Faces of the Past MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment
Released	2003-05-26
Set symbol
Set name	Scourge
Set code	SCG
Number	35
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Wayne England

Key Takeaways

Enables card advantage by untapping creatures with shared types, facilitating repetitive benefits.
Acts as a pivotal resource accelerator, unbinding creatures for exponential mana generation.
Facilitates strategic plays with untapping that can be leveraged for instant responses.

Text of card

Whenever a creature is put into a graveyard from play, tap or untap all creatures that share a creature type with it.

The ties that bind can also strangle.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Faces of the Past is adept at providing consistent card advantage. With this unique enchantment, players can untap all creatures that share a type – a powerful mechanic that can be leveraged with various creature-based strategies to draw multiple cards, potentially each turn.

Resource Acceleration: By untapping creatures with abilities linked to producing mana or other key resources, Faces of the Past can serve as a catalyst for resource acceleration. It seamlessly supports decks that utilize creatures like mana dorks or those with tap-based abilities, ensuring you stay ahead in the race for dominance on the playmat.

Instant Speed: While Faces of the Past itself isn’t an instant, it allows for instant-speed responses by untapping relevant creatures at critical moments. This can be especially strategic when used in response to an opponent’s actions, allowing you to utilize abilities without the need for a spell on the stack or even to bluff interactions during their turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Faces of the Past possesses a nuanced dynamic that might not always align with your strategy. Its activation demands the discard of a card, which could put you at a disadvantage when your hand is dwindling or when every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a specific blend of mana to cast, including blue mana, which may not readily fit into all deck archetypes. Decks not focused on blue may find incorporating Faces of the Past a bit challenging due to this mana alignment.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activation cost that’s somewhat on the higher side, Faces of the Past might be less favorable compared to other options. This cost efficiency could be especially important in formats or situations where speed and lower cost cards can determine the outcome of a game.

Reasons to Include Faces of the Past in Your Collection

Versatility: Faces of the Past offers a unique level of adaptability for decks utilizing creatures with tap abilities or substantial tribal elements. This card becomes particularly useful in situations where you’d want to untap your creatures for additional uses or tactically tap down opponents’ creatures to hinder their strategies.

Combo Potential: This card stands out for its ability to create powerful synergies with cards that tap to produce a variety of effects, from generating mana to controlling the board. It’s an enabler for numerous infinite combos, elevating strategies that could lead to game-winning scenarios.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Faces of the Past shines by providing control over both your own creatures and your opponents’. The ability to respond to creature activations dynamically makes it a pertinent choice for decks looking to stay competitive.

How to beat

Faces of the Past is a unique enchantment in MTG that can manipulate the pace of the game by untapping creatures sharing a creature type with a creature that dies. This card shines in tribal decks where numerous creatures of the same type are present, potentially leading to unexpected combos or defensive maneuvers. To counteract Faces of the Past, disrupting these creature-type synergies is crucial.

Introducing spot removals that target key creatures in your opponent’s strategy can hinder their game plan. Wrath effects to clear the board or single-target removals can prevent your opponent from capitalizing on the untap ability. Additionally, employing graveyard hate cards that exile or inhibit cards from entering the graveyard will limit the utility of Faces of the Past. It’s also smart to manage your removals judiciously, focusing on creatures that your opponent would most benefit from untapping.

A strategic approach against Faces of the Past involves maintaining board control and being mindful of creature-type counts on the battlefield. Cards that alter creature types or nullify abilities can diminish the potency of such synergistic enchantments. In sum, handling the faces of the past requires a thoughtful consideration of creature dynamics and timely disruption.

Cards like Faces of the Past

Faces of the Past is a unique enchantment in MTG, stirring interest among enthusiasts for its ability to turn creatures’ tap abilities into broader gameplay strategies. It echoes the utility of cards like Intruder Alarm, which manipulates creatures’ tap states but does so by completely untapping all creatures whenever one becomes tapped. Unlike Faces of the Past, Intruder Alarm affects all players and lacks the precision of target selection that Faces of the Past offers.

Another card that shares a kinship in function is Puppeteer, allowing the manipulation of a single tapped or untapped creature. While more limited in scope compared to Faces of the Past, which has the potential to affect multiple creatures, Puppeteer provides players with control without a reliance on the tribal component that Faces of the Past emphasizes. Mage’s Guile stands as a contrast in this selection, offering instant speed interaction but focusing solely on granting shroud until end of turn rather than altering tap states.

Analyzing the strengths and utilities, Faces of the Past positions itself as a tactical piece in player decks, particularly those built around synergies of tap abilities and tribal themes, setting a distinctive tone in gameplay compared to its counterparts.

Cards similar to Faces of the Past by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Faces of the Past MTG card by a specific set like Scourge, 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 Faces of the Past and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Faces of the Past has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2004-10-04	You choose whether to tap or untap during resolution.
2004-10-04	You either tap all of them or untap all of them. You can’t tap some and untap others.