Shreds of Sanity MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers card advantage by retrieving an instant and a sorcery, boosting strategic plays and deck momentum.
  2. Demands discarding and specific mana cost, which may limit its versatility in a diverse MTG deck.
  3. Benefits combo decks and fits into varied strategies, making it a tactical choice in changing metas.

Text of card

Return up to one target instant card and up to one target sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand, then discard a card. Exile Shreds of Sanity.

A few gnawing thoughts can eat at the mind until nothing else remains.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Shreds of Sanity brings a dynamic edge to your deck by offering the chance to retrieve not just one, but two cards from your graveyard. This can potentially swing the momentum in your favor by replenishing crucial elements of your strategy that may have been discarded earlier.

Resource Acceleration: By returning an instant and a sorcery card to your hand, this card functions as a powerful engine for resource acceleration, which can be a game-changer especially in decks that capitalize on casting multiple spells in rapid succession.

Instant Speed: The capability to cast Shreds of Sanity at instant speed adds a layer of flexibility, allowing you to react to your opponent’s moves. This means you can wait for the optimal moment to make your play, ensuring you make the most of every card and turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Shreds of Sanity necessitates the player to send one of their own cards from hand to the graveyard. This potentially puts you at a card disadvantage, especially if you’re already struggling to maintain hand size in a fast-paced game.

Specific Mana Cost: With a demand for both generic and double red mana, this card is less flexible, often relegating it to mono-red or red-focused decks, and hence not fitting seamlessly into multi-colored deck strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The spell’s casting cost is relatively steep for its return. Considering the evolving dynamics of MTG, alternatives exist that provide similar or better effects for less mana investment, increasing overall deck efficiency.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Shreds of Sanity is a flexible card, seamlessly integrating into various deck archetypes. Its ability to bring back an instant and a sorcery from the graveyard to your hand means it supports a range of strategies that rely on those card types.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks built around spell synergies, setting up powerful combinations by retrieving key pieces from the graveyard. Its ability adds depth to your gameplay, as you can reuse impactful spells for a second chance at controlling the game’s outcome.

Meta-Relevance: Given the fluctuating landscape of competitive play, Shreds of Sanity can become a valuable tool against decks that aim to deplete your resources. Its capacity to recover important cards ensures you maintain a strong position no matter the prevailing strategies in the meta.


How to beat

Shreds of Sanity is a card that can turn the tide of a game by retrieving valuable instant and sorcery cards from a player’s graveyard. Understanding its potential can be crucial in adjusting your strategy against it. Having access to gy hate (graveyard hate) spells or cards that can exile cards from graveyards is paramount. Nihil Spellbomb or Tormod’s Crypt, for example, can nip the problem in the bud by emptying the graveyard before your opponent has the chance to cast Shreds of Sanity.

Additionally, countering the spell is also an effective measure if your deck runs permission spells. A well-timed Counterspell or Negate can prevent Shreds of Sanity from resolving, thus keeping your opponent’s graveyard as an unusable resource. It is also useful to apply pressure early in the game. If your opponent is busy dealing with threats on the board, they may not have the leisure to fully capitalize on Shreds of Sanity’s capabilities. This card requires a carefully crafted response, but with the right strategy and counters, its impact can be significantly diminished.


Cards like Shreds of Sanity

Shreds of Sanity carves its niche in the realm of graveyard retrieval cards in MTG. It shares the same category with spells like Call to Mind, which returns a single instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand. While Call to Mind is more straightforward, Shreds of Sanity offers the added flexibility of retrieving both an instant and a sorcery card, though the latter must be discarded subsequently.

Another kin in functionality is Past in Flames. It gives your instant and sorcery cards in the graveyard flashback until end of turn, allowing for a multitude of plays in a single turn. However, Shreds of Sanity’s selective retrieval can be strategically advantageous when pinpointing specific answers or combos. Let’s not overlook Recoup, which also grants flashback to one sorcery card. It’s simpler, but Shreds of Sanity’s dual retrieval mechanism often presents a higher value play for setting future turns.

Evaluated among its peers, Shreds of Sanity provides a unique dual recovery option, making it a noteworthy player in decks that capitalize on graveyard dynamics and strategic card play in the ever-evolving game of MTG.

Call to Mind - MTG Card versions
Past in Flames - MTG Card versions
Recoup - MTG Card versions
Call to Mind - MTG Card versions
Past in Flames - MTG Card versions
Recoup - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Shreds of Sanity 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
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
Erratic Explosion - MTG Card versions
Threaten - MTG Card versions
Sizzle - MTG Card versions
Hammer of Bogardan - MTG Card versions
Fiery Gambit - MTG Card versions
Flamebreak - MTG Card versions
Panic Attack - MTG Card versions
Stone Rain - MTG Card versions
Game of Chaos - MTG Card versions
Evaporate - MTG Card versions
Pillage - 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
Erratic Explosion - MTG Card versions
Threaten - MTG Card versions
Sizzle - MTG Card versions
Hammer of Bogardan - MTG Card versions
Fiery Gambit - MTG Card versions
Flamebreak - MTG Card versions
Panic Attack - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Shreds of Sanity MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Shadows over Innistrad Remastered, 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 Shreds of Sanity and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Shreds of Sanity Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Yeong-Hao Han.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-07-22Eldritch MoonEMN 1412015NormalBlackYeong-Hao Han
22023-03-21Shadows over Innistrad RemasteredSIR 1762015NormalBlackYeong-Hao Han

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Shreds of Sanity has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2016-07-13 If you target two cards and one of the targeted cards becomes illegal, you’ll still return the other one, discard a card, and exile Shreds of Sanity. If each targeted card becomes illegal, Shreds of Sanity doesn’t resolve and you won’t discard a card or exile Shreds of Sanity.
2016-07-13 You may cast Shreds of Sanity with just one target. You may also cast it without any targets if you just want to discard a card.
2016-07-13 You may discard one of the cards you return to your hand. If you have no other cards in hand, you must discard one of the cards you return to your hand.

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