Chart a Course MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Chart a Course ensures a dynamic hand, pivotal for responding to opponents and furthering your board state.
  2. Being restricted to blue mana, it’s a strategic component of blue or multi-color deck constructs.
  3. Its conditional discard seamlessly integrates with decks tailored towards aggression and combat tactics.

Text of card

Draw two cards. Then discard a card unless you attacked with a creature this turn.

While other pirates prowl for treasure, Captain Parrish plunders secrets.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Chart a Course, you get the opportunity to draw two cards, effectively replenishing your hand and providing valuable options for upcoming turns. This can be a turning point in maintaining dominance over your opponent by ensuring you never run out of responses or threats.

Resource Acceleration: Although Chart a Course itself doesn’t directly produce mana or treasure, it effectively digs through your deck to find critical lands or ramp spells. This acceleration is key in outpacing your opponent and deploying your strategy more efficiently.

Instant Speed: Chart a Course operates at sorcery speed, but its strategic implementation can feel as flexible as an instant. Playing it post-combat ensures you get the most value after engaging in battle, keeping your resources at the ready until the optimal moment. This timing allows you to make informed decisions based on the current state of the game, thus maximizing its potential.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike some more flexible draw spells, Chart a Course requires you to discard a card unless you attacked with a creature this turn. This could impinge on your hand if you’re unable to fulfill the attack condition, especially in control decks that might not have creatures on the board early in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: With Chart a Course demanding one blue mana, its use is inherently confined to blue or multi-color decks. This mana specificity can constrain deck-building options, particularly if you’re aiming to include cards outside the blue spectrum.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While two mana for drawing two cards might seem cost-effective, there are many cards in the same mana range that can provide card advantage without the conditional discard. Thus, in certain situations, Chart a Course might prove less mana-efficient when considering the plethora of other card draw alternatives available.


Reasons to Include Chart a Course in Your Collection

Versatility: Chart a Course is flexible enough to be included in various deck archetypes. This card shines in blue-based strategies that value card draw, allowing for a more consistent performance by ensuring that you have access to the right cards when you need them.

Combo Potential: For decks that revolve around casting numerous spells or those that utilize graveyard mechanics, Chart a Course offers a means to either fill the hand with options or set up the graveyard for future plays, thereby interacting synergistically with combo pieces.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where card advantage can be pivotal, Chart a Course holds its ground by offering an efficient draw mechanism. Given its low mana cost and the ability to draw two cards, it maintains relevance in a variety of metagames, particularly where tempo strategies prevail.


How to Overcome Chart a Course in Gameplay

Chart a Course has secured a spot in the Magic: The Gathering card roster as a valuable draw spell for blue decks. Its allure comes from the balance of cost and benefit—it allows a player to draw two cards for just two mana. However, if a player hasn’t attacked with a creature this turn, one of those cards must be tossed into the graveyard. This duality makes Chart a Course versatile, fitting into strategies that benefit from both drawing and discarding.

To effectively neutralize the advantage it provides, consider employing strategies that limit hand size or discard effects, which can undercut the value of Chart a Course’s card draw. Also, putting pressure on your opponent early can make the attack requirement harder to satisfy, making the discard more impactful. Cards like Narset, Parter of Veils, which restricts the number of cards your opponent can draw, can serve as strong countermeasures against draw-heavy strategies.

Chart a Course shines in a game where tempo and card advantage are critical. By employing counterspells, hand disruption, or simply keeping the battlefield state under control, you can mitigate the strategic depth this card offers to your adversary. Recognizing and disrupting your opponent’s plan will keep you afloat and steer the game in your favor.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the nuances of MTG cards like Chart a Course can transform your gameplay experience. Drawing additional cards is a powerful move, and when optimized, it aligns your deck with competitive plays, exponentially bolstering your strategy. Whether you’re a fan of blue’s cunning maneuvers or looking to refine your approach to deck-building, Chart a Course is a valuable asset that rewards tactical foresight and creature-based aggression. Dive deeper into this card’s potential by exploring our extensive content, from detailed strategy guides to deck techs. Enhance your MTG expertise with us and turn the tides in your next duel.


Cards like Chart a Course

Chart a Course is an intriguing spell in the realm of card draw Magic: The Gathering has to offer. It aligns with the likes of Preordain and Serum Visions, both being low-cost cards that enable players to draw. However, Chart a Course comes with a unique twist—if you attacked with a creature this turn, you are not required to discard, making it exceptionally beneficial for aggressive strategies.

Comparable, yet different in mechanics, is Think Twice. Available for an additional mana and providing instant-speed flexibility, Think Twice allows drawing a single card with the upside of having flashback, meaning it can be used a second time from the graveyard, albeit at a higher cost. Meanwhile, Compulsive Research provides a more potent draw with a catch, drawn three, discard two unless you discard a land card, presenting an interesting decision point for the player.

In assessing Chart a Course against its counterparts, it’s clear this card offers a solid blend of card advantage and tactical play for players who prefer an offensive approach. Its synergy with creature-based decks gives it a distinct edge in the environment of card draw spells in MTG.

Preordain - MTG Card versions
Serum Visions - MTG Card versions
Think Twice - MTG Card versions
Compulsive Research - MTG Card versions
Preordain - Magic 2011 (M11)
Serum Visions - Arena League 2004 (PAL04)
Think Twice - Time Spiral (TSP)
Compulsive Research - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)

Cards similar to Chart a Course by color, type and mana cost

Time Walk - MTG Card versions
Braingeyser - MTG Card versions
Drain Power - MTG Card versions
Transmute Artifact - MTG Card versions
Forget - MTG Card versions
Foresight - MTG Card versions
Whimsy - MTG Card versions
Omen - MTG Card versions
Paradigm Shift - MTG Card versions
Piracy - MTG Card versions
Strategic Planning - MTG Card versions
Fatigue - MTG Card versions
Wind Sail - MTG Card versions
Mana Vapors - MTG Card versions
Turbulent Dreams - MTG Card versions
Quiet Speculation - MTG Card versions
Muse Vortex - MTG Card versions
See the Truth - MTG Card versions
Fae of Wishes // Granted - MTG Card versions
Maddening Cacophony - MTG Card versions
Time Walk - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Braingeyser - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Drain Power - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Transmute Artifact - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Forget - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Foresight - Alliances (ALL)
Whimsy - Astral Cards (PAST)
Omen - Portal (POR)
Paradigm Shift - Weatherlight (WTH)
Piracy - Starter 1999 (S99)
Strategic Planning - Strixhaven Mystical Archive (STA)
Fatigue - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Wind Sail - Starter 1999 (S99)
Mana Vapors - Prophecy (PCY)
Turbulent Dreams - Torment (TOR)
Quiet Speculation - Judgment (JUD)
Muse Vortex - Commander 2021 (C21)
See the Truth - Core Set 2021 (M21)
Fae of Wishes // Granted - Throne of Eldraine Promos (PELD)
Maddening Cacophony - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Chart a Course MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan and Mystery Booster, 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 Chart a Course and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Chart a Course Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2017-09-29 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-09-29IxalanXLN 482015normalblackJames Ryman
22019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 3122015normalblackJames Ryman
32020-07-17JumpstartJMP 1422015normalblackJames Ryman
42020-09-26The ListPLST XLN-482015normalblackJames Ryman
52023-11-17The Lost Caverns of IxalanLCI 482015normalblackJosu Solano

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Chart a Course has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

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