Hour of Promise MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Hour of Promise is notable for fetching two lands, significantly enhancing ramp strategies in MTG.
  2. While offering resource acceleration, the five-mana cost and green mana requirement could limit its versatility.
  3. Strategic inclusion in decks is advised, thanks to its synergy with landfall and desert-based abilities.

Text of card

Search your library for up to two land cards, put them onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library. Then if you control three or more Deserts, create two 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens.

With the Hekma breached and its protection removed, the deserts swept in.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Hour of Promise excels at card utility by fetching not just one but two land cards directly onto the battlefield, setting you up for potent plays ahead.

Resource Acceleration: This card stands out in ramp strategies by allowing you to accelerate your resources significantly, especially if it results in the summoning of two powerful land cards that can be immediately put to use.

Instant Speed: While Hour of Promise is a sorcery, its impactful search and land placement effect make up for the speed, acting as a catalyst for your strategy that can turn the tide of the game when played at the right moment.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Hour of Promise itself doesn’t require a discard, it operates under a specific condition where discarding can indirectly become a factor. Given its five-mana cost, players often need to carefully manage their hand to ensure they can play it without foregoing other strategic plays, potentially leading to tough decisions about what to discard throughout the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Hour of Promise’s mana cost, which includes one green, can be restrictive. This requirement might not pose a problem in two-color or green-focused ramp decks, but it can limit the card’s inclusion in more color-diverse or non-green strategies, possibly requiring additional mana-fixing resources to be played reliably.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of five mana, Hour of Promise is a significant investment, especially in the current metagame where speed and efficiency can be critical. Although the ability to search for two land cards is powerful, some players might prefer options that impact the board immediately or cost less, enabling a faster tempo and smoother curve in their deck’s progression.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Hour of Promise is a dynamic addition to any deck seeking reliable land ramp. The ability to search for any two lands, not just basic lands, opens a world of strategic possibilities and ensures that your mana base meets your deck’s needs.

Combo Potential: With its land-searching capability, Hour of Promise synergizes with landfall triggers and combos well with cards that activate abilities when a certain number of deserts are in play. It can serve as a cornerstone for activating powerful land-related combos.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to fetch critical utility lands, Hour of Promise remains relevant in a range of MTG formats. It can quickly change the tide of the game by providing the right lands at the critical moment, making it a game-changer in the current metagame.


How to Beat Hour of Promise

Hour of Promise is an impactful card renowned for its land-searching ability, often propelling players towards a commanding position in Magic: The Gathering. Its power lies in its ability to fetch any two lands from your deck, not just basics, and potentially place hefty Zombie tokens onto the battlefield as a bonus for having three or more deserts.

The key to undermining Hour of Promise lies in strategic prevention and disruption. Utilize land destruction or graveyard manipulation to cut off the benefits it provides. Cards like Field of Ruin can disrupt special land synergies, and graveyard hate cards like Scavenging Ooze or Relic of Progenitus help mitigate the advantage gained from searching lands into the graveyard. Pacing is also important; apply pressure early in the game to challenge a player before they cast Hour of Promise and go beyond reach. Remember, managing your opponent’s resources and threats directly diminishes the impact of their game plan, ultimately leading you towards victory.

A well-timed counterspell can prevent Hour of Promise from resolving in the first place. In Magic: The Gathering, staying one step ahead of your opponent’s strategy is crucial. This means efficient use of your cards and mana to render their powerful spells, like Hour of Promise, less effective. Precision and foresight are your allies in subverting the advantage this card offers.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the depths of MTG involves more than just learning individual card strengths; it’s about building a cohesive strategy. Hour of Promise is a powerful component for any player focusing on land ramp tactics, seamlessly fitting into decks that benefit from fast mana acceleration and potential zombie token defense. Its ability to search for any two lands is a vital asset, offering versatility in deck construction and gameplay. If you’re keen on optimizing your strategy with this dynamic card or seeking similar impactful options, join us for comprehensive insights and tips on harnessing the full potential of your MTG collection. Your next encounter across the table could lead to a victorious moment with the right knowledge and preparation.


