Fatal Lore MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Released | 1996-06-10 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Alliances |
| Set code | ALL |
| Number | 48 |
| Frame | 1993 |
| Layout | normal |
| Border | black |
| Illustred by | Lawrence Snelly |
Key Takeaways
- Offers card advantage or disrupts opponent’s board presence, making it a versatile threat in MTG.
- Instant speed casting allows for strategic, responsive plays to maintain control during matches.
- The choice mechanic presents a psychological edge, shaping the game’s flow and opponent’s responses.
Text of card
Target opponent chooses one: you draw three cards; or you choose and bury up to two target creatures that opponent controls and he or she draws up to three cards.
"All knowledge has its price." —Gerda Äagesdotter, Archmage of the Unseen
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Fatal Lore ensures a player can dictate the pace of the game by offering a daunting choice to an opponent—sacrificing a creature they control or allowing you to draw three cards. If they choose the latter, you gain significant card advantage, potentially turning the tide of the match in your favor.
Resource Acceleration: Though not directly providing mana or tokens, Fatal Lore could force an opponent into a situation where they have to sacrifice a crucial mana dork or a utility creature, effectively setting back their resource engine and giving you the upper hand when it comes to deploying your strategy faster.
Instant Speed: As an instant, Fatal Lore can be cast at the most opportune moment, such as in response to an enemy’s spell or at the end of their turn. This flexibility allows for tactical plays that can disrupt opponents’ plans while keeping your mana open for immediate threats or other interactions.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Fatal Lore demands that you discard a card, potentially depleting your hand when you might least afford it.
Specific Mana Cost: This spell’s cost is locked into black mana, restricting its synergy to decks that can support such specific color requirements.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its higher mana investment, Fatal Lore may fall behind in the curve when compared to other removal or card advantage options available in the game.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Fatal Lore offers a unique choice mechanic that can be utilized across various playstyles and deck builds. Whether you aim to manipulate opponent’s decisions or utilize the demise of creatures to your advantage, it fits well into multiple strategies.
Combo Potential: This card shines in tandem with effects that benefit from creatures dying, such as death triggers or reanimation themes, enhancing decks that capitalize on the graveyard or sacrifice outlets.
Meta-Relevance: As the metagame shifts, the adaptability of Fatal Lore ensures it remains a pertinent choice. Its ability to disrupt opponent’s boards or drive crucial card draw can be a game-changer against an array of popular deck archetypes.
How to Beat Fatal Lore
The card Fatal Lore is a challenging obstacle for many players in Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to dictate a game’s outcome through opponent’s choices can be daunting. To counteract Fatal Lore, it’s essential to have a strategy that minimizes the impact of opponent’s decisions. This involves thoughtful deck building with an emphasis on versatile cards that offer value regardless of being discarded or preserved.
Another effective tactic is to manage resources with precision. Prioritize keeping a hand with expendable cards when Fatal Lore is a potential threat. Instants and flash spells that can be played in response to Fatal Lore’s triggering can also disrupt its effectiveness, keeping you one step ahead. Moreover, if the situation escalates to creature destruction, having cards that benefit from entering the graveyard, like those with Afterlife or Undying, could actually turn Fatal Lore’s intimidation into an advantage for you.
Adapting in-game actions and maintaining awareness of your resources are critical to overcoming the challenging Fatal Lore. By considering the cards in your hand not just as losses but as strategic opportunities, you can navigate through Fatal Lore’s treacherous paths and emerge victorious.
Cards like Fatal Lore
Fatal Lore stands out in the MTG landscape as an intriguing modal choice when strategizing around opponent punishment. It mimics some of the flexibility seen in cards like Dreadbore, which allows players to target a creature or planeswalker for removal. Fatal Lore, however, brings an additional layer, offering opponents a cruel choice between sacrifice and disadvantage, a feature Dreadbore doesn’t possess.
In a broader comparison, we encounter Choice of Damnations, a card that also puts opponents between a rock and a hard place. Though the mechanics differ, with Choice of Damnations leaving the fate of the board largely in the hands of your adversary, Fatal Lore’s ability to impact the board immediately makes it a dynamic competitor in the mind game arena. Ancestral Vengeance is another counterpart, targeting creatures directly while giving a slight buff to your own—a feature based more on impacting the board state than psychological warfare.
Ultimately, Fatal Lore’s allure lies in its potential to disrupt opponent’s strategies and create openings for victory. By examining its unique features alongside similar cards, we can appreciate how Fatal Lore enriches MTG’s landscape with its compelling tactical choices.
Cards similar to Fatal Lore by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Fatal Lore MTG card by a specific set like Alliances, 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 Fatal Lore 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
See Magic products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Fatal Lore has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Fatal Lore 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 | The opponent chooses which option they want (this is a mode choice). If they choose the “destroy” option, you choose the zero, one, or two targets after that. |
