Magus of the Will MTG Card
2016-11-11 - Number 14
2016-11-16 - Number 21
2020-08-07 - Number 98
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Human Wizard |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Gives significant card advantage by turning your graveyard into an extended hand for strategic plays.
- Accelerates game pace by allowing casting spells from the graveyard without their mana costs.
- Tactical activation timing is crucial, as it’s at sorcery speed and requires graveyard setup.
Text of card
, , Exile Magus of the Will: Until end of turn, you may play cards from your graveyard. If a card would be put into your graveyard from anywhere this turn, exile that card instead.
"These eyes have shown me the flaws of flesh."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Magus of the Will provides a significant edge by enabling you to access a multitude of cards from your graveyard. By turning your graveyard into a temporary hand, it offers opportunities to replay valuable spells or creatures, essentially doubling your resources to put pressure on your opponent or recover from setbacks.
Resource Acceleration: This powerful creature can rapidly change the pace of the game. By allowing you to cast numerous spells from your graveyard without paying their mana costs, it accelerates your resource deployment. This can lead to a dramatic shift in board presence, potentially setting up game-winning combos or overwhelming your adversary with a sudden flood of resources.
Instant Speed: Although Magus of the Will’s ability isn’t at instant speed, the fact that you can activate it at any time you could cast a sorcery means you have the flexibility to decide the most advantageous moment during your turn. Planning the right moment to unearth your graveyard’s potential can catch opponents off guard and shift the momentum in your favor, especially since it sets the stage for using instant spells in your graveyard with immediate effect.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: To activate the ability of Magus of the Will, you must first get it into the graveyard. This often means you’ll need to figure out a way to discard it or sacrifice it, which can be a challenge if you don’t have the right setup in place.
Specific Mana Cost: Magus of the Will requires a precise blend of mana to cast—three mana, one of which must be black. This mana composition can be tricky for multi-color decks that may not always have the necessary black mana readily available.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Beyond its casting cost, Magus of the Will’s ability costs an additional three mana, including two black, to activate. This six total mana investment for the full effect makes it a card with a significant cost that might deter players, especially when other cards can provide similar effects for less investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Magus of the Will offers a unique ability to reanimate a wide variety of cards from your graveyard for a single turn. This adaptability makes it suitable for different strategies, particularly in decks that thrive by utilizing their graveyard as an extended hand.
Combo Potential: This card can seamlessly slot into combo decks that seek to chain together powerful sequences of spells. With Magus of the Will, a player can tap into a previously untouchable arsenal, unlocking explosive plays that can turn the tide of the game.
Meta-Relevance: As metagames cycle through phases where control decks and graveyard synergies are prominent, Magus of the Will maintains a tactical edge. Its ability to bypass traditional resource constraints means it can capitalize on the current deck-building trends and provide a significant advantage.
How to beat
Magus of the Will is a unique card that allows MTG players to unlock their graveyard as a temporary resource library. This capacity to tap into an extensive pool of spells can be overwhelming if left unchecked. Dealing with Magus of the Will effectively is a matter of timing and strategy. Removal spells are the most straightforward approach to mitigate the threat it poses.
Targeted removal spells, such as Path to Exile or Murderous Rider, can be used to dispatch the Magus before its ability is activated. Additionally, countering key spells resurrected from the graveyard can stall the momentum it would otherwise provide. Graveyard hate cards, such as Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void, also serve as excellent preemptive measures, disabling the Magus’s ability to access past spells.
When it comes to outpacing Magus of the Will, aggressive decks can apply pressure early in the game, forcing the opposing player to defend rather than setting up their graveyard strategy. In culmination, while Magus of the Will can be a formidable opponent, prompt answers, consistent pressure, and strategic sideboarding are keys to nullify the advantage it grants.
Cards like Magus of the Will
Magus of the Will carves out a unique niche in MTG as a powerful way to exploit one’s graveyard. This card echoes the functionality of the esteemed Yawgmoth’s Will, allowing players to cast cards from their graveyard for a turn. Where Magus of the Will requires a creature card on the battlefield and must be untapped, Yawgmoth’s Will is an instant one-time use, offering a similar yet more immediate effect. The distinction lies in the permanence and repeatability potential of Magus of the Will.
Examining other similar mechanics, we find cards like Snapcaster Mage, which grants an instant or sorcery in your graveyard flashback until end of turn. Although it’s limited to a single card, Snapcaster Mage offers immediate value and is less mana-intensive. Meanwhile, cards like Past in Flames provide a broader approach by giving all your instants and sorceries in the graveyard flashback, though it too is a one-off effect and doesn’t cover creatures or other card types.
Delving deeper into its strategic applications, Magus of the Will provides a versatile tool for decks that bank on graveyard synergies, offering repeated access to a wide variety of spells if it remains on the battlefield. This positions the Magus as an intriguing option for players leveraging the long game, particularly in commander or legacy formats.
Cards similar to Magus of the Will by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Magus of the Will MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2016 and Treasure Chest, 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 Magus of the Will and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See Magic products
Printings
The Magus of the Will Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2016-11-11 and 2020-08-07. Illustrated by Vincent Proce.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-11-11 | Commander 2016 | C16 | 14 | 2015 | normal | black | Vincent Proce | |
| 2 | 2016-11-16 | Treasure Chest | PZ2 | 21 | 2015 | normal | black | Vincent Proce | |
| 3 | 2020-08-07 | Double Masters | 2XM | 98 | 2015 | normal | black | Vincent Proce |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Magus of the Will has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Magus of the Will card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-08-07 | Cards that would be put into your graveyard are exiled even if you didn't play them this turn, such as a nontoken creature that would die. |
| 2020-08-07 | If another effect tries to change where a spell is put as it resolves, such as that of a rebound or buyback ability, you may choose whether to exile the card to Magus of the Will's effect or to apply the other effect. |
| 2020-08-07 | Magus of the Will doesn't change when you can play the cards in your graveyard. For example, if you have a creature card without flash in your graveyard, you can cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty. |
| 2020-08-07 | Tokens are put into your graveyard as normal (and cease to exist soon after). Abilities that trigger when a creature dies can trigger on token creatures being put into your graveyard but won't trigger on nontoken creatures being exiled instead of being put into your graveyard. |
| 2020-08-07 | You may play a land card from your graveyard only if you have an available land play. |
| 2020-08-07 | You pay the costs for a card in your graveyard if you cast it. You may pay alternative costs such as overload rather than the card's mana cost. |