Cards like Hour of Promise

Hour of Promise is a distinctive selection in the realm of land search spells in MTG. This card bears similarity to spells like Explosive Vegetation, which also allows a player to search for two land cards and put them onto the battlefield. Despite this resemblance, Hour of Promise comes with a significant upside – if you control three or more deserts, you get not just the lands but also two zombie tokens. Explosive Vegetation lacks this additional token generation feature.

In the same suite of land search spells, we find Cultivate and Kodama’s Reach, both of which offer a moderate ramp by allowing you to search for one land card to place on the battlefield and another to go into your hand. While this can be seen as more flexible than directly putting two lands onto the battlefield, neither spell provides the immediate board presence that Hour of Promise can offer with its potential zombie tokens.

To summarize, Hour of Promise not only effectively increases your land count but potentially amps up your defensive line with zombie tokens. Within MTG land search spells, it delivers strong utility and board impact, setting itself as a prominent choice amidst its counterparts.

Explosive Vegetation - MTG Card versions
Cultivate - MTG Card versions
Kodama's Reach - MTG Card versions
Explosive Vegetation - Onslaught (ONS)
Cultivate - Magic 2011 (M11)
Kodama's Reach - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)

Cards similar to Hour of Promise by color, type and mana cost

Double Play - MTG Card versions
Plow Under - MTG Card versions
Restock - MTG Card versions
Tranquil Path - MTG Card versions
Parallel Evolution - MTG Card versions
Stunted Growth - MTG Card versions
Shamanic Revelation - MTG Card versions
Primal Command - MTG Card versions
Rebuking Ceremony - MTG Card versions
Feast of Worms - MTG Card versions
Natural Spring - MTG Card versions
Predatory Focus - MTG Card versions
Overrun - MTG Card versions
Incremental Growth - MTG Card versions
Savage Conception - MTG Card versions
Bestial Menace - MTG Card versions
Overwhelming Stampede - MTG Card versions
Predatory Rampage - MTG Card versions
Mischief and Mayhem - MTG Card versions
Selvala's Charge - MTG Card versions
Double Play - Unglued (UGL)
Plow Under - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Restock - Invasion (INV)
Tranquil Path - Apocalypse (APC)
Parallel Evolution - The List (PLST)
Stunted Growth - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Shamanic Revelation - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Primal Command - Strixhaven Mystical Archive (STA)
Rebuking Ceremony - Darksteel (DST)
Feast of Worms - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Natural Spring - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
Predatory Focus - Guildpact (GPT)
Overrun - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Incremental Growth - Lorwyn (LRW)
Savage Conception - Eventide (EVE)
Bestial Menace - Midnight Hunt Commander (MIC)
Overwhelming Stampede - Commander Anthology (CMA)
Predatory Rampage - Magic 2013 (M13)
Mischief and Mayhem - Born of the Gods (BNG)
Selvala's Charge - Conspiracy (CNS)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hour of Promise MTG card by a specific set like Hour of Devastation and Hour of Devastation Promos, 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 Hour of Promise and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Hour of Promise Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2017-07-14 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Jonas De Ro.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-07-14Hour of DevastationHOU 1202015normalblackJonas De Ro
22017-07-15Hour of Devastation PromosPHOU 120s2015normalblackJonas De Ro
32020-08-13Amonkhet RemasteredAKR 1972015normalblackJonas De Ro

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hour of Promise has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2017-07-14 When Hour of Promise checks the number of Deserts you control, it includes any Deserts you found earlier with Hour of Promise.
2018-01-19 There are many important moments in the story, but the most crucial—called “story spotlights”—are shown on cards. These cards have the Planeswalker symbol in their text box; this symbol has no effect on gameplay. You can read more about these events in the official Magic fiction at http://www.mtgstory.com.

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