Zndrsplt's Judgment MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Zndrsplt’s Judgment provides card draw and token generation, boosting hand size and accelerating resources.
  2. Instant-speed casting allows strategic reactionary plays or disrupting opponent moves unpredictably.
  3. Specific blue mana cost and discard downside limit its inclusion in some deck types.

Text of card

For each player, choose friend or foe. Each friend creates a token that's a copy of a creature they control. Each foe returns a creature they control to its owner's hand.

Zndrsplt retired from officiating when she teamed up with Okaun, but she still knows the penalties better than anyone else.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Zndrsplt’s Judgment is tailor-made for decks looking to increase their hand size. By allowing a player to conjure up two new cards into their hand, it provides a significant boost during critical moments of gameplay, ensuring you won’t lag behind in the draw race.

Resource Acceleration: Aside from refilling your hand, this card also lays the groundwork for advancing on the board. The bonus of generating two Treasure tokens isn’t just a small perk; it’s an essential aspect for any deck strategizing towards getting ahead in mana. Whether used as a quick ramp-up or for emergency color needs, these tokens are invaluable.

Instant Speed: The capability to cast Zndrsplt’s Judgment at instant speed shouldn’t be overlooked. It offers you the tactical advantage of adaptability, permitting you to react swiftly to the evolving state of the battlefield or bait out your opponent’s responses. The utter surprise of flipping the game in your favor at a moment’s notice can be just the edge needed for victory.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Zndrsplt’s Judgment demands that you discard a card to unleash its potential. This requirement can be quite punitive when your hand is already suffering, leaving you at a disadvantage in pivotal moments.

Specific Mana Cost: The specific mana cost consisting of blue mana might not accommodate all deck strategies, especially those that don’t favor blue or are based on a mono-color other than blue, potentially limiting this card’s versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Bearing a blue and three other mana costs, Zndrsplt’s Judgment could be considered steep for the effect it provides. Players might find that at this cost bracket, there are alternative spells that deliver more value or have a more immediate impact on the game state.


Reasons to Include Zndrsplt’s Judgment in Your Collection

Versatility: Zndrsplt’s Judgment offers a flexible solution for deck builders, as it allows a player to both disrupt opponents by bouncing their creatures and bolster their own board presence with coin flip chance for card advantage.

Combo Potential: The card fits perfectly in coin-flip themed decks or those running cards like Krark’s Thumb, amplifying the likelihood of winning flips and drawing cards, thereby enriching your combo plays and interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where creature-heavy strategies prevail, Zndrsplt’s Judgment becomes a powerful tool to sway the board in your favor. Its capability to multitask by removing threats and potentially drawing cards can turn the tides of a match.


How to beat

Understanding how to navigate against Zndrsplt’s Judgment can be pivotal in a close game. This spell allows a player to not only flip coins, which can be a fun and random element, but also to take control of a creature depending on the outcome. It’s a unique combination of chance and control that can disrupt an opponent’s strategy.

To effectively counter this card, players should consider keeping instant-speed removal or counterspells at the ready. This ensures that they can respond before the coin-flipping resolves, thus maintaining control over their own creatures. It’s also smart to diversify threats on the board, so that losing control of a single creature doesn’t spell disaster for your game plan.

Moreover, some decks might benefit from including cards that limit an opponent’s ability to win coin flips, which directly affects Zndrsplt’s Judgment’s efficacy. With a clear strategy and the right cards in hand, overcoming the randomness of Zndrsplt’s Judgment becomes a part of the calculated play rather than a matter of luck.


BurnMana Recommendations

With the depth and adaptability that Zndrsplt’s Judgment brings to the table, it’s a card that’s a solid contender for your MTG collection. Fine-tuning your deck entails not only optimizing your plays but also embracing cards that can turn the tide in an instant. The versatility of instant speed, the joy of flipping coins for an element of surprise, and the potential card advantage make Zndrsplt’s Judgment a unique pick for blue-inclined players. Are you ready to harness the power of chance to outmaneuver your foes? Step up your game, extend your strategic horizons, and let us guide you on your path to becoming a savvy MTG player with Zndrsplt’s Judgment.


Cards like Zndrsplt's Judgment

Zndrsplt’s Judgment occupies a unique space in Magic: The Gathering’s pantheon of crowd control cards. This card can be compared to Evacuation, which, like Zndrsplt’s Judgment, has the ability to clear numerous creatures off the board in one sweeping gesture. However, Evacuation doesn’t offer the built-in card advantage of allowing its caster to roll dice and potentially draw cards for each creature returned to their owner’s hand.

