Welcome to the Fold MTG Card

Instant speed ensures flexibility and can disrupt opponents during their turn. Mind control effect can become a pivotal swing in board advantage. Cost and color requirements may limit its versatility in certain decks.

Welcome to the Fold - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)

Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)
2016-04-08 - Number 96

Welcome to the Fold - Shadows over Innistrad Promos (PSOI)

Shadows over Innistrad Promos (PSOI)
2016-04-08 - Number 96s

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery
Abilities	Madness

Text of card

Madness (If you discard this card, discard it into exile. When you do, cast it for its madness cost or put it into your graveyard.) Gain control of target creature if its toughness is 2 or less. If Welcome to the Fold's madness cost was paid, instead gain control of that creature if its toughness is X or less.

Cards like Welcome to the Fold

Welcome to the Fold is an intriguing control spell that invites comparison with other MTG cards that turn opponents’ creatures against them. Notably, its ability to steal creatures is akin to that of Control Magic, which enables the complete takeover of a target creature. Both cards alter the battlefield’s dynamics but differ in flexibility and cost. Welcome to the Fold has the additional benefit of being able to affect multiple creatures if you have enough mana, whereas Control Magic is a one-time enchantment with a fixed four-mana cost.

Then there’s Act of Treason, which shares the theme of commandeering creatures, albeit temporarily and at a lower cost. It lacks the permanence of Welcome to the Fold, requiring a quick strategy to capitalize on the temporary theft. Dominating creatures in MTG creates strategic advantages, and when comparing these cards, the situational utility becomes evident: Act of Treason for a swift assault and Welcome to the Fold for a more enduring control.

As we examine the power of subordinating foes’ assets, Welcome to the Fold stands out in MTG for its capacity to permanently shift control, with a built-in flexibility that can significantly impact the tide of a game.

Cards similar to Welcome to the Fold by color, type and mana cost

Inscription of Insight - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Welcome to the Fold, players can effectively gain control of an opponent’s creature, leading to both an increase in your board presence and a potential loss of valuable assets for your opponent. This shift in control can turn the tides of a match by not only bolstering your own lineup but also by depleting your adversary’s resources.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly contributing to mana ramp, by taking control of an opponent’s creature, Welcome to the Fold can indirectly accelerate your resources. The creature stolen can be one that generates mana or has other abilities that propel your game forward, thereby increasing the speed at which you can deploy your strategy.

Instant Speed: The instant speed nature of Welcome to the Fold gives players the flexibility to act at the most opportune moment, often during the opponent’s turn. This can disrupt their plans, leading to a significant shift in momentum. Acting at instant speed allows you to better manage your mana and keep options open as the round unfolds.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Welcome to the Fold necessitates discarding a card as part of its madness cost. This can be a setback when your hand is already depleted or when every card counts toward your strategic gameplay.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s demand for two blue mana in its casting cost could potentially restrict deck-building flexibility, making it challenging to incorporate into multi-color or colorless decks without consistent mana fixing in place.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an initial casting cost of four mana, Welcome to the Fold may not be the most mana-efficient option for gaining control of your opponent’s creatures. Its steep cost can hinder early game tempo, especially when compared to other control spells in MTG.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Welcome to the Fold offers a flexible mechanic that can turn the tide in games. It fits into blue-centric control decks and can be a game-changer when strategically stealing your opponent’s creatures, enhancing both your board presence and weakening theirs.

Combo Potential: This card has inherent combo potential as it can work with untap abilities or cards that bounce creatures back to your hand, allowing you to re-use its mind control effect. This opens up opportunities for creative and dynamic playstyles.

Meta-Relevance: With a gameplay focused on creature interactions, Welcome to the Fold can disrupt opponent strategies, especially in metas where creature-based decks are prevalent. Being able to hijack key creatures from opponents mid-combat or before they trigger effects can be a pivotally strategic move.

How to beat Welcome to the Fold

Welcome to the Fold is a distinctive card from the game Magic: The Gathering that offers the ability to gain control of an opponent’s creature if the right conditions are met and enough mana is paid. Typically, this means defending against it requires a strategic approach. To counteract the threat posed by Welcome to the Fold, it is advisable to limit your creature’s vulnerability to being targeted by maintaining a low number of creatures on the battlefield, or by choosing creatures with abilities that prevent them from being targeted, such as hexproof.

Utilizing instant-speed removal spells to eliminate a creature in response to Welcome to the Fold being cast can also disrupt your opponent’s plans, leaving them having spent mana with no gain. Moreover, keep in mind that a card with counterspell capabilities can be a direct and effective tool to prevent Welcome to the Fold or any other unwanted spell from resolving. Maintaining mana open for this kind of reactive play is often key in staying one step ahead of your opponent’s strategies.

Understanding and anticipating the timing and the mana investment required by your opponent to use Welcome to the Fold effectively is crucial. This can often force them into difficult decisions, ultimately giving you an edge in the game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Welcome to the Fold MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad and Shadows over Innistrad Promos, 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 Welcome to the Fold and other MTG cards:

BUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Welcome to the Fold Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-04-08 and 2016-04-08. Illustrated by David Palumbo.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2016-04-08	Shadows over Innistrad	SOI		96	2015	Normal	Black	David Palumbo
2	2016-04-08	Shadows over Innistrad Promos	PSOI		96s	2015	Normal	Black	David Palumbo

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Welcome to the Fold has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2016-04-08	A spell cast for its madness cost is put onto the stack like any other spell. It can be countered, copied, and so on. As it resolves, it’s put onto the battlefield if it’s a permanent card or into its owner’s graveyard if it’s an instant or sorcery card.
2016-04-08	Cards are discarded in a Magic game only from a player’s hand. Effects that put cards from a player’s library into that player’s graveyard do not cause those cards to be discarded.
2016-04-08	Casting a spell for its madness cost doesn’t change its mana cost or its converted mana cost. You just pay the madness cost instead.
2016-04-08	Effects that cause you to pay more or less for a spell will cause you to pay that much more or less for its madness cost, too.
2016-04-08	If you choose not to cast a card with madness when the madness triggered ability resolves, it’s put into your graveyard. You don’t get another chance to cast it later.
2016-04-08	If you discard a card with madness to pay the cost of a spell or activated ability, that card’s madness trigger (and the spell that card becomes, if you choose to cast it) will resolve before the spell or ability the discard paid for.
2016-04-08	If you discard a card with madness while resolving a spell or ability, it moves immediately to exile. Continue resolving that spell or ability—the card is not in your graveyard at this time. Its madness trigger will be placed onto the stack once that spell or ability has completely resolved.
2016-04-08	Madness works independently of why you’re discarding the card. You could discard it to pay a cost, because a spell or ability tells you to, or even because you have too many cards in your hand at the end of your turn. You can’t discard a card with madness just because you want to, though.
2016-04-08	The toughness of the creature is checked only as Welcome to the Fold resolves. It doesn’t matter if it has higher toughness as you cast Welcome to the Fold, or if its toughness becomes higher after Welcome to the Fold has resolved.
2016-04-08	When you cast a card with madness, it was still discarded. If it was discarded to pay a cost, that cost is still paid. Abilities that trigger when a card is discarded will still trigger.