Backup Plan MTG Card

Rarity	Rare
Type	Conspiracy
Released	2014-06-06
Set symbol
Set name	Conspiracy
Set code	CNS
Number	2
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	David Palumbo

Key Takeaways

Provides a unique edge by increasing starting hand options, which optimizes early game strategies.
Improves chances of resource acceleration and impactful play from the first turn.
Can dictate game pace in formats like Commander where an early advantage is pivotal.

Text of card

(Start the game with this conspiracy face up in the command zone.) Draw an additional hand of seven cards as the game begins. Before taking mulligans, shuffle all but one of your hands into your library.

"In the market for an alternative, friend?"

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Backup Plan offers a unique form of card advantage by allowing you to begin the game with an extra hand of cards to choose from. This significantly increases your chances of having an optimal starting hand and streamlines your strategy from the get-go.

Resource Acceleration: By having more cards to choose from at the beginning, you can formulate a resource acceleration strategy earlier in the game. This card sets you up for efficient mana utilization, helping you to cast more impactful spells sooner.

Instant Speed: Although Backup Plan itself isn’t played at instant speed, it indirectly benefits your instant-speed interactions. Having access to a better selection of cards means you’re more likely to have instant-speed responses when you need them, keeping you one step ahead of the opponent.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Backup Plan necessitates discarding your entire opening hand, which can be a substantial setback if you had a promising initial draw.

Specific Mana Cost: With a colorless mana cost, the card could be versatile, but its placement in the ‘Conspiracy’ type limits its gameplay to very specific formats not commonly found in regular play.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Backup Plan doesn’t have a traditional mana cost, the opportunity cost is significant. The card’s high impact can’t be felt unless drafted, and even then, it’s only usable in a game starting with more than one player, which narrows its utility significantly.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Backup Plan excels in providing players with options right from the start of the game. It’s an exceptional card for Commander where a strong opening can dictate the pace of the entire match, allowing you to select the best hand possible.

Combo Potential: Within decks that are built around synergies and combos, Backup Plan can significantly increase the probability of drawing into the right pieces at the right time, making it an asset for combo decks aiming for a quick victory.

Meta-Relevance: As the competitive scene often shifts, Backup Plan maintains relevance by counteracting strategies reliant on hand disruption or slow build-ups, providing a consistent advantage in a variety of matchups.

How to Beat Backup Plan

Backup Plan is an intriguing card that offers a strategic advantage by allowing players an additional hand of cards to choose from at the game’s start. This potential head start in resources and options can be daunting to overcome. To counteract Backup Plan, players need to focus on applying early pressure to their opponent. Aggressive decks that can put forth a fast pace in the early game help to disrupt the advantage that Backup Plan provides by forcing the opponent to react from the get-go, potentially rendering their additional choices less effective.

Furthermore, hand disruption tactics can be particularly effective against opponents relying on Backup Plan. Using cards that force discards or shuffle the opponent’s hand into their library dilutes the advantage that Backup Plan can give. For example, deploying cards such as Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek can remove key pieces from your opponent’s hand, diminishing the plan’s impact.

In essence, while Backup Plan offers a notable advantage in terms of choices and flexibility, it isn’t insurmountable. By utilizing a strategy of early game aggression and targeted hand disruptions, players can effectively beat the odds, even when facing an opponent with a Backup Plan at their disposal.

Cards like Backup Plan

Backup Plan bears intrigue for its role in MTG’s conspiracy draft format. It shares the strategic element of hand manipulation with cards like Serum Powder, which permits players to exchange initial draws when not satisfactory. While Serum Powder impacts the starting hand more directly by enabling a redraw, Backup Plan offers a distinct advantage with an additional hand to select from, essentially doubling the drafting potential without discarding.

Another comparable card is the Lore Seeker. Instead of influencing the draw, this card expands the draft itself by permitting an additional booster pack into the mix. While Lore Seeker heightens the card pool for selection, Backup Plan hones the quality of card choices available in players’ opening hands. The option to sift through two hands enhances the chance of a stronger start, a subtle yet potent edge.

The strategic depth of Backup Plan is considerable, shaping the initial phases of a match significantly. It’s a unique proposition in MTG, emphasizing preparedness and choice, and securing its place as a notable pick in the realm of draft-enhancing cards.

Cards similar to Backup Plan by color, type and mana cost

Unexpected Potential - MTG Card versions

Advantageous Proclamation - MTG Card versions

Muzzio's Preparations - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Backup Plan MTG card by a specific set like Conspiracy, 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 Backup Plan and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Backup Plan has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Banned
Legacy	Banned
Oathbreaker	Banned
Vintage	Banned
Duel	Banned

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2014-05-29	If, through a combination of Backup Plan and/or other conspiracies, you have fewer cards in your deck than you must draw as the game begins, you’ll lose the game when state-based actions are checked during the upkeep of the first turn.
2014-05-29	The effect of Backup Plan is cumulative. If you have two in your command zone to start the game, you’ll draw three hands of seven cards and shuffle all but one of them into your library.
2016-08-23	A conspiracy doesn’t count as a card in your deck for purposes of meeting minimum deck size requirements. (In most drafts, the minimum deck size is 40 cards.)
2016-08-23	A conspiracy’s static and triggered abilities function as long as that conspiracy is face-up in the command zone.
2016-08-23	Conspiracies are colorless, have no mana cost, and can’t be cast as spells.
2016-08-23	Conspiracies are never put into your deck. Instead, you put any number of conspiracies from your card pool into the command zone as the game begins. These conspiracies are face up unless they have hidden agenda, in which case they begin the game face down.
2016-08-23	Conspiracies aren’t legal for any sanctioned Constructed format, but may be included in other Limited formats, such as Cube Draft.
2016-08-23	You can look at any player’s face-up conspiracies at any time. You’ll also know how many face-down conspiracies a player has in the command zone, although you won’t know what they are.
2016-08-23	You don’t have to play with any conspiracy you draft. However, you have only one opportunity to put conspiracies into the command zone, as the game begins. You can’t put conspiracies into the command zone after this point.