Another related card is Cyclonic Rift, a staple in blue decks for its versatility and the ability to be cast at instant speed during an opponent’s turn. Though it doesn’t interact with dice the way Zndrsplt’s Judgment does, it offers a powerful one-sided board wipe effect. On the other end, we have Aether Gale, which returns exactly five target nonland permanents to their owner’s hand. It provides a more selective approach, unlike the unpredictable nature of rolling dice with Zndrsplt’s Judgment.

Each of these alternatives offers strategic advantages, yet it’s the blend of chance and control found in Zndrsplt’s Judgment that makes it notably distinct within MTG’s array of blue control spells.

Evacuation - MTG Card versions
Cyclonic Rift - MTG Card versions
Aether Gale - MTG Card versions
Evacuation - Stronghold (STH)
Cyclonic Rift - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Aether Gale - Commander 2014 (C14)

Cards similar to Zndrsplt's Judgment by color, type and mana cost

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Tidings - MTG Card versions
Library of Lat-Nam - Alliances (ALL)
Psychic Transfer - Starter 1999 (S99)
Balance of Power - The List (PLST)
Cruel Fate - Portal (POR)
Temporal Manipulation - The List (PLST)
Ancestral Memories - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Brilliant Plan - Treasure Chest (PZ2)
Time Warp - Explorers of Ixalan (E02)
Reverse Engineer - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Invoke the Winds - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Promos (PNEO)
Essence Fracture - Onslaught (ONS)
Rush of Knowledge - Double Masters (2XM)
Temporal Fissure - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Bribery - Commander Masters (CMM)
Acquire - IDW Comics 2014 (PI14)
Petals of Insight - Modern Masters (MMA)
Heed the Mists - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Ribbons of the Reikai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Reduce to Dreams - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Tidings - Commander 2018 (C18)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Zndrsplt's Judgment MTG card by a specific set like Battlebond and New Capenna Commander, 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 Zndrsplt's Judgment and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Zndrsplt's Judgment Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-06-08 and 2022-04-29. Illustrated by Bayard Wu.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-06-08BattlebondBBD 432015normalblackBayard Wu
22022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 2402015normalblackBayard Wu

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Zndrsplt's Judgment has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PennyLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Zndrsplt's Judgment card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2018-06-08 Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when the token enters the battlefield. Any “as
-his creature] enters the battlefield” or “
-his creature] enters the battlefield with” abilities of the chosen creature will also work.
2018-06-08 Each token copies exactly what is printed on the original creature and nothing else (unless that creature is copying something else or is a token; see below). It doesn't copy whether that creature is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras and Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that have changed its power, toughness, types, color, or so on.
2018-06-08 Friends perform their specified actions before foes. This means that a friend's action may cause a triggered ability of a foe's permanent to trigger before that foe's action causes that permanent to leave the battlefield.
2018-06-08 If the copied creature has in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.
2018-06-08 If the copied creature is a token, the token that's created copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that created the token.
2018-06-08 If the copied creature is copying something else (for example, if the copied creature is an Evil Twin), then the token enters the battlefield as whatever that creature copied.
2018-06-08 Players can't take actions in between the time that friends perform their actions and the time that foes perform theirs. If any abilities trigger from friends performing actions, those triggers won't be put onto the stack until the foes perform their actions and the spell finishes resolving.
2018-06-08 The designation of friend or foe is only relevant to the spell that asks you to choose. A player you call your friend doesn't become your teammate, and the next “friend or foe” spell you cast could name that player your foe.
2018-06-08 When Zndrsplt's Judgment resolves and you choose friend or foe, first the next friend in turn order (or, if it's a friend's turn, that friend) chooses a creature they control, then each other friend in turn order does the same, then each of those players create a token at the same time. Friends will know choices made by earlier players when making their choices. Repeat this process for foes, who choose a creature one at a time and then return them all to their owners' hands at the same time.
2018-06-08 You make this choice for yourself as well as each other player. In some rare cases, you may wish to call yourself (or your teammate in a Two-Headed Giant game) a foe. You can do that.
2018-06-08 You may call a player a friend or a foe even if that player will be instructed to perform an impossible action. For example, for Regna's Sanction, a foe may control no untapped creatures.

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