Shatter Assumptions MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery
Released	2019-06-14
Set symbol
Set name	Modern Horizons
Set code	MH1
Number	106
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Chuck Lukacs

Key Takeaways

Creates card advantage by stripping opponent’s hand of specific noncreature spells, disrupting their plan.
Instant speed allows surprise disruption during critical opponent phases, enhancing strategic play.
Requires discarding a card, adding a strategic layer to its use in gameplay situations.

Text of card

Choose one — • Target opponent reveals their hand and discards all colorless nonland cards. • Target opponent reveals their hand and discards all multicolored cards.

Rigid minds are the first to break.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Shatter Assumptions plays a unique role in enabling players to disrupt opponents while potentially stripping their hand of key noncreature spells, paving the way for card advantage by reducing the opponent’s options.

Resource Acceleration: While Shatter Assumptions itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, by hindering your opponent’s resource deployment, it indirectly positions you ahead, especially if it clears the way for your threats or combos.

Instant Speed: Operating at instant speed gives Shatter Assumptions the element of surprise, allowing you to wait for the optimal moment to disrupt opponent strategies, especially during their draw or main phase when they’re setting up critical plays.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Shatter Assumptions comes with a hitch – it requires you to pitch another card from your hand into the graveyard, which could set you back if your hand is already thin on resources. This can sometimes force tough decisions on which cards to keep and which to let go, especially in tight game situations.

Specific Mana Cost: Shatter Assumptions has a specific mana cost to cast, including black mana. This restricts its use to decks that can produce black mana, potentially excluding it from a variety of multi-colored or mono-colored strategies that don’t include black.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that requires three mana, including two black, this card might seem steep for its effect, especially when compared with other hand disruption cards available. Veteran players often weigh their mana carefully and might find other cards that upset opponents’ plans more efficiently while leaving mana open for other plays.

Reasons to Include Shatter Assumptions in Your Collection

Versatility: Shatter Assumptions provides a robust mechanism for disrupting opponents, regardless of their strategy. Its capacity to hinder noncreature spells allows it to be a useful tool in many deck setups, from control to aggro.

Combo Potential: This card slots seamlessly into discard strategies, amplifying the impact of each card your opponent is forced to discard. It serves as a multiplier for any setup intending to leave the adversary at a significant card disadvantage.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment high on hand sculpting and specific noncreature strategies, Shatter Assumptions can function as a crucial countermeasure. It’s particularly effective against decks that hinge on intricate noncreature spell synergies, making it a timely addition to your arsenal.

How to beat

Shatter Assumptions is a unique card from the world of Magic: The Gathering that can catch many players off guard due to its ability to potentially decimate your opponent’s hand. The key to success against this card lies in diversifying the creature cards in your deck, deploying a variety of type lines to minimize the impact Shatter Assumptions can have.

By avoiding overreliance on any single creature type, you can ensure that this card does not wipe out multiple cards from your hand at once. Additionally, employing instant-speed spells that grant card advantage or recursion from your graveyard will help you recover quickly if Shatter Assumptions does disrupt your strategy. Cards like Thrill of Possibility or Call to the Netherworld can offer immediate ways to refill your hand or return key cards that were forced to be discarded.

Adeptly piloting your deck to expect the unexpected will safeguard against the surprise that Shatter Assumptions can bring to the table. Maintaining flexibility in your playstyle and backup plans in your deck build are effective strategies to mitigate the effects of this powerful card and continue to advance your game position without significant disruption.

Cards like Shatter Assumptions

Shatter Assumptions makes a stand in the Magic: The Gathering landscape among cards designed to disrupt opponents’ strategies. It invites parallels to Mind Rot, which also targets the opponent’s hand integrity by forcing card discards. Yet, Shatter Assumptions introduces a selective edge by focusing on specific card types, causing opponents with monochrome strategies to falter.

Comparatively, Divest is another card that shares this proactive interference trait by allowing a player to view and discard a creature or artifact card from their opponent’s hand. While Divest is limited to those two card types and is cheaper at one mana, Shatter Assumptions can impact noncreature, nonland card types, presenting a wider scope against decks heavy on those cards. In addition, there is Duress which, similar to Shatter Assumptions, can target noncreature, nonland cards but does so on a one-to-one basis and without the same sweeping potential.

The strategy behind using Shatter Assumptions is nuanced, as it requires keen awareness of the opponent’s deck composition to maximize its effect. Overall, despite its higher cost and sorcery speed limitation, Shatter Assumptions offers a potent ability to destabilize specific deck archetypes, marking its unique value in the realm of hand disruption cards.

Cards similar to Shatter Assumptions by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Shatter Assumptions MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons, 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 Shatter Assumptions and other MTG cards: