Broken Ambitions MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
| Abilities | Clash,Mill |
| Released | 2007-10-12 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Lorwyn |
| Set code | LRW |
| Number | 54 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Franz Vohwinkel |
Key Takeaways
- Delivers card edge by potentially drawing a card when clashing, after halting an opponent’s spell.
- Provides adaptability by letting players react at instant speed, fostering a playstyle that needs acute timing.
- Incorporates strategic depth and versatility, countering varied threat levels and syncing with scry mechanics.
Text of card
Counter target spell unless its controller pays . Clash with an opponent. If you win, that spell's controller puts the top four cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. (Each clashing player reveals the top card of his or her library, then puts that card on the top or bottom. A player wins if his or her card had a higher converted mana cost.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Playing Broken Ambitions at the right moment can lead to a significant swing in card advantage. When you successfully counter an opponent’s spell, not only are they down a card, but the clash mechanic could potentially draw you a card, tipping the scales in your favor.
Resource Acceleration: Although Broken Ambitions isn’t directly accelerating your resources in terms of mana, it serves as a tool for tempo control. By countering a key play from your opponent, you’re essentially setting them back and keeping the momentum on your side, which can be just as valuable as ramping up your mana resources.
Instant Speed: As an instant, Broken Ambitions gives you the flexibility to adapt to the game’s state, allowing you to decide whether countering a spell is the best use of your mana each turn. It aligns perfectly with a strategy that aims to keep up the threat of interaction, forcing opponents to play more cautiously and potentially leading them to make suboptimal plays.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While ‘Broken Ambitions’ itself does not necessitate discarding, it may force you to have a card on hand to satisfy its clash condition. Losing that clash means not getting the full value from the spell, essentially being akin to a forced discard if you’re aiming to counter a critical play.
Specific Mana Cost: ‘Broken Ambitions’ asks for blue mana specifically. Decks without blue or those running on a tight mana base might find it challenging to keep mana open exclusively for this counter spell, potentially leading to uncastable cards in hand during critical turns.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While ‘Broken Ambitions’ can be scaled to counter spells with various costs, the mana invested sometimes eclipses the cost of the spell being countered. This squanders mana efficiency, especially when compared against other low-cost counter spells, which might disrupt opponent plays more efficiently.
Reasons to Include Broken Ambitions in Your Collection
Versatility: Broken Ambitions is a counter spell that provides flexibility in gameplay. Its scalability allows players to adjust the mana cost to counter threats big or small, making it a fit for a variety of blue-based decks.
Combo Potential: Beyond its primary function, the card’s clash mechanic can work to your advantage with top-of-library manipulation strategies, synergizing well with scry effects or libraries that benefit from knowing the next card to come.
Meta-Relevance: Given the always-fluctuating nature of the game, having a versatile counter spell like Broken Ambitions can be critical in a meta dominated by combo decks or in competitive formats where stopping key spells is essential to victory.
How to beat
Broken Ambitions is a unique counter spell in the world of Magic: The Gathering. It stands out not only for its ability to thwart an opponent’s spell but also for its clash mechanic, potentially allowing a player to predict an opponent’s plans. The trick to overcoming Broken Ambitions lies in the strategy of play and card choice. To neutralize its effect, consider employing cards that cannot be countered or spells that can be cast from the graveyard or hand despite being countered.
Another effective method involves baiting out Broken Ambitions with less crucial spells, safeguarding your more essential cards. You can also increase your chances by maintaining a robust hand size, as doing so makes it less likely for the clash result to favor the Broken Ambitions caster. Additionally, keeping an eye on the mana availability of your opponent is key; a tapped-out opponent cannot use Broken Ambitions. Thus carefully timing your spells when their mana pool is low can prevent this counterspell from disrupting your game plan.
Ultimately, adapting your tactics to expect potential counterplays and possessing knowledge of the current meta can make it much easier to come out ahead against Broken Ambitions and maintain control over the game.
Cards like Broken Ambitions
Broken Ambitions stands out in the realm of counter spells in Magic: The Gathering due to its unique clash mechanic. This spell has echoes of the classic Counterspell in its ability to shut down opponents’ actions, but with an added twist. While Counterspell offers a straightforward negation for a fixed two mana, Broken Ambitions allows players to potentially scry, ensuring a tailored defense and subtle library manipulation.
Much like Mana Leak, another prominent counter spell, Broken Ambitions offers flexibility depending on the game’s stage. Mana Leak can become less effective as the game progresses and mana becomes abundant, while Broken Ambitions retains a form of utility through the clash mechanic, potentially providing card advantage even if the counter fails. Dissolve also enters the comparison, offering the dependable canceling of spells, coupled with a scry of one. Unlike the aforementioned, Broken Ambitions allows the player to scry regardless of the opponent’s available mana, adding a level of strategic depth.
Ultimately, evaluating each counter spell’s strategic value and timing is crucial in gameplay. Broken Ambitions shines for its potential to extend beyond just a mere counter spell, catering to players who appreciate a multifaceted approach to control strategies in their Magic: The Gathering deck building.
Cards similar to Broken Ambitions by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Broken Ambitions MTG card by a specific set like Lorwyn, 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 Broken Ambitions and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Broken Ambitions has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Broken Ambitions card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2007-10-01 | The clash (and the result of the clash if you win) happens regardless of whether the targeted spell was countered or was paid. |
| 2007-10-01 | The opponent you clash with doesn’t have to be the controller of the targeted spell. |
