Transcantation MTG Card
2019-11-07 - Number 67
2021-08-20 - Number 67
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Instant |
Key Takeaways
- Transcantation offers strategic advantage by enabling players to sift and draw critical cards at pivotal moments.
- Ability to cast at instant speed allows for dynamic play and optimal use of mana throughout the game.
- Demands careful hand management due to its discard requirement, testing players’ strategic prowess.
Text of card
Target instant or sorcery spell becomes a copy of Lightning Bolt. Its controller may choose new targets for it.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The ability of Transcantation to provide card selection ensures that players can sift through their library swiftly, granting a strategic edge by drawing into responses or key combo pieces when it matters most.
Resource Acceleration: By potentially revealing lands or mana-producing spells with Transcantation, players can accelerate their resource development, setting the stage for casting impactful spells ahead of schedule and outpacing opponents.
Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Transcantation at instant speed gives savvy players the opportunity to maximize their mana efficiency. It allows them to respond to evolving game states and exploit the perfect moment to advance their board position without missing a beat.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Transcantation poses a challenge with its discard prerequisite, compelling players to relinquish a valuable card from their hand. This can be a strategic setback, especially when your hand is already dwindling and every card counts.
Specific Mana Cost: The specificity of Transcantation’s mana cost demands a strict color commitment. It requires precise mana base tuning, which could potentially restrict deck-building flexibility and impact the card’s versatility across various archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Transcantation offers a unique effect, its mana value might be considered steep when compared to other spells in the same cost bracket. This elevated mana investment may deter players, particularly when resources are scarce or when speed is of the essence in a match.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Transcantation is a flexible pick for a variety of MTG decks, serving a crucial role in spell-focused strategies, particularly where spell recursion or modification is key.
Combo Potential: This card’s ability to interact with spells on the stack presents multiple opportunities to create powerful combinations, especially with cards that benefit from or modify spell casts.
Meta-Relevance: With a shifting competitive environment, Transcantation offers a way to counter prevalent instant-speed strategies or capitalize on windows of opportunity when the stack becomes a battlefield.
How to beat Transcantation
Confronting Transcantation in a Magic: The Gathering match demands strategic planning. This versatile card, known for negating noncreature spells and turning the tide of the game, can be daunting. However, the key to overcoming it lies in baiting it out. Innovative players would stack their hand with both crucial and disposable spells, casting the less essential ones first to entice the Transcantation user to expend their counter prematurely.
Another effective strategy involves deploying spells at instant speed or during the opponent’s turn, forcing them to make challenging decisions on whether to use Transcantation or hold it back. Additionally, cards with uncounterable features prove to be reliable assets, slipping through the defenses that Transcantation sets up. Utilizing creatures that carry spell-like abilities or generating an overwhelming board presence can circumvent the card’s influence and keep you a step ahead of your adversary.
Ultimately, while facing Transcantation can disrupt well-laid plans, it’s not insurmountable. Clever play sequencing, prioritizing uncounterable spells or abilities, and applying pressure with creature-based strategies will dismantle the protection it offers and pave the way to victory.
Cards like Transcantation
Transcantation has its roots firmly planted in the diverse world of counter magic within Magic: The Gathering. It echoes the functionality of classic counter spells such as Counterspell itself by thwarting the plans of the opponent. Where Transcantation shines is in its ability to redirect the spell at a new target, rather than simply canceling it. This unique twist provides an unparalleled strategic depth as compared to Counterspell’s straightforward denial.
Then we move to the likes of Redirect and Swerve, which are akin to Transcantation in their ability to change a spell’s target. Redirect, coming in at the same mana cost, gives players similar control but does not counter the initial spell. Swerve’s red and blue mana requirements introduce a color-specific alternative, adding a little flexibility in decks that run both hues. Where Transcantation stands out is its specific focus on noncreature spells, which could be more advantageous in certain game scenarios against decks that rely heavily on these forms of spells.
Ultimately, Transcantation offers players a blend of tactical choices—whether to merely redirect the spell, counter it, or both, thus making it a notable card within its archetype and potentially a significant addition to any strategically built deck in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Transcantation by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Transcantation MTG card by a specific set like Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2019 and Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2021, 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 Transcantation 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 Magic products
Printings
The Transcantation Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-11-07 and 2021-08-20. Illustrated by Ryan Printz.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2019 | CMB1 | 67 | 2015 | normal | black | Ryan Printz | |
| 2 | 2021-08-20 | Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2021 | CMB2 | 67 | 2015 | normal | black | Ryan Printz |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Transcantation card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-11-12 | Any additional effects that happen while a spell is resolving based on additional or alternative costs, such as buyback and flashback, won’t happen. |
| 2019-11-12 | As the spell becomes Lightning Bolt, it stops having any targets. If the spell’s controller doesn’t change the spell’s target so it has one, the spell won’t resolve. |
| 2019-11-12 | Lightning Bolt is an instant with mana cost and the ability “Lightning Bolt deals 3 damage to any target.” |
| 2019-11-12 | The target spell loses all characteristics printed on the card and has only Lightning Bolt’s characteristics. These become the spell’s copiable values. Once it resolves, it’s put into its owner’s graveyard and has its normal characteristics again. |
