Insidious Will MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Insidious Will grants control by countering or utilizing spells, enhancing strategic in-game supremacy.
  2. Its ability to copy or redirect spells at instant speed makes it a formidable and unpredictable tool.
  3. Despite its higher mana cost, the card’s adaptability makes it a valuable addition to any deck.

Text of card

Choose one — • Counter target spell. • You may choose new targets for target spell. • Copy target instant or sorcery spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.

"We meet again, pyromancer." —Baral, Chief of Compliance


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Insidious Will enables you to dictate the flow of the game by choosing the most beneficial outcome given any situation. Whether you’re copying a pivotal spell for your strategy or negating an opponent’s game-changing play, this card ensures that you always have a potential advantage in hand.

Resource Acceleration: By copying your own spells that generate mana or draw additional cards, Insidious Will can inadvertently act as a resource accelerator. This capacity to harness more from what you already have makes it a dynamic tool in maintaining the pace and pressure on your opponents.

Instant Speed: The versatility of casting Insidious Will at instant speed cannot be overstated. This allows you to adapt to the evolving battlefield, keeping opponents guessing whether you have a counter or a copy strategy up your sleeve, and enabling you to respond to or capitalize on windows of opportunity as they emerge during a match.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Insidious Will does not have a discard requirement itself, its strategic use often involves keeping mana open for counters, which can lead to having to discard other cards if your hand is full.

Specific Mana Cost: Insidious Will demands both triple blue and one generic mana, making it a potential challenge for multicolored decks to cast, especially those that do not prioritize blue mana resources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total mana cost of four, which includes three blue mana symbols, this card can be considered costly when compared to other counter spells or control tools available within the game, potentially slowing down your tempo.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Insidious Will offers incredible flexibility to any control or combo deck due to its various modes. This card can counter a spell, redirect a spell or ability to a new target, or copy a spell for your benefit, adapting to numerous situations on the battlefield.

Combo Potential: Its ability to copy any instant or sorcery amplifies the power of your own spells, potentially doubling the impact of game-changing effects. This can be pivotal when executing key combos or when you’re aiming for a strong finish.

Meta-Relevance: In an ever-shifting MTG landscape where control elements frequently dictate the pace, Insidious Will holds its value by providing an answer to multiple threats. Whether halting an opponent’s strategy or enhancing your own, it’s a card that keeps you one step ahead in various metagames.


How to beat

Insidious Will is known for its flexibility and its potential to disrupt opponents’ strategies in Magic: The Gathering. It’s a card that can counter any spell, change a spell’s target, or even copy a spell for your own use. To outmaneuver the cunning Insidious Will, it’s essential to bait out the counter before playing your key spells. One strategy is to present threats that force the Insidious Will user to decide between countering or holding onto their mana. Additionally, playing with instants that can be cast during your opponent’s turn increases the complexity of their decisions and can strain their counterplay ability.

Another effective tactic is to take advantage of spells or abilities that can’t be countered. By including these in your deck, you nullify one of Insidious Will’s modes, directly challenging the opponent’s game plan. Remember also that Insidious Will’s versatility comes at a higher mana cost, so maintaining a tempo that pressures the opponent’s mana resources can limit the usability of this cunning card. It’s a delicate balance of threat assessment, resource allocation, and timing that will help you overcome the versatility of Insidious Will.


BurnMana Recommendations

If you’re seeking to enhance your MTG play, consider the vast potential of Insidious Will. Its ability to counter, copy, or redirect spells makes it a formidable addition to any deck, especially in control or combo strategies. Tailoring your deck to exploit its versatility could place you steps ahead of your competition. Recognize that while it carries a higher mana cost, the strategic depth it provides can be game-defining. We encourage you to delve deeper into this card’s possibilities – learn how to seamlessly integrate Insidious Will into your gameplay for an edge in your MTG battles.


