents.

Combo Potential: This card can be a key piece in decks focused on leveraging political plays or in combo decks that require a clean board to execute their strategy effectively. The ability to potentially remove multiple threats with a single card can turn the tides in favor of the combo player.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta dominated by powerful enchantments, creatures, and planeswalkers, having access to a versatile answer such as Council’s Judgment can keep your deck competitive. It is particularly effective in Commander and Legacy formats, where its ability to target any nonland permanent becomes increasingly relevant against a wider array of potential threats.


How to beat

Council’s Judgment is a unique white sorcery card that brings an alternative dispute to the battlefield of Magic: The Gathering. Its power lies in the Will of the Council mechanic, allowing players to vote for a nonland permanent to exile. If there’s a tie in votes, both chosen permanents are exiled. This can lead to strategic dilemmas and unplanned alliances at the table.

Overcoming Council’s Judgment’s versatile exile effect requires savvy play. One tactic is to maintain a diverse field with varying threats, ensuring that if one piece is exiled, your strategy remains intact. Also, since it’s a sorcery, you can dodge the Judgment by using cards with Flash to surprise your opponent by only playing key permanents on their end step or in response to the spell. Additionally, protecting your assets with hexproof or shroud abilities bars them from being chosen, effectively nullifying Council’s Judgment’s impact on your game plan.

Therefore, while Council’s Judgment can be a game-changer, with careful planning and a diverse array of threats, you can mitigate its effects and maintain control over the board. The presence of instant-speed interactions and protective measures proves crucial in shielding your permanents from this decisive card.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG requires both wisdom and versatility, with cards like Council’s Judgment playing a pivotal role in the art of strategy. As you reflect on the potential this card brings to your deck, consider its ability to remove elusive threats and the tactical depth it adds to your matches. Should Council’s Judgment find its way into your collection, it will serve as a testament to your commitment to overcoming any challenge the game may present. Elevate your deck’s potential by understanding the functionality and impact of this powerful card. For a deeper dive into the strategic advantages Council’s Judgment can offer, join us and become a savvier player today.


Cards like Council's Judgment

Council’s Judgment is an intriguing choice among removal options within Magic: The Gathering. This spell shares similarities with the classic Oblivion Ring, both capable of exiling any nonland permanent. Council’s Judgment offers a unique twist with the Will of the Council mechanic, allowing players to vote on the potential targets. Unlike Oblivion Ring, Council’s Judgment doesn’t target, potentially sidestepping protections like hexproof.

Another comparative card is Vindicate, renowned for its simple and potent ability to destroy a permanent of any type. While Vindicate offers direct destruction, unlike Council’s Judgment, it doesn’t feature the same political complexity or the potential to remove multiple threats based on the voting outcome. Exiling with Council’s Judgment is typically more powerful than destroying, as it prevents any death triggers or recursion that could follow a Vindicate resolution.

Finally, assessing the broader perspective, Council’s Judgment stands out for its multipurpose removal and multiplayer implications, elevating its preference in Commander games and other formats where the interaction with opponents can turn the tide of the game.

Oblivion Ring - MTG Card versions
Vindicate - MTG Card versions
Oblivion Ring - Lorwyn (LRW)
Vindicate - Apocalypse (APC)

Cards similar to Council's Judgment by color, type and mana cost

Tivadar's Crusade - MTG Card versions
Cleansing - MTG Card versions
Dust to Dust - MTG Card versions
Blinding Light - MTG Card versions
Warrior's Charge - MTG Card versions
Valorous Charge - MTG Card versions
Repentance - MTG Card versions
Angelic Blessing - MTG Card versions
Bargain - MTG Card versions
Virtuous Charge - MTG Card versions
Riding Red Hare - MTG Card versions
Cleansing Meditation - MTG Card versions
Search for Glory - MTG Card versions
Hive Stirrings - MTG Card versions
Kayla's Reconstruction - MTG Card versions
Kayla's Command - MTG Card versions
Proclamation of Rebirth - MTG Card versions
Marshaling Cry - MTG Card versions
Excommunicate - MTG Card versions
Solemn Offering - MTG Card versions
Tivadar's Crusade - Masters Edition (ME1)
Cleansing - The Dark (DRK)
Dust to Dust - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Blinding Light - Portal (POR)
Warrior's Charge - Portal (POR)
Valorous Charge - Portal (POR)
Repentance - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Angelic Blessing - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Bargain - Portal Second Age (P02)
Virtuous Charge - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Riding Red Hare - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Cleansing Meditation - Torment (TOR)
Search for Glory - Kaldheim (KHM)
Hive Stirrings - Magic 2014 Promos (PM14)
Kayla's Reconstruction - The Brothers' War (BRO)
Kayla's Command - The Brothers' War Promos (PBRO)
Proclamation of Rebirth - Mystery Booster Retail Edition Foils (FMB1)
Marshaling Cry - Future Sight (FUT)
Excommunicate - Magic 2010 (M10)
Solemn Offering - Battlebond (BBD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Council's Judgment MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Conspiracy, 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 Council's Judgment and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Council's Judgment Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2014-06-06 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 828202015normalblackJeff Simpson
22014-06-06ConspiracyCNS 162003normalblackKev Walker
32014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 202015normalblackKev Walker
42020-08-07Double Masters2XM 3362015normalborderlessJeff Simpson
52020-08-07Double Masters2XM 112015normalblackKev Walker
62020-09-26The ListPLST CNS-162003normalblackKev Walker
72024-02-23Ravnica: Clue EditionCLU 572015normalblackKev Walker

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Council's Judgment has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-08-07 Because the votes are cast in turn order, each player will know the votes of players who voted beforehand.
2020-08-07 Each player must vote for one of the candidate permanents. They can't abstain.
2020-08-07 In the unusual case that no permanents have any votes, nothing is exiled.
2020-08-07 No player votes until the spell or ability resolves. Any responses to that spell or ability must be made without knowing the outcome of the vote.
2020-08-07 None of the candidate permanents are targeted. Players may vote for a permanent with protection from white, for example.
2020-08-07 Players can't do anything after they finishing voting but before the “winning” permanent or permanents are exiled.

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