Last Word MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Last Word is a fantastic tool for gaining an upper hand in card engagement. It enables a player to absolutely ensure a spell goes through, nullifying an opponent’s attempt to counteract your strategies. This assertive capacity to dictate game flow contributes to a superior card economy during play.

Resource Acceleration: While Last Word doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the form of mana or tokens, it can dramatically shift resource balance in your favor. By countering key spells of your opponent, you disturb their resource planning and tempo, effectively putting you ahead.

Instant Speed: The strength of playing at instant speed cannot be overstated. Last Word’s ability to be cast during either player’s turn bestows a strategic flexibility that keeps opponents perpetually on edge. Whether disrupting a crucial combo or protecting your own game-winning play, the timing of Last Word can be pivotal in the clash for victory.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Last Word demands not only a significant mana investment but also a card from your hand to be discarded, putting you at a potential disadvantage in terms of card advantage. This requirement can hamper your gameplay, especially when your hand is already depleting.

Specific Mana Cost: Last Word requires both blue and generic mana, making it a card that integrates specifically into blue-centric decks or those that can reliably produce both types of mana. This cost requirement can hinder the card’s flexibility in multicolored decks or those with a less stable mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an investment of four mana for its use, Last Word stands at a higher cost bracket compared to other instant spells that may offer similar or more immediate effects. This can affect the card’s viability, especially in faster-paced games where lower-cost spells are pivotal for maintaining tempo.

Reasons to Include Last Word in Your Collection

Versatility: Last Word is a powerful addition for decks that demand finality in countering spells. Its inability to be countered ensures it takes precedence in spell-slinging duels, making it a reliable tool in any blue mage’s arsenal.

Combo Potential: As a hard counter that can’t be refuted, Last Word is a strong complement to strategies designed to exhaust opponents’ resources, setting up turns where your own combo pieces can be played with near certainty.

Meta-Relevance: In game states where control decks are prevalent, Last Word asserts its relevance by acting as the ultimate arbitrator in counterspell wars, making it a strategic sideboard or mainboard card choice.

How to beat

Last Word is a potent spell within the MTG universe, providing players with an uncounterable answer to threats on the board. This blue instant spell might seem like a substantial obstacle when it lands, but there are effective strategies to navigate around it. First and foremost, timing is crucial. Since Last Word cannot be countered, the key is to bait it out on less critical spells or wait until the opponent’s resources are too low to cast it.

Another tactic is running cards that force your opponent to discard, such as Thoughtseize or Duress, allowing you to proactively remove Last Word from their hand before it can be used. Additionally, playing cards with hexproof or ones that cannot be targeted by spells or abilities ensures that Last Word loses much of its potency. Lastly, employing spells with Split Second can further limit your opponent’s responses, making Last Word far less of a threat. Keep these tips in mind and turn this seemingly insurmountable spell into just another hurdle to clear in your path to victory.