Planar Collapse MTG Card
1999-02-15 - Number 18
2020-09-26 - Number ULG-18
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment |
Key Takeaways
- Planar Collapse can significantly reverse board states, offering a strategic edge in prolonged gameplay.
- Its enchantment nature and delayed board wipe effect demand careful planning and timing from the player.
- When integrated cleverly, Planar Collapse can deter creature-heavy strategies, reinforcing your position in the meta.
Text of card
During your upkeep, if there are four or more creatures in play, sacrifice Planar Collapse and destroy all creatures. Those creatures cannot be regenerated this turn.
With heavy heart, Urza doused one world's light to rekindle another's.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Planar Collapse offers a decisive solution to overwhelming board states by setting up a potential board wipe. This card can tip the scales back in your favor, effectively dealing with multiple threats from your opponents with a single card, thereby retaining card advantage in longer matches.
Resource Acceleration: Not directly linked to resource acceleration, this card indirectly contributes to your mana development. By resetting the board, you’re allowed time to further develop your resources unimpeded by an opposing onslaught, thus setting the stage for a comeback or for casting high-cost spells without pressure.
Instant Speed: Although Planar Collapse is an enchantment that triggers at the upkeep following a turn where two or more creatures are present, its effect mimics that of an instant-speed board wipe. This creates an environment where opponents must play cautiously or risk walking into a devastating reset, which aligns with strategic plays typically seen at instant speed.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Unlike some board wipes that allow for a straightforward play, Planar Collapse necessitates planning around its delayed trigger. Once the threshold of four or more creatures is met, you must be ready for indiscriminate removal on your next upkeep, potentially clearing your own board if not managed correctly.
Specific Mana Cost: Planar Collapse’s restrictive white-white color requirement could pose a problem in multicolored decks, limiting its inclusion to mainly mono-white or decks with a heavy white mana base, making it a less flexible option in a diverse meta.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of two white mana and two of any color, there are alternative removal spells in MTG that may be more mana-efficient. Additionally, its delayed activation gives your opponent time to prepare or counteract the impending wipe, potentially reducing its overall efficacy.
Reasons to Include Planar Collapse in Your Collection
Versatility: Planar Collapse offers a unique kind of board control that can be seamlessly incorporated into different deck archetypes, particularly those needing a reset button when the board state becomes overwhelming.
Combo Potential: This card opens up opportunities for smart plays, such as setting up indestructible creatures or using it in conjunction with graveyard recovery mechanics to turn the tide in your favor right after a wipe.
Meta-Relevance: Given the diversity of creature-heavy decks in the current meta, having Planar Collapse in your strategic arsenal ensures you’re prepared to confront swarming strategies effectively.
How to beat Planar Collapse
Planar Collapse holds a unique position in Magic: The Gathering as a powerful tool for controlling the battlefield. This enchantment can be a game-changer, sweeping the board clean of creatures when the criteria are met. To effectively outmaneuver this card, players must adopt strategies that don’t overly commit to the board. Cards such as indestructible creatures, hexproof entities, and those with “leave the battlefield” effects can mitigate the impact of a Planar Collapse trigger.
Moreover, enchantment removal spells become crucial in a deck’s arsenal against such threats. Holding back on creature deployment until after Planar Collapse has activated or countering it before it hits the board can tilt the game in your favor. Alternatively, instant-speed creatures or flash spells allow for a resurgence of board presence right after the wipe, flipping the tempo back against the opponent who may have relied heavily on that reset. Wisely navigating around its condition by managing the creature count or exploiting its ‘at the beginning of your upkeep’ clause, can also render it ineffective, ensuring your lead remains uncontested on the playing field.
Understanding the importance of timing and strategic deployment ultimately gives players the upper hand against Planar Collapse, keeping the field advantageous for their conquests in the realm of Magic: The Gathering.
Cards like Planar Collapse
Planar Collapse is a unique card in the wider universe of MTG board control options. It reminds seasoned players of the classic Wrath of God, as both lead to a total board sweep. However, while Wrath of God offers an immediate reset, destroying all creatures for four mana, Planar Collapse builds tension over a turn. It requires patience, as you must wait for the upkeep after it has two counters, only then it springs its trap, clearing the board.
Merciless Eviction is another comparable card, letting you choose the type of permanents to exile. Although it costs six mana, it ensures that no graveyard shenanigans follow because it exiles rather than destroys. Day of Judgment, meanwhile, serves a similar role to Wrath of God but lacks the non-regeneration clause, which could be the thin line between victory and defeat. Unlike Planar Collapse, these spells don’t give your opponents time to prepare for the impending doom, which can be both a blessing and a curse.
Evaluating Planar Collapse against its contemporaries, one can appreciate its delayed detonation, offering strategic depth in MTG matches by forcing opponents to play around the looming threat or risk overextending on the battlefield.
Cards similar to Planar Collapse by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Planar Collapse MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Legacy and The List, 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 Planar Collapse 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 MTG Products
Printings
The Planar Collapse Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1999-02-15 and 1999-02-15. Illustrated by Mark Zug.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999-02-15 | Urza's Legacy | ULG | 18 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Mark Zug | |
| 2 | The List | PLST | ULG-18 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Mark Zug |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Planar Collapse has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Planar Collapse card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | The ability is not optional. |
| 2004-10-04 | This ability does not trigger at all if there are not 4 or more creatures on the battlefield. It also checks this at the start of resolution and does nothing if this is not still true. |
| 2010-06-15 | If this card is not on the battlefield when the ability resolves, then you can’t sacrifice it. However, you still destroy all creatures. |
