Worldly Counsel MTG Card
2000-10-02 - Number 89
2009-02-06 - Number 39
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
| Abilities | Domain |
Text of card
Look at the top X cards of your library, where X is the number of basic land types among lands you control. Put one of those cards into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library.
Cards like Worldly Counsel
Worldly Counsel stands out in the world of card selection spells in MTG, drawing parallels with the likes of Impulse or Anticipate. Impulse offers a look at the top four cards of your library, with the option to put one into your hand. Worldly Counsel ups the ante with the convergence mechanic, where the number of cards you see equals the number of different colors among permanents you control, offering potentially wider selection in a multicolor deck.
Anticipate allows for a look at the top three cards while still costing two mana like Worldly Counsel, but without the scalability tied to the board state. Both operate at instant speed, which is critical for maintaining tempo and adaptability during games. There’s also Telling Time, which presents the caster with three cards from the top of the library, but forces a specific distribution of those cards into hand, on top, and on the bottom of the library, providing less flexibility than Worldly Counsel’s broader search.
While each card has its situational advantages, Worldly Counsel offers a unique balance of cost, flexibility, and potential card advantage, especially suited for diverse multi-colored strategies in game play.
Cards similar to Worldly Counsel by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Worldly Counsel facilitates card selection by enabling you to look at the top few cards of your library and choose one that might be crucial for your current game strategy. This card digs into your library, potentially improving your hand with the best possible option from among the revealed cards. This type of card advantage can be pivotal in getting ahead or staying in the game.
Resource Acceleration: Although Worldly Counsel doesn’t accelerate resources in terms of mana production or treasure generation, it does accelerate your access to resources by ensuring that the cards you draw are more likely to be the ones you need. This kind of resource acceleration can mean hitting land drops consistently or finding key spells when necessary.
Instant Speed: Operating at instant speed gives players the flexibility to use their mana efficiently. You can wait until the most opportune moment within your opponent’s turn to cast Worldly Counsel, maintaining the element of surprise and keeping mana available for other instant speed interactions. This flexibility offers a tactical advantage, allowing you to adapt to the unfolding game with precision.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Trading resources can be a tricky move, especially if you’re already behind in the game. The constraint to discard can put you at a disadvantage when you’re struggling to keep a full hand.
Specific Mana Cost: Requiring a mix of generic and blue mana, Worldly Counsel can be restrictive in multicolor decks that might not always have the right mana available at the crucial moment.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When you consider the investment necessary to maximize its potential, Worldly Counsel’s effectiveness may not align with its mana demands, especially when alternatives could provide more immediate or flexible benefits.
Reasons to Include Worldly Counsel in Your Collection
Versatility: Worldly Counsel is a valuable card for its adaptability across different deck types. It serves as an efficient cantrip in multicolor decks, where it can often provide a look at three or more cards for a mere two mana investment.
Combo Potential: This card’s ability to dig into your library syncs well with strategies that rely on assembling particular card combinations. By filtering through your deck at instant speed, Worldly Counsel can help locate missing combo pieces at critical moments.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where finding key answers or threats quickly can make or break a game, Worldly Counsel offers a cost-effective way to sift through your deck. This enhances its relevance, making it a solid inclusion for players aiming to stay competitive.
How to beat
Worldly Counsel is a card that can give players in MTG an edge by digging deeper into their library to find answers or key components for their strategy. Unlike some other cards that offer a straight draw, Worldly Counsel utilizes the Converge mechanic, allowing a player to potentially look at more cards the more colors of mana spent to cast it. This adaptability can be powerful, particularly in multicolored decks that can maximize its potential.
To effectively counteract Worldly Counsel, it’s important to undermine a deck’s mana base or apply pressure early in the game. Denying your opponent the variety of colors, through land destruction or cards that restrict mana generation, can diminish the efficacy of their Converge spells. Alternatively, employing strategies that tax their resources or strip cards from their hand before they can use them to full effect can be equally devastating. Employing disruption tactics can force your opponent to make tough decisions and can inhibit their ability to utilize Worldly Counsel to its fullest potential.
Understanding the tempo and knowing when to disrupt your opponent’s plan is key. By staying one step ahead, you can neutralize Worldly Counsel and maintain the upper hand in your MTG matchups.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Worldly Counsel MTG card by a specific set like Invasion and Conflux, 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 Worldly Counsel and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Worldly Counsel Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2000-10-02 and 2009-02-06. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Worldly Counsel has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Worldly Counsel 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 | You choose the order on the bottom of your library. |
| 2009-02-01 | A number of nonbasic lands have basic land types. Domain abilities don’t count the number of lands you control — they count the number of basic land types among lands you control, even if that means checking the same land twice. For example, if you control a Tundra, an Overgrown Tomb, and a Madblind Mountain, you’ll have a Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest among the lands you control. Your domain abilities will be maxed out. |
| 2009-02-01 | How many lands you control of a particular basic land type is irrelevant to a domain ability, as long as that number is greater than zero. As far as domain is concerned, ten Forests is the same as one Forest. |
| 2009-02-01 | To determine the number of basic land types among lands you control, look at the lands you have on the battlefield and ask yourself whether the subtypes Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest appear within that group. The number of times you say yes (topping out at five) tells you how powerful your domain abilities will be. |