Ral Zarek MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Planeswalker — Ral
Loyalty 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Ral Zarek enhances deck control and provides strategic card selection, strengthening gameplay.
  2. Abilities foster earlier big plays by ramping up mana resources for resource acceleration.
  3. Instant speed casting with Ral Zarek leads to unpredictable and powerful plays.

Text of card

+1: Tap target permanent, then untap another target permanent. -2: Ral Zarek deals 3 damage to target creature or player. -7: Flip five coins. Take an extra turn after this one for each coin that comes up heads.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Ral Zarek on the field, you control the flow of your deck, riffle through your options, and potentially draw into the answers or threats you need, solidifying your grip on the game through vital card selections.

Resource Acceleration: Ral Zarek’s abilities offer a dynamic approach to resource management, allowing you to untap lands or artifacts, effectively ramping up your mana resources, and enabling larger plays or crucial interactions sooner than usual.

Instant Speed: Ral Zarek’s capability to cast spells at instant speed unlocks a sphere of strategic depth. Responding to opponents’ moves during their turn or at the last possible moment can alter the course of a match, rendering your strategy unpredictable and more potent.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To fuel Ral Zarek’s abilities, you may need to discard, which can deplete your hand and diminish your late-game options.

Specific Mana Cost: Ral Zarek demands both blue and red mana, posing a challenge in decks that are not tailored around the Izzet guild’s color scheme.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a significant investment of mana, Ral Zarek’s impact may not align with the tempo of all strategies, especially in a game where speed can be everything.


Reasons to Include Ral Zarek in Your Collection

Versatility: Ral Zarek, as a planeswalker card, offers a range of abilities including tapping or untapping permanents and damage dealing, which allows it to adapt to various board states and strategies.

Combo Potential: This card can be paired with numerous other cards to create powerful and potentially game-ending combinations, particularly in decks that capitalize on extra turns or untapping mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: With a dynamic and ever-shifting MTG environment, Ral Zarek’s capacity to disrupt opponents and accelerate your own gameplay keeps it a relevant choice in multiple formats.


How to beat

Ral Zarek is a dynamic planeswalker card that can create significant advantages for MTG players through direct damage, untapping permanents, and its ultimate ability to take extra turns. To counter this card effectively, focus on denying the loyalty counters that Ral Zarek needs. Creature cards with haste can put pressure early on, forcing Ral Zarek’s controller to use him defensively. Instant-speed removal spells are also key in removing Ral Zarek before his owner can make use of his abilities. Cards like Hero’s Downfall or Bedevil can effectively dispatch Ral Zarek at a moment’s notice. Additionally, maintaining a presence of counterspells such as Negate or Dovin’s Veto can prevent Ral Zarek from entering the battlefield in the first place.

Players may also consider using versatile permanents like Pithing Needle, which can nullify Ral Zarek’s activated abilities, reducing him to a mere decorative presence on the battlefield. Considering these strategies, it becomes apparent that while Ral Zarek has the potential to take over a game, with the right foresight and responsive play, you can defuse his influence and keep the match in your favor.


BurnMana Recommendations

As we’ve uncovered the dynamic assets and considerations that Ral Zarek brings to MTG gameplay, it’s clear that this planeswalker is a dual-force of innovation and disruption. He navigates through the intricacies of MTG tactics with precision, and the sizzle of blue and red mana highlight the prowess of this Izzet guild wizard. Harnessing his potential can lead to resounding victories, made even more striking with the thrill of his ultimate. Strategize and adapt, integrate Ral Zarek’s versatility into your deck, and witness the game unfold in riveting new ways. For deeper insights and advanced tips, step into our portal of MTG wisdom and join the ranks of players who craft triumph from knowledge.


Cards like Ral Zarek

Ral Zarek is an intriguing planeswalker from the MTG multiverse, shining in blue and red decks. Sitting alongside other four-mana planeswalkers like Chandra, Pyromaster, Ral Zarek offers a unique blend of abilities. While Chandra can ping creatures or players while denying them spells for a turn, Ral Zarek adds flexibility with his capability to untap a permanent or tap down an opponent’s threat. His random element of extra turns with his ultimate closely resembles that of the more costly Temporal Mastery or the similarly capricious Chance for Glory.

Looking at another similar card, Tezzeret the Seeker, Ral Zarek showcases more aggressive possibilities. Tezzeret leans towards the artifact synergy, fetching key pieces from the library, whereas Ral can be instantly impactful by affecting the board state with his tap/untap ability. The comparison to Saheeli Rai is also noteworthy; Saheeli’s lower cost and emphasis on creating token copies contrasts with Ral’s direct board control and potential for explosive extra turn sequences.

All things considered, Ral Zarek stands out due to his versatility in controlling the game tempo and his thrilling ultimate that can lead to unexpected victories, setting him apart in the pantheon of MTG planeswalkers.

Chandra, Pyromaster - MTG Card versions
Temporal Mastery - MTG Card versions
Chance for Glory - MTG Card versions
Tezzeret the Seeker - MTG Card versions
Saheeli Rai - MTG Card versions
Chandra, Pyromaster - San Diego Comic-Con 2013 (PSDC)
Temporal Mastery - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Chance for Glory - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)
Tezzeret the Seeker - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Saheeli Rai - Kaladesh Promos (PKLD)

Cards similar to Ral Zarek by color, type and mana cost

Saheeli, Filigree Master - MTG Card versions
Ral, Storm Conduit - MTG Card versions
Saheeli, the Gifted - MTG Card versions
Saheeli, Filigree Master - The Brothers' War Promos (PBRO)
Ral, Storm Conduit - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Saheeli, the Gifted - Commander 2018 Oversized (OC18)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ral Zarek MTG card by a specific set like Dragon's Maze and Commander 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 Ral Zarek and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ral Zarek Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2013-05-03 and 2024-01-12. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-05-03Dragon's MazeDGM 942003normalblackEric Deschamps
22019-08-23Commander 2019C19 1982015normalblackEric Deschamps
32020-09-26The ListPLST DGM-942003normalblackEric Deschamps
42024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 4452015normalborderlessFukuzo Katsura
52024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 2162015normalblackEric Deschamps

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ral Zarek has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

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