Hijack MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Hijack grants immediate board advantage by controlling two targets, setting up influential plays.
  2. This card’s sorcery speed enables calculated strategic maneuvers during your turn, aiding combat surprises.
  3. Hijack’s mana cost and discard requirement may pose a strategic trade-off for its temporary benefits.

Text of card

Gain control of target artifact or creature until end of turn. Untap it. It gains haste until end of turn.

"Whoa there. Easy. We're just going to take a little detour."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Hijack allows you to seize control of not just one, but two target permanents, immediately giving you a potential edge on the board and setting the stage for powerful plays.

Resource Acceleration: By commandeering an opponent’s artifact, you may tap it for any abilities it possesses, including the generation of additional mana, thus accelerating your own resources without expending your cards.

Instant Speed: While Hijack is at sorcery speed, this unique timing offers strategic layering of plays during your turn, ensuring maximum impact and setting up for potential combat surprises or synergistic interactions with your own untap steps.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Hijack demands that you discard a card to assert control, potentially depleting your hand and leaving you at a strategic disadvantage in future turns.

Specific Mana Cost: The requirement for both red and blue mana can restrict the card’s inclusion, catering primarily to decks that can reliably generate both mana types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a combined total of three mana, Hijack’s activation cost is substantial when considering alternative spells that might provide a more enduring or impactful effect on the game state for a similar or lower investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Hijack is a card that finds its place in various deck builds, particularly those that capitalize on temporarily gaining control of opponents’ resources. Its ability to hijack both creatures and artifacts means it can adapt to diverse in-game situations.

Combo Potential: This card has great synergy with sacrifice outlets. Taking control of an opponent’s powerful creature or artifact and then sacrificing it for your benefit before it reverts to your opponent’s control can shift the game dramatically in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: In a game climate where creature and artifact strategies are prevalent, Hijack can serve as a critical disruptor. It’s a smart addition if you anticipate going against decks that heavily rely on these types of permanents.


How to beat

Hijack is a compelling card capable of turning the tables in any Magic: The Gathering matchup, given its potential to temporarily seize control of an opponent’s artifact or creature. When facing this card, timing is your ally; strategic players will hold back their most powerful resources or protect them with countermeasures. Cards like Negate can be useful in intercepting this sorcery before it takes effect. Alternatively, if Hijack does resolve, instant-speed removal spells are your next line of defense, allowing you to remove the hijacked asset from play before it can be used against you.

Maintaining a clear board state with sweepers like Wrath of God can also minimize Hijack’s impact, leaving your opponent with fewer targets. Moreover, prioritizing the protection of key creatures or artifacts with hexproof abilities will render them immune to this temporary theft. It’s always essential to anticipate Hijack’s appearance in decks that thrive on aggressive strategies and resource manipulation. By doing so, you position yourself to outwit and disarm its potential, turning what could be a crucial pivot point into nothing but a minor inconvenience in your strategy.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG involves a strategic mix of card knowledge and gameplay finesse, reflecting the value of cards like Hijack. Insights gleaned from understanding Hijack’s strengths and vulnerabilities can be fundamental to refining your deck and gameplay. The versatility it presents, by commandeering both creatures and artifacts, could be the linchpin in your next game. If you’re keen to further explore Hijack’s potential within your arsenal, or to uncover more strategies against cards that threaten to disrupt your path to victory, our platform offers in-depth resources tailored for every MTG enthusiast. Enhance your tactical toolkit — learn more with us today.


Cards like Hijack

Hijack stands out in the realm of temporary control spells within Magic: The Gathering. Comparable to Act of Treason, Hijack has the unique ability to not only gain control of a creature but also an artifact for the turn. Act of Treason, however, is limited to creatures only, providing a narrower range of targets. Hijack’s expanded reach can mean a crucial tactical advantage, especially in artifact-heavy metagames.

Looking at another peer, Kari Zev’s Expertise offers a similar creature control effect but with an added bonus – the ability to cast a card with a converted mana cost of 2 or less from your hand without paying its mana cost. While Kari Zev’s Expertise costs more mana than Hijack, the free cast mechanic might justify the additional mana investment. In contrast to both, Wrangle is more mana-efficient at just two mana, but it restricts the scope of control to creatures with power 4 or less.

When analyzing these options, it becomes apparent that Hijack provides a versatile and opportunistic choice in games where artifacts play a pivotal role. The ability to seize an extra type of permanent, even if just for a turn, can swing games and is what sets Hijack apart in its category.

Act of Treason - MTG Card versions
Kari Zev's Expertise - MTG Card versions
Wrangle - MTG Card versions
Act of Treason - Magic 2010 (M10)
Kari Zev's Expertise - Aether Revolt Promos (PAER)
Wrangle - Aether Revolt (AER)

Cards similar to Hijack by color, type and mana cost

Stone Rain - MTG Card versions
Game of Chaos - MTG Card versions
Evaporate - MTG Card versions
Pillage - MTG Card versions
Goblin War Cry - MTG Card versions
Steam Blast - MTG Card versions
Goblin Offensive - MTG Card versions
Desert Sandstorm - MTG Card versions
Arc Lightning - MTG Card versions
Search for Survivors - MTG Card versions
Searing Rays - MTG Card versions
Rupture - MTG Card versions
Tundra Fumarole - MTG Card versions
Browbeat - MTG Card versions
Anger of the Gods - MTG Card versions
Erratic Explosion - MTG Card versions
Threaten - MTG Card versions
Sizzle - MTG Card versions
Hammer of Bogardan - MTG Card versions
Panic Attack - MTG Card versions
Stone Rain - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Game of Chaos - Ice Age (ICE)
Evaporate - Homelands (HML)
Pillage - Arena League 2000 (PAL00)
Goblin War Cry - Portal Second Age (P02)
Steam Blast - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Goblin Offensive - Urza's Saga (USG)
Desert Sandstorm - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Arc Lightning - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Search for Survivors - Prophecy (PCY)
Searing Rays - Invasion (INV)
Rupture - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Tundra Fumarole - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Browbeat - Masters 25 (A25)
Anger of the Gods - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)
Erratic Explosion - Planechase 2012 (PC2)
Threaten - Tenth Edition (10E)
Sizzle - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Hammer of Bogardan - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Panic Attack - Ninth Edition (9ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hijack MTG card by a specific set like Kaladesh and Ixalan, 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 Hijack and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Hijack Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2016-09-30 and 2020-11-12. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-09-30KaladeshKLD 1182015normalblackVictor Adame Minguez
22017-09-29IxalanXLN 1482015normalblackSvetlin Velinov
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 9742015normalblackSvetlin Velinov
42020-09-26The ListPLST XLN-1482015normalblackSvetlin Velinov
52020-11-12Kaladesh RemasteredKLR 1282015normalblackVictor Adame Minguez

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hijack has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2017-09-29 You can target and gain control of an untapped artifact or creature this way. You can also untap an artifact or creature you already control and give it haste.

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