Exclude MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 9 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Excluding cards offers card advantage by thwarting opponents’ plans and bolstering yours.
  2. Instant speed exclusions adapt to dynamic game states, making them powerful strategy tools.
  3. However, discarding requirements and specific mana costs can limit the Exclude card’s flexibility.

Text of card

Counter target creature spell. Draw a card.

"I don't have time for you right now." —Teferi


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The ability to selectively remove opponents’ threats while preserving yours assists in tipping the balance of the game in your favor. By excluding specific cards from play, you are effectively creating a card disbalance, often manifesting as card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly adding mana to your pool, efficiently dealing with an adversary’s resources can be tantamount to accelerating your own. By excluding key pieces of their strategy, you can further your development unimpeded.

Instant Speed: The versatility of acting at instant speed means you can adapt to the ever-changing battlefield without committing to a course of action too early. Keeping opponents guessing and making optimal decisions in response to their moves can yield significant strategic benefits.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One drawback of the Exclude card is that it necessitates the player to discard another card as part of its activation. This could potentially deplete your hand, reducing your ability to respond to future threats.

Specific Mana Cost: Exclude demands a precise combination of mana types for casting. This cost can be restrictive for multi-color decks that may not always have the necessary mana readily available, thereby decreasing the card’s versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The card’s casting cost is relatively steep when considering its single-target effect. Other cards available at a lower mana cost provide similar or broader removal options, which might be more mana-efficient choices for your deck’s removal strategies.


Reasons to Include Exclude in Your Collection

Versatility: Exclude can be a flexible option in control decks, fitting smoothly into various game plans. Its ability to counter creature spells while drawing a card makes it a dual-threat in numerous situations.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize with strategies focused on spell-slinging or those that utilize a plethora of instants and sorceries to control the game pace, establishing advantageous board states or combos.

Meta-Relevance: Given that creature-heavy decks often populate the meta, having Exclude at your disposal allows for an adaptive response to opponents’ strategies, ensuring you are not caught off guard by a wide array of creature threats while maintaining card advantage.


How to beat

The Exclude card can pose significant challenges on the battleground by providing an efficient way to counter creatures while simultaneously drawing a card. The card shines when playing against decks that rely heavily on creature spells. To overcome the obstacle of Exclude, consider shifting towards spells that cannot be countered. Cards with the ‘cannot be countered’ clause are impervious to Exclude’s influence, allowing you to maintain board presence.

Another strategy is to bait out Exclude with less critical creatures, thereby saving your more impactful creatures for later when your opponent’s mana might be low or their counterspells used up. Alternatively, you can prioritize playing creatures with flash on your opponent’s end step, forcing them to choose between using Exclude or keeping mana open for other spells. Lastly, including cards that grant hexproof to your creatures or spells like Prowling Serpopard that make creature spells unable to be countered can effectively nullify Exclude’s control capabilities.

Understanding and anticipating the timing of Exclude is crucial; conserving spells for the optimal moment or overwhelming an opponent with multiple threats at once can often lead to outmaneuvering this potent control tool.


BurnMana Recommendations

The interplay of strategy and opportunity in MTG is as vast as it is thrilling. Mastering the art of excluding cards can shift the tides in your favor, but it’s the broader understanding of gameplay that truly carves the path to victory. With Exclude, you embrace the finesse of instant speed plays while balancing the scales with card advantage. It’s about more than one powerful card; it’s about crafting a deck that resonates with your unique playstyle and adapts to the competitive landscape. Keen to deepen your knowledge and refine your tactics? We’re here to guide you through the nuances of the game, ensuring that with every move, you’re not just playing – you’re outsmarting the opposition.


Cards like Exclude

Exclude from Magic: The Gathering is part of the nuanced niche of single-target removal spells. When examined in the broader context, it stands in line with spells like Unsummon, which is traditionally a staple for its ability to return creatures to their owner’s hand, albeit without the exile mechanic at play. Exclude furthers its value proposition by offering card draw upon successfully exiling a creature.

Glimpse the Unthinkable, another familiar face in this landscape, lets you draw a card while targeting a creature spell, a subtle yet distinguishing factor given that Exclude requires the creature to be on the battlefield to take effect. Comparatively, Essence Scatter stands out by countering the creature spell entirely without the additional advantage of drawing a card as Exclude provides, emphasizing the utility of Exclude in longer games where card advantage can be crucial.

Considering the aspect of flexibility and added benefits, Exclude can be a formidable option for players aiming to gain control and maintain card flow. Its requirement for a creature to land on the field to be exiled may seem like a limitation, but this is balanced by its card draw feature, situating Exclude favorably among its counterparts.

Unsummon - MTG Card versions
Glimpse the Unthinkable - MTG Card versions
Essence Scatter - MTG Card versions
Unsummon - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Glimpse the Unthinkable - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Essence Scatter - Magic 2010 (M10)

Cards similar to Exclude by color, type and mana cost

Mana Short - MTG Card versions
Psionic Blast - MTG Card versions
Capsize - MTG Card versions
Forbid - MTG Card versions
Frantic Search - MTG Card versions
Hibernation - MTG Card versions
Circular Logic - MTG Card versions
Keep Watch - MTG Card versions
Archmage's Charm - MTG Card versions
Commander's Insight - MTG Card versions
Ixidor's Will - MTG Card versions
Catalog - MTG Card versions
Thirst for Knowledge - MTG Card versions
Murmurs from Beyond - MTG Card versions
Dream Fracture - MTG Card versions
Oona's Grace - MTG Card versions
Cancel - MTG Card versions
Deluge - MTG Card versions
Stoic Rebuttal - MTG Card versions
Dissipate - MTG Card versions
Mana Short - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Psionic Blast - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Capsize - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Forbid - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Frantic Search - Wilds of Eldraine Commander (WOC)
Hibernation - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Circular Logic - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Keep Watch - Judgment (JUD)
Archmage's Charm - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Commander's Insight - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Ixidor's Will - Onslaught (ONS)
Catalog - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Thirst for Knowledge - World Championship Decks 2004 (WC04)
Murmurs from Beyond - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Dream Fracture - Eventide (EVE)
Oona's Grace - Eventide (EVE)
Cancel - Ixalan (XLN)
Deluge - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Stoic Rebuttal - Modern Masters 2015 (MM2)
Dissipate - Innistrad (ISD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Exclude MTG card by a specific set like Invasion and Magic Online Promos, 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 Exclude and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Exclude Magic the Gathering card was released in 9 different sets between 2000-10-02 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12000-10-02InvasionINV 561997normalblackMark Romanoski
22002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 624772015normalblackGreg Staples
32014-11-07Commander 2014C14 1082015normalblackGreg Staples
42018-03-16Masters 25A25 552015normalblackJehan Choo
52019-06-14Modern HorizonsMH1 482015normalblackJehan Choo
62019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 3692015normalblackJehan Choo
72020-07-17JumpstartJMP 1522015normalblackJehan Choo
82020-09-26The ListPLST MH1-482015normalblackJehan Choo
92023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 902015normalblackMark Romanoski

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Exclude has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2019-06-14 Exclude can target a creature spell that can’t be countered. When Exclude resolves, that spell won’t be countered, but you’ll still draw a card.

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