Cards like Insidious Will

Insidious Will is a versatile player in the realm of counter spells and spell-copying in MTG. One card that it invites comparison with is Counterspell itself, a classic and straightforward counter known for its efficiency in denying an opponent’s spell for just two blue mana. While Insidious Will costs two more mana, it offers flexibility unavailable to Counterspell, allowing players to choose among countering, copying, or redirecting a single target spell.

Another spell to consider is Redirect. Like one of Insidious Will’s modes, Redirect changes the target of a spell but it does not offer the ability to copy or counter outright. The cost of Redirect is less, but it lacks the adaptability that Insidious Will boasts. Similarly, Twincast focuses on duplicating another instant or sorcery spell and is cheaper to cast. But again, this is a one-trick pony compared to the trifecta of options that Insidious Will can deploy depending on the situation.

Upon reviewing these counterparts, it’s clear that Insidious Will holds a unique position. Though pricier in mana cost compared to its brethren, the breadth of strategic choices it presents solidifies its spot as a card of superior adaptability in Magic: The Gathering.

Counterspell - MTG Card versions
Redirect - MTG Card versions
Twincast - MTG Card versions
Counterspell - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Redirect - Magic 2011 (M11)
Twincast - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)

Cards similar to Insidious Will by color, type and mana cost

Deflection - MTG Card versions
Ray of Command - MTG Card versions
Inspiration - MTG Card versions
Turnabout - MTG Card versions
Quash - MTG Card versions
Foil - MTG Card versions
Thwart - MTG Card versions
Plagiarize - MTG Card versions
Fact or Fiction - MTG Card versions
Cryptic Command - MTG Card versions
Fold into Aether - MTG Card versions
Part the Veil - MTG Card versions
Gifts Ungiven - MTG Card versions
Surging Aether - MTG Card versions
Careful Consideration - MTG Card versions
Gifts Given - MTG Card versions
Discombobulate - MTG Card versions
Permafrost Trap - MTG Card versions
Bone to Ash - MTG Card versions
Sudden Storm - MTG Card versions
Deflection - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Ray of Command - Commander 2011 (CMD)
Inspiration - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Turnabout - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Quash - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Foil - Prophecy (PCY)
Thwart - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Plagiarize - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Fact or Fiction - The Brothers' War Commander (BRC)
Cryptic Command - Amonkhet Invocations (MP2)
Fold into Aether - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Part the Veil - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Gifts Ungiven - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Surging Aether - Coldsnap (CSP)
Careful Consideration - Modern Masters (MMA)
Gifts Given - Happy Holidays (HHO)
Discombobulate - Tenth Edition (10E)
Permafrost Trap - Worldwake (WWK)
Bone to Ash - Core Set 2020 (M20)
Sudden Storm - Born of the Gods (BNG)

Where to buy

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

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Printings

The Insidious Will Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-09-30 and 2016-09-30. Illustrated by Anthony Palumbo.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-09-30Kaladesh PromosPKLD 52s2015normalblackAnthony Palumbo
22016-09-30KaladeshKLD 522015normalblackAnthony Palumbo

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Insidious Will has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2016-09-20 If the spell has damage divided as it was cast (like Chandra's Pyrohelix), the division can't be changed (although the targets receiving that damage still can).
2016-09-20 If the spell that's copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast (like Eliminate the Competition does), the copy will have the same value of X.
2016-09-20 If the spell that's copied is modal (that is, it says “Choose one —” or the like), the copy will have the same mode. A different mode cannot be chosen.
2016-09-20 If you choose new targets for the target spell or for the copy, the new targets must be legal.
2016-09-20 If you copy a spell, you control the copy.
2016-09-20 The controller of a copy can't choose to pay any alternative or additional costs for the copy. However, effects based on any alternative or additional costs that were paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy.
2016-09-20 The copy is created on the stack, so it's not “cast.” Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won't trigger.
2016-09-20 The copy will have the same targets as the spell it's copying unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for one of the targets, you can't choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal).
2016-09-20 The third mode can copy any instant or sorcery spell, not just one with targets.

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