Inscription of Insight MTG Card
2020-09-25 - Number 329
2020-09-25 - Number 61p
2020-09-25 - Number 61
2020-09-25 - Number 61s
2002-06-24 - Number 83802
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Kicker,Scry |
Key Takeaways
- Enables drawing cards and bouncing permanents for a strategic edge in the long game.
- Demands careful timing and mana commitment, which can limit its deck inclusion.
- Its versatility and adaptability make it a valuable asset in control strategies.
Text of card
Kicker Choose one. If this spell was kicked, choose any number instead. • Return up to two target creatures to their owners' hands. • Scry 2, then draw two cards. • Target player creates an X/X blue Illusion creature token, where X is the number of cards in their hand.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Inscription of Insight enables players to potentially draw two cards, maintaining the flow of options in hand and edging over opponents in the long game.
Resource Acceleration: This card offers the flexibility to bounce nonland permanents back to their owner’s hand, effectively setting back opponent’s board development and gaining tempo advantage.
Instant Speed: As a spell that can be cast at instant speed, it allows players to adapt to the board state more effectively, keeping opponents guessing and enabling surprise tactics during their turns.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Inscription of Insight requires a keen sense of game timing, as it lacks an inherent discard aspect which can be crucial in synergizing with decks designed to benefit from discarding.
Specific Mana Cost: With its specific mana cost requiring two blue mana, this card demands a heavy commitment to blue sources, potentially limiting its integration into multi-color decks that can’t reliably generate the needed mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The requirement of four mana, including two blue, can be a steep price for the effects provided. This makes Inscription of Insight a challenging fit in faster-paced games where lower cost cards may offer similar benefits without the same mana investment.
Reasons to Include Inscription of Insight in Your Collection
Versatility: Inscription of Insight offers a multifaceted toolkit for blue mages, adept at adapting to various game states. Its flexibility to be cast as a simple spell or kicked for additional effects allows players to tailor its impact, fitting seamlessly into control or tempo strategies.
Combo Potential: This card not only provides immediate value through bouncing creatures or drawing cards, but it also synergizes with decks focusing on spell triggers. Its capability to slot into and enhance multiple combos is a testament to its utility within the right build.
Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to answer a wide range of threats, Inscription of Insight maintains relevance regardless of shifting metas. With control decks often at the forefront of competitive play, having a versatile answer like this can be crucial for navigating complex board states.
How to beat
Inscription of Insight is a flexible blue spell that opens up various strategies for players in Magic: The Gathering. The versatility of choosing one or more effects based on the spent mana makes it an asset in any blue deck. Its ability to bounce nonland permanents back to the hand, scry 2, then draw 2 cards, or even create a token that’s a copy of a target creature you control can be a game-changer.
To tackle this card, it’s essential to be proactive. Strategies such as countering it with spells like Negate or Disdainful Stroke can ensure it never resolves. Since it’s a sorcery, keeping mana open for a timely counter-spell is crucial. Another effective strategy is to apply early pressure, forcing your opponent to use their mana on other spells and potentially keeping Inscription of Insight out of reach. Lastly, if the game has progressed, and the inscription’s effects are in play, utilizing graveyard disruption like Tormod’s Crypt could be useful to prevent future recurrences through escape mechanics or other retrieval methods.
Understanding the timing and the nature of your opponent’s deck plays a significant role in overcoming Inscription of Insight. By disrupting their game plan and maintaining control, this powerful spell can be rendered less effective.
BurnMana Recommendations
The strategic depth of MTG shines with game-changers like Inscription of Insight. This card’s ability to draw, bounce, or replicate gives savvy players an edge in crafting a winning gameplay. With the metagame constantly evolving, it’s crucial to continuously adapt and explore innovative combinations that can turn the tide of battle. Looking to enhance your deck’s flexibility and surprise your opponents with adaptable strategies? Dive deeper with us into the world of MTG deckbuilding and optimize your playstyle. Whether it’s control or tempo, we’re here to guide you through integrating Inscription of Insight into your arsenal for ultimate domination on the battlefield. Learn more and take your MTG strategies to the next level.
