Illusion of Choice MTG Card


Illusion of Choice - Conspiracy: Take the Crown
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant
Released2016-08-26
Set symbol
Set nameConspiracy: Take the Crown
Set codeCN2
Number31
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byJohn Severin Brassell

Key Takeaways

  1. Allows players to manipulate votes, guaranteeing outcomes that benefit their strategy in the game.
  2. Instant speed casting provides surprise factor, enhancing control over game flow in critical moments.
  3. Potentially high impact for low mana cost, offering great value in vote-centric decks or scenarios.

Text of card

You choose how each player votes this turn. Draw a card.

"Please vote with a clear head and vigilant heart, knowing each voice is meaningful regardless of the outcome." —Ottavio d'Oro, Electoral Committee Speaker of Paliano


Card Pros

Card Advantage: ‘Illusion of Choice’ gives you the power to ensure that votes go your way, effectively steering the outcome every time voting takes place. This can translate into a substantial tactical edge, letting you manipulate the game to your favor while keeping key cards in hand.

Resource Acceleration: While ‘Illusion of Choice’ doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it can indirectly influence the game by saving resources you’d otherwise spend influencing votes. The card itself is a low-cost investment with the potential to sway high-impact decision cards, preserving more significant spells for crucial moments.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast ‘Illusion of Choice’ at instant speed is a significant pro. It allows you to navigate the complexities of multiplayer games with finesse, keeping opponents guessing until the last possible moment. Surprise your adversaries at the end of their turn, or during the resolution of crucial spells, maintaining the element of surprise and control.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Illusion of Choice demands that you pick a card to discard, potentially depleting your hand when you need those cards for future turns.

Specific Mana Cost: This card has a blue mana requirement, meaning it may not seamlessly fit into decks that aren’t aligned with blue mana strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At one blue mana and a colorless mana, this card might be considered costly given that its primary function is to influence voting—one could argue there are more impactful ways to spend two mana in the game.


Reasons to Include Illusion of Choice in Your Collection

Versatility: Illusion of Choice is a unique card that can slide into numerous decks, notably those that capitalize on the “council’s dilemma” mechanic or require additional flexibility with voting scenarios. This card allows players to adopt a more strategic stance in multiplayer formats where votes can determine the game’s outcome.

Combo Potential: In decks that utilize voting as a central theme, this card elevates the synergy to a new level. Coupled with cards like Brago’s Representative or Expropriate, it can dramatically alter the game’s course, offering the player control over pivotal decisions in the game.

Meta-Relevance: This card’s impact in the meta can be quite niche but influential, particularly in formats where political play and decision-making are key. As strategies evolve, Illusion of Choice remains a valuable tool for players looking to guide the game’s trajectory and disrupt opponent’s expectations.


How to beat

Illusion of Choice is a unique card that invites a twist to the voting mechanics in Magic: The Gathering. It essentially lets you control the outcome of any votes held during the game, which can be quite an advantage. Yet, like any other card, there are ways to navigate around its influence. It’s crucial for players to be acutely aware of their strategic options when facing this tricky play.

One effective approach is to utilize counter spells that can nip this enchantment in the bud before it even takes effect. Countering a spell such as Illusion of Choice ensures that a vote’s outcome remains uncertain and democratic, leaving the door open for political maneuvering among opponents. There’s also the option of employing instant speed removals or abilities to nullify the card’s control before a crucial vote is cast. In addition, having a handful of versatile responses ready means you can adapt to any unforeseen power plays that hinge on that singular decision-making moment.

Moreover, it’s beneficial to keep the pressure on opponents who might be saving Illusion of Choice for a pivotal turn, forcing them to waste resources or reconsider their strategy. Ultimately, staying one step ahead in knowledge and counterplay can minimize the card’s impact on the game, allowing you to steer the course of the match in your favor.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering Magic: The Gathering is an evolving challenge filled with strategic twists, deck customization, and anticipating opponents’ moves. With ‘Illusion of Choice,’ you hold a card that has the potential to turn the tides of a match by embodying control over game-defining votes. As your journey through MTG’s intricate landscapes continues, integrating such unique spells can solidify your deck’s prowess in multiplayer formats. We encourage you to further explore this fascinating element of gameplay, weaving in cards that can dictate the game’s direction. Unveil the depths of your strategic potential by learning more about how ‘Illusion of Choice’ and similar tactical cards can sharpen your gameplay and give you the upper hand in your future duels.


Cards like Illusion of Choice

Illusion of Choice adds a unique twist to the realm of decision-making spells in Magic: The Gathering. In line with cards such as Council’s Judgment or Expropriate, Illusion of Choice gives players a semblance of control during critical votes. However, the primary difference is its offering of choice illusion, dictating the outcome of votes whenever you cast it.

Just like Plea for Power, it provides a participatory moment for opponents but with a predetermined outcome. Plea for Power may offer an actual choice between extra turns or drawing cards, but with Illusion of Choice, the caster retains absolute control over the decision. Furthermore, while Expropriate can be a game-ending spell with its cost and effects, Illusion of Choice is lighter on resources and offers a subtle way to manipulate the game. Commander’s Authority, another similar enchantment, also provides ongoing effects but lacks the immediate, decisive impact of Illusion of Choice.

When evaluating the subtleties and potential of cards that influence votes, Illusion of Choice stands out for its ability to quietly sway the game in your favor while masquerading under the guise of democracy in the magical world of Magic: The Gathering.

Council's Judgment - MTG Card versions
Expropriate - MTG Card versions
Plea for Power - MTG Card versions
Commander's Authority - MTG Card versions
Council's Judgment - MTG Card versions
Expropriate - MTG Card versions
Plea for Power - MTG Card versions
Commander's Authority - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Illusion of Choice MTG card by a specific set like Conspiracy: Take the Crown, 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 Illusion of Choice and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Illusion of Choice has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2016-08-23 If another player controls Ballot Broker, that player first takes their “normal” vote with you choosing the result, then that player decides whether they are taking the additional vote. If there is an additional vote, you again choose the result.
2016-08-23 If multiple players cast Illusion of Choice during the same turn, the controller of the one that resolved most recently will choose how each player votes that turn.

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