Deliberate MTG Card


Deliberate - Zendikar Rising
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeInstant
Abilities Scry
Released2020-09-25
Set symbol
Set nameZendikar Rising
Set codeZNR
Number56
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred bySlawomir Maniak

Key Takeaways

  1. Deliberate allows scrying and drawing at instant speed, offering a strong card flow and tactical adaptability.
  2. Mana requirements and discard costs can limit its strategic use, demanding careful deck construction.
  3. Comparing to similar cards, Deliberate offers depth of choice with its scry and draw mechanic, despite being costlier.

Text of card

Scry 2, then draw a card.

"I can't see all that the future holds, but I can keep us one step ahead of death."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Deliberate card offers players the opportunity to scry, which means looking at the top couple of cards of their library and deciding their fate – to keep or to send them to the bottom of the library. This enhances the chances of drawing into answers or threats and maintains a healthy card flow.

Resource Acceleration: This spell, by allowing you to draw a card after the scry, not only filters your upcoming draws but effectively replaces itself in your hand. This can be crucial for maintaining the tempo and not losing ground in the race for resources.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Deliberate at instant speed is a significant tactical advantage. It enables players to react to the unfolding game and make well-informed decisions during the end step of an opponent’s turn, or in response to an action, without sacrificing the initiative.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Deliberate MTG Card demands you sacrifice another card from your hand to unleash its potential, presenting a hefty price when your hand is already dwindling, potentially leaving you at a strategic shortfall.

Specific Mana Cost: The predetermined mana composition required to play this card places constraints on deck-building, obliging players to weave a particular color balance into their decks, which may clash with their overarching strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment needed to bring Deliberate MTG Card into play is significant when compared to alternative options. This may lead to inefficiencies, as opponents capitalize on quicker, less costly spells to advance their position on the board while you’re still setting up for the big play.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Deliberate shines in its flexibility across various formats and deck archetypes. It can be a key card in control strategies, as well as in decks that need to sift through their library for specific answers or pieces.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to meticulously arrange the top of your library sets the stage for powerful combo setups, ensuring that key components are drawn when you need them most.

Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-shifting landscape of the game, having a card like Deliberate can provide you with the precision and adaptability to remain competitive, fine-tuning your strategy to outsmart the prevalent decks in the format.


How to beat

Confronting a Deliberate in MTG can be quite the tactical encounter. As a card that offers the dual benefits of looking at the top two cards of one’s library and drawing a card, it provides a substantial advantage in terms of card selection and flow. However, players can outsmart Deliberate with some strategic moves. Quick disruption through precise hand attack spells, like Thoughtseize, can remove Deliberate before it is cast, curbing your opponent’s strategic planning.

Alternatively, applying pressure with fast, aggressive creatures can force the Deliberate player to react defensively rather than setting up their desired card sequence. Counterspells, such as Counterspell or Mana Leak, can also be effective when the aim is to prevent the spell from resolving in the first place. Cards that shuffle the opponent’s library like Fabled Passage or effects that force draws, such as Howling Mine, can indirectly mitigate the controlled draw advantage that Deliberate provides by disrupting the deck’s top order.

In essence, beating Deliberate revolves around either preemptively disrupting the opponent’s hand, applying swift aggression, or interfering with their deck manipulation strategy. A well-timed action can ensure that the deliberation of your opponent doesn’t translate into a game-winning strategy.


BurnMana Recommendations

With Deliberate, finesse meets foresight in MTG gameplay, enabling a calculated approach to deck manipulation. Understanding its strengths in card flow and instant speed can greatly bolster your control or combo strategies. While it requires careful resource management and poses deck-building challenges, the trade-off is a formidable tool for those committed to methodical play. Use Deliberate to outmaneuver opponents, and if you’re facing it, remember: disruption and speed are your allies. Delve deeper into card dynamics and strategic play with us—your next match could showcase your most deliberate victory yet.


Understanding Deliberate Choices in Card Selection

Deliberate, a thought-provoking spell in the vast universe of Magic: The Gathering, offers players the ability to meticulously plan their next moves. When looking at cards with similar effects, Preordain immediately comes to mind. Both enable a player to rearrange the top cards of their library, but Deliberate provides the additional advantage of drawing a card after the scry. This compares favorably to Preordain, which only allows you to draw a card if you decide not to put both cards on the bottom of your library.

Deliberate steps into the spotlight when matched against other cantrips like Serum Visions. Serum Visions allows for card draw followed by a scry of two, whereas Deliberate reverses the order, giving the player insight before deciding what to draw. This seemingly minor difference in sequencing can significantly impact gameplay decision-making, especially in formats where the order of plays is crucial.

Cards like Deliberate

Deliberate can be compared to Opt, another staple cantrip in the deck-builder’s arsenal. Opt only allows for a single card scry followed by a draw, whereas Deliberate doubles the potential foresight with a scry two. However, Opt has the advantage in mana efficiency, as it only requires one mana instead of Deliberate’s two. Telling Time also shares the stage, offering a look at the top three cards of your library, but the restriction in Telling Time’s case is in the specific way the cards have to be divided between hand, top of the library, and bottom of the library.

While each card bears its strategical pros and cons, Deliberate shines in its flexibility and depth of choice, making it an attractive option for players who value precision and control in their gameplay. Its cost and effect balance offer a powerful tool for those looking to shape the course of the match with great intention.

Preordain - MTG Card versions
Serum Visions - MTG Card versions
Opt - MTG Card versions
Telling Time - MTG Card versions
Preordain - Magic 2011 (M11)
Serum Visions - Arena League 2004 (PAL04)
Opt - Invasion (INV)
Telling Time - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)

Cards similar to Deliberate by color, type and mana cost

Counterspell - MTG Card versions
Hurkyl's Recall - MTG Card versions
Hypnotic Sprite // Mesmeric Glare - MTG Card versions
Lat-Nam's Legacy - MTG Card versions
Flash - MTG Card versions
Boomerang - MTG Card versions
Updraft - MTG Card versions
Impulse - MTG Card versions
Rebound - MTG Card versions
Memory Lapse - MTG Card versions
Hoodwink - MTG Card versions
Tidal Bore - MTG Card versions
Accumulated Knowledge - MTG Card versions
Teferi's Response - MTG Card versions
Aether Burst - MTG Card versions
Cyclonic Rift - MTG Card versions
Thassa's Intervention - MTG Card versions
Snap - MTG Card versions
Metamorphose - MTG Card versions
Flash Counter - MTG Card versions
Counterspell - Commander Masters (CMM)
Hurkyl's Recall - Antiquities (ATQ)
Hypnotic Sprite // Mesmeric Glare - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Lat-Nam's Legacy - Alliances (ALL)
Flash - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Boomerang - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Updraft - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Impulse - Game Night: Free-for-All (GN3)
Rebound - Stronghold (STH)
Memory Lapse - Strixhaven Mystical Archive (STA)
Hoodwink - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Tidal Bore - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Accumulated Knowledge - Masters 25 (A25)
Teferi's Response - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Aether Burst - Odyssey (ODY)
Cyclonic Rift - Commander Masters (CMM)
Thassa's Intervention - Theros Beyond Death (THB)
Snap - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Metamorphose - Scourge (SCG)
Flash Counter - Eighth Edition (8ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Deliberate MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar Rising, 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 Deliberate and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Deliberate has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

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