Cards like Inscription of Insight
Inscription of Insight is a versatile choice among sorcery-speed spells in Magic: The Gathering. Like its kith in the Inscription cycle, it provides multiple modes that can be amplified if cast for its kicker cost. A card like Hieroglyphic Illumination offers some flexibility as well, being castable as a cantrip or cycled for a single blue mana to draw a card, although without the modal choices provided by Inscription of Insight. Alternatively, we have Sublime Epiphany, which although has a higher mana cost, delivers a multiplicity of effects from countering a spell to copying a creature that may outclass Inscription of Insight’s potential value in some board states.
Another similar option is Baral’s Expertise. This entrant allows a player to bounce up to three target artifacts or creatures to their owner’s hand and cast a card with mana cost four or less from their hand without paying its mana cost. While not offering the same modal options, the cost-free spell casting is a hefty upside.
All in all, while Inscription of Insight might not be as streamlined or as high-impact as some of its alternate sorcery spells, its flexibility and kicker option make it a dynamic tool adaptable to various game situations. Its strength is in its adaptability – a valuable asset in any MTG game.
Cards similar to Inscription of Insight by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Inscription of Insight MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and 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 Inscription of Insight and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Inscription of Insight Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2020-09-25 and 2020-09-25. Illustrated by Zoltan Boros.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 83802 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zoltan Boros | ||
| 2 | 2020-09-25 | Zendikar Rising | ZNR | 329 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zoltan Boros | |
| 3 | 2020-09-25 | Zendikar Rising Promos | PZNR | 61p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zoltan Boros | |
| 4 | 2020-09-25 | Zendikar Rising | ZNR | 61 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zoltan Boros | |
| 5 | 2020-09-25 | Zendikar Rising Promos | PZNR | 61s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zoltan Boros |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Inscription of Insight has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Inscription of Insight card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-09-25 | An ability that triggers when a player casts a kicked spell resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger, but after targets have been chosen for that spell. It resolves even if that spell is countered. |
| 2020-09-25 | If any targets become illegal, the other targets will still be affected as appropriate. If any targets are chosen and every target becomes illegal, Inscription of Insight doesn’t resolve. You won’t scry 2 or draw two cards if the middle mode was chosen. |
| 2020-09-25 | If more than one mode is chosen, perform them in the order written. Nothing can happen in between, however, and no player may choose to take actions. Any abilities that trigger will be put onto the stack after the spell has finished resolving. |
| 2020-09-25 | If you copy a kicked spell, the copy is also kicked. If a card or token enters the battlefield as a copy of a permanent that’s already on the battlefield, the new permanent isn’t kicked, even if the original was. |
| 2020-09-25 | If you kick Inscription of Insight, you can’t choose any one mode more than once. |
| 2020-09-25 | If you put a permanent with a kicker ability onto the battlefield without casting it, you can’t kick it. |
| 2020-09-25 | Kicker represents an optional additional cost that you may choose to pay as you cast the spell. A spell cast with that additional cost paid is “kicked.” |
| 2020-09-25 | Some instant or sorcery spells require alternative or additional targets if they’re kicked. You ignore these targeting requirements if those spells aren’t kicked, and you can’t kick those spells unless you can choose the appropriate targets. On the other hand, you can kick a permanent spell even if you won’t be able to choose targets for an enters-the-battlefield ability of that permanent once the spell resolves. |
| 2020-09-25 | The value of X is determined only as you perform the third mode while Inscription of Insight is resolving. Once that happens, the value of X won’t change even if the number of cards in the player’s hand changes. |
| 2020-09-25 | To determine a spell’s total cost, start with the mana cost (or an alternative cost if another card’s effect allows you to pay one instead), add any cost increases (such as kicker), then apply any cost reductions. The converted mana cost of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was. |
| 2020-09-25 | You can’t pay a kicker cost more than once. |
