Sway of Illusion MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant
Released	2000-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Invasion
Set code	INV
Number	77
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Greg Hildebrandt & Tim Hildebrandt

Key Takeaways

Sway of Illusion lets you draw a card, keeping a good hand while disrupting opponents.
Changes creature colors instantly, enabling surprise combat and strategic plays.
May be restrictive with its dual mana cost and card discard requirement.

Text of card

Any number of target creatures become the color of your choice until end of turn. Draw a card.

"I suggest you take a closer look." —Tidal visionary

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sway of Illusion provides an opportunity to replace itself in hand by drawing a card, thus maintaining card equilibrium while potentially disrupting the opponent’s board state.

Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t directly accelerate resources in terms of mana, Sway of Illusion can strategically alter the colors of creatures, which might enable interactions with cards that reward multicolor creatures or allow for surprising combat tricks.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Sway of Illusion at instant speed grants flexibility, allowing for reactive plays in response to changing game circumstances or to conceal your strategy until the most opportune moment.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Sway of Illusion necessitates a card to be discarded alongside its mana cost. This can put players at a disadvantage, particularly when their hand is running low on cards, and maintaining card advantage is crucial to their strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both blue and generic mana, Sway of Illusion may not seamlessly fit into all deck builds, limiting its versatility. Decks that are not focused on blue mana may find it difficult to incorporate this card without adjusting their mana base, which can affect the deck’s consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its single-target, temporary effect, Sway of Illusion has a mana cost that some players may consider high when compared to other options. In MTG, where efficiency is key, there may be alternative cards that provide a permanent solution or affect multiple targets for a similar or lower cost.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Sway of Illusion offers flexibility in decks that capitalize on changing creature colors, whether for protection, surprise combat advantages, or to fulfill card-specific conditions.

Combo Potential: This card can initiate combos with cards like “Blind Seer” or enhance multicolor matters strategies, setting off a chain of beneficial triggers.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where color matters or where opponents rely on protection from specific colors, Sway of Illusion can be a game-changer, neutralizing those defenses and enabling critical interactions.

How to beat

Sway of Illusion presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. This blue instant allows for a multifaceted response, changing the color of any number of target creatures until end of turn, which can be utilized to slip past color-based protections or to fulfill certain deck mechanics. To effectively counter Sway of Illusion, focus on versatility in your deck construction. Keep removal spells that don’t specify a color, or include countermeasures for abilities and buffs that Sway of Illusion might enable for your opponent.

Flexibility is key; cards like Naturalize or Disenchant can target other elements that the Sway of Illusion may interact with, such as enchantments or artifacts bolstering those creatures. You might also consider instant-speed removals that can disrupt the color-dependant combo before it fully materializes, like Murder or Go for the Throat, that can take down creatures regardless of their color at critical moments. As with any MTG strategy, awareness and prediction of your opponent’s possible moves are paramount. Be prepared with diverse and color-indifferent answers to outplay the illusionary tactics Sway of Illusion brings to the game.

Ultimately, it’s the player who best anticipates and adapts to the shifting hues of battle who will emerge victorious in the ever-changing world of Magic: The Gathering.

Cards like Sway of Illusion

Sway of Illusion offers a unique twist on the flexibility of creature manipulation spells within Magic: The Gathering. It stands out with its ability to change the color of any number of target creatures until end of turn, a trait that shares some similarities with the modal nature of a spell like Glamerdye. Glamerdye also allows players to change the color of a target permanent, yet it only affects one at a time, without the sweep potential that Sway of Illusion holds.

Another spell that comes to mind is Trait Doctoring, which can alter the color or land type of a single card for just one mana. While cheaper, Trait Doctoring’s scope is far narrower compared to the broad reach Sway of Illusion provides by possibly affecting multiple creatures on the board. Not to forget, Sway of Illusion also comes with a card draw, giving you additional value and maintaining card advantage.

Considering the tactical flexibility of changing creature colors in an instant and the additional benefit of card draw, Sway of Illusion has its own special niche. It offers more than just basic color alteration, allowing for both an unexpected defensive maneuver or a strategic offensive push during gameplay.

Cards similar to Sway of Illusion by color, type and mana cost

Hypnotic Sprite // Mesmeric Glare - MTG Card versions

Accumulated Knowledge - MTG Card versions

Thassa's Intervention - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sway of Illusion MTG card by a specific set like Invasion, 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 Sway of Illusion and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sway of Illusion 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 Sway of Illusion card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.