Fractured Loyalty MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	2003-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Mirrodin
Set code	MRD
Number	93
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Greg Staples

Key Takeaways

Disrupting enemy lines by taking their creatures can significantly alter the game’s dynamic.
Requires careful hand and mana management due to its discard effect and specific mana costs.
An asset in creature-centric metas, turning potential threats into your own strategic gains.

Text of card

Whenever enchanted creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, that spell or ability's controller gains control of enchanted creature. (This effect doesn't end at end of turn.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When playing Fractured Loyalty, the card provides a strategic upper hand by potentially disrupting your opponent’s board presence. Creating an opening, it can result in gaining control of a key creature, thereby tipping the scales in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: This card offers a unique spin on commandeering a creature from an opponent’s control. While it doesn’t directly create resources, it accelerates your board presence by adding an opponent’s creature to your side, potentially providing an unforeseen advantage in resources at an opportune moment.

Instant Speed: The capacity to cast Fractured Loyalty at instant speed increases its tactical utility. You’re positioned to dynamically respond to threats or actions from other players, increasing the likelihood of a successful and timely execution of your game plan.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Fractured Loyalty necessitates that players relinquish a card from their hand, potentially putting them at a disadvantage, especially when their hand is running empty.

Specific Mana Cost: Summoning Fractured Loyalty to the battlefield requires a precise concoction of mana, demanding both red and other colors, thereby restricting its inclusion to mostly multicolor decks that can accommodate this spectrum.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that might be considered steep by some, players could find that Fractured Loyalty sits cumbersome in their hand when more cost-efficient alternatives might propel their game forward with similar or increased efficacy.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Fractured Loyalty offers a unique mechanism to control the battlefield, easily fitting into decks focusing on enchantment tricks or aggressive red strategies.

Combo Potential: This card can be combined with ways to target creatures, turning enemy threats into your assets, which pots up intriguing possibilities for combo synergies in game play.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-heavy decks prevail, Fractured Loyalty becomes a silver bullet, disrupting opponents’ plans and potentially turning the tide of battle in your favor.

How to beat

Fractured Loyalty introduces a unique challenge on the battlefield with its clever ability to turn your creatures against you. Successfully navigating this card requires a deep understanding of your deck’s mechanics and the strategic foresight to mitigate its effects. One effective strategy is to limit the number of targets available for Fractured Loyalty by managing your creature count on the battlefield, ensuring that any enchantment effects have minimal impact. Additionally, employing removal spells that can directly handle enchantments can be a game-changer, excising the threat before it fractures your line of defense.

Another approach to consider is utilizing creatures with enters-the-battlefield effects or those that benefit from being sacrificed. This turns a potential disadvantage into opportunity, as the loss of these creatures can provide you with value, regardless of their allegiance. Also, be wary of playing high-value creatures without protection. Instant spells or abilities that can counteract or neuter enchantment interactions are your safeguard, keeping your powerhouses safely under your control. Through adept deck construction and swift reactions, triumphing over Fractured Loyalty becomes not just possible, but a true testament to skillful play.

Cards like Fractured Loyalty

Fractured Loyalty marks its presence in Magic: The Gathering as a unique take on the red mana enchantment category. Similar in some respects to cards like Control Magic, which also allows you to take control of an opposing creature, Fractured Loyalty requires an additional trigger—your creature must become the target of a spell or ability for the enchantment to switch the ownership of the creature.

Comparatively, we can look at Ray of Command, granting temporary control of a creature, but unlike Fractured Loyalty, it only lasts until the end of the turn and doesn’t involve the enchantment mechanic. Then there’s Act of Treason, which shares this temporary thievery aspect but, like Ray of Command, doesn’t leave a lasting effect or involve enchanting a permanent. On the other end, Confiscate allows a more stable control over any permanent, not just creatures, albeit at a higher mana cost and without the conditional trigger that defines Fractured Loyalty’s gameplay niche.

While each of these cards offers a different approach to taking control of opponenets’ assets, Fractured Loyalty introduces a strategic layer of interaction, challenging players to choose targets wisely or incentivize opponents to target your creatures, making gameplay dynamics more intriguing.

Cards similar to Fractured Loyalty by color, type and mana cost

Emblem of the Warmind - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Fractured Loyalty MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin, 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 Fractured Loyalty and other MTG cards: