Magistrate's Scepter MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeArtifact

Key Takeaways

  1. Combining Scepter with proliferate or counter-addition cards can rapidly increase tempo and potentially lead to victory.
  2. The Scepter’s setup requires precise mana generation, making deck building around it more complex and resource-focused.
  3. Despite its high mana investment, Magistrate’s Scepter’s ability to take extra turns makes it a powerful, game-changing card.

Text of card

o4, oc T: Put a charge counter on Magistrate's Scepter. oc T, Remove three charge counters from Magistrate's Scepter: Take another turn after this one.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The unique ability of Magistrate’s Scepter to add charge counters offers a strategic edge, allowing for extra turns if played correctly. Though it doesn’t draw cards directly, the advantage of consecutive turns can lead to overwhelming card superiority.

Resource Acceleration: When combined with cards that proliferate or add additional counters, the Scepter accelerates your tempo by unlocking additional turns ahead of your opponent, essentially multiplying your resource availability and setting the stage for a game-ending combo.

Instant Speed: While the Scepter’s activation isn’t at instant speed, the potential it creates syncs well with instant speed interactions in your deck. This presents opportunities to surprise opponents by setting up unexpected win conditions while they are tapped out or unprepared for the additional turn you’ve secured.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Magistrate’s Scepter does not have a discard mechanic, but it requires you to build around proliferate or other ways to add charge counters to take advantage of its ability to take extra turns. Without such synergies in your deck, its efficiency drops significantly.

Specific Mana Cost: Being an artifact, Magistrate’s Scepter doesn’t have a color requirement for casting. However, to activate its ability, you need specific mana generation to add charge counters, which can be restrictive depending on your deck’s mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The initial investment of three mana to cast and the additional mana needed to add counters can be quite taxing on your resources. Considering other cards in the same cost bracket may provide more immediate board impact or advantage, the high cumulative mana cost for setting up and utilizing Magistrate’s Scepter fully can be seen as a drawback.


Reasons to Include Magistrate’s Scepter in Your Collection

Versatility: Magistrate’s Scepter is a unique piece that can be utilized in a diverse array of decks. This card fits seamlessly into strategies that are built around proliferate mechanics or those wanting to manipulate counters for various advantages.

Combo Potential: With the right setup, the Scepter has the power to create infinite turns, pairing exceptionally well with cards that add charge counters. This enables a variety of compelling and game-ending interactions for players who revel in crafting intricate combinations.

Meta-Relevance: Against slower, more controlling decks, the Scepter can shine by accumulating enough counters to break stalemates with the potential of taking extra turns. This maneuver can be pivotal in games where every action counts.


How to beat

Magistrate’s Scepter is an intriguing artifact in Magic: The Gathering, giving players the potential to gain additional turns. When faced with this card, consider artifacts or spells that can disrupt counter accumulation, such as Thrashing Brontodon or Nature’s Claim. These can target and destroy the scepter before your opponent accumulates enough counters to take an extra turn.

Interaction with counter-based strategies is also essential. Employ cards like Power Conduit to redirect the counters from the scepter to less threatening permanent on the battlefield. Direct damage spells like Lightning Bolt allow for immediate reaction to the activation of the scepter’s ability, interrupting your opponent’s plans.

It’s vital to play proactively, anticipating your opponent’s objective with Magistrate’s Scepter. By incorporating removal and counter spells into your deck, like Negate or Dismember, you can pre-emptively deal with the scepter or prevent its effective use altogether. This approach to gameplay ensures that you stay one step ahead of your opponents and their strategies.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the dynamics of Magistrate’s Scepter in MTG is crucial for optimizing your gameplay. The card’s potential for consecutive turns can tilt the scales of a match in your favor. If you’re captivated by the idea of bending time and marching towards victory with an extra turn in your arsenal, learning the intricacies of this artifact could make all the difference. Strategies to effectively integrate the Scepter need to be explored and understood. For players keen on exploiting every facet of the game and leaving nothing to chance, delving deeper into Magistrate’s Scepter and similar cards can give you that cutting edge. Enhance your knowledge and equip your deck with the right combination of cards to maximize the power of Magistrate’s Scepter. Join the discussion and refine your understanding with the insights we offer.


Cards like Magistrate's Scepter

Magistrate’s Scepter holds a unique position in the realm of proliferate and counters manipulation within Magic: The Gathering. Its closest counterparts include the likes of Coretapper, which also specializes in the delicate art of charge counter accumulation. Coretapper stands out by directly placing charge counters on artifacts as soon as it enters or leaves the battlefield, offering a more immediate effect compared to Magistrate’s Scepter which requires a setup of three charge counters to take an extra turn.

Energy Chamber is another artifact that parallels the functionality of Magistrate’s Scepter by adding counters, albeit only during your upkeep. The Chamber can bolster either +1/+1 counters on creatures or charge counters on artifacts, providing versatility but lacking the powerful turn-taking capability. Then there’s Everflowing Chalice, a card that doesn’t grant additional turns itself, but it can accumulate charge counters to ramp up mana, synergizing well with Magistrate’s Scepter’s need for ample mana to use its ability repeatedly.

Evaluating the strategic applications, Magistrate’s Scepter is a potent tool for players looking to capitalize on extra turn mechanics, differentiating itself within MTG as an enchanting artifact capable of swinging the momentum of the game in the adept player’s favor.

Coretapper - MTG Card versions
Energy Chamber - MTG Card versions
Everflowing Chalice - MTG Card versions
Coretapper - MTG Card versions
Energy Chamber - MTG Card versions
Everflowing Chalice - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Magistrate's Scepter MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques and Core Set 2019, 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 Magistrate's Scepter and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Magistrate's Scepter Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1999-10-04 and 2018-07-13. Illustrated by Adam Rex.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11999-10-04Mercadian MasquesMMQ 3041997NormalBlackAdam Rex
22018-07-13Core Set 2019M19 2382015NormalBlackAdam Rex
32018-07-13Core Set 2019 PromosPM19 238s2015NormalBlackAdam Rex

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Magistrate's Scepter has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2018-07-13 If multiple extra turns would be taken after this one, perhaps because more than one player has activated the last ability of their Magistrate’s Scepter, the most recently created one is taken first.

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