Lay Bare the Heart MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery
Released	2017-04-28
Set symbol
Set name	Amonkhet
Set code	AKH
Number	96
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Karl Kopinski

Key Takeaways

Lay Bare the Heart offers valuable insights into opponents’ hands, granting a competitive edge.
Strategic planning compensates for the card’s absence of instant speed and specific mana cost.
Understands its balance within discard spell dynamics, compared to cards like Duress and Thoughtseize.

Text of card

Target opponent reveals his or her hand. You choose a nonlegendary, nonland card from it. That player discards that card.

"True intentions lie not in the head but in the heart." —Bontu, god of ambition

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Lay Bare the Heart excels at disrupting an opponent’s game plan by allowing you to select and discard a nonlegendary, nonland card from their hand. This not only diminishes their resources but also gives you vital information about their strategy, providing a substantial edge as the match progresses.

Resource Acceleration: Though not directly contributing to mana acceleration like cards that generate Treasure tokens, Lay Bare the Heart indirectly accelerates your resource management by efficiently allocating your resources on the most impactful threats, often saving you from spending more mana later to deal with an opponent’s key card.

Instant Speed: While Lay Bare the Heart is a sorcery and must be played during your main phase, its ability to preemptively remove threats before the opponent has the opportunity to use them should not be underestimated. This preemptive action allows you to set the pace of the match, making up for the lack of instant speed through strategic planning.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Lay Bare the Heart forces an opponent to discard a non-legendary, non-land card, it doesn’t affect the cards on the battlefield or in hand that are legendary, which can leave some of the most powerful threats unaddressed.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both black and generic mana, this card may not fit smoothly into multi-colored decks that cannot consistently provide the necessary black mana source, potentially limiting its versatility in deck construction.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing two mana for a targeted discard may be considered steep, especially when compared to other one-mana discard spells that, despite having limitations, can be played earlier, impacting the opponent’s game plan sooner.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Lay Bare the Heart fits into a variety of black-centric decks due to its ability to disrupt an opponent’s game plan. It can be a pivotal play against decks that rely on specific cards to execute their strategy.

Combo Potential: This card excels in strategies where you benefit from knowing your opponent’s hand, possibly clearing the way for your own combo pieces or crippling your opponent’s combo potential.

Meta-Relevance: As players continuously adapt to an ever-changing competitive scene, Lay Bare the Heart maintains relevance by targeting nonlegendary cards, which are commonly found across numerous archetypes, making it a consistent tool for controlling the pace of the game.

How to beat Lay Bare the Heart

When facing a card like Lay Bare the Heart, players are called to navigate the stormy seas of strategy and foresight. This potent disruptor forces an opponent to reveal their hand, selecting a nonlegendary, nonland card and discarding it, an action that can upheave even the most meticulous of game plans. Understanding its intricacies is key to mitigating its impact.

One effective tactic against Lay Bare the Heart is to minimize valuable targets. This can be done by deploying the more crucial nonlegendary spells before your opponent can cast their disruption or by holding back excess lands in hand to reduce the number of significant choices available to them. Additionally, leaning on instant-speed spells helps you retain control and react to Lay Bare the Heart, potentially emptying your hand of nonland, nonlegendary cards when the spell is on the stack.

Moreover, integrating cards into your deck that benefit from being in the graveyard, such as creatures with embalm or eternalize abilities, or spells with flashback, pivots the disadvantage into an opportunity. When Lay Bare the Heart’s effect turns into a veiled asset, its power over the game dwindles, and you maintain the upper hand.

Cards like Lay Bare the Heart

Lay Bare the Heart has carved its space in the wide array of selective discard spells in Magic: The Gathering. It stands shoulder to shoulder with cards like Duress, which allows players to peek into an opponent’s hand and discard a noncreature, nonland card at a single mana cost. While Duress is cheaper and can disrupt early game plays, Lay Bare the Heart can target nonlegendary cards, providing a broader reach among noncreature cards.

When comparing it to Thoughtseize, another powerful piece in the discard arsenal, Thoughtseize doesn’t discriminate against any card types, even hitting legendary cards. However, Thoughtseize comes with a life cost, which might be a steep price to pay for some strategies. Conversely, Lay Bare the Heart offers targeted disruption without the extra cost to your life total.

Therefore, within the context of strategic discard spells, Lay Bare the Heart holds its value with a balanced cost-to-effect ratio. It delivers reliable hand disruption to manage opposing threats and can be a critical play to dismantle an opponent’s game plan, all without the life point sacrifice seen in some of its counterparts.

Cards similar to Lay Bare the Heart by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lay Bare the Heart MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet, 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 Lay Bare the Heart and other MTG cards: