Advice from the Fae MTG Card


Advice from the Fae - Shadowmoor
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Released2008-05-02
Set symbol
Set nameShadowmoor
Set codeSHM
Number28
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byChippy

Key Takeaways

  1. Advice from the Fae provides card advantage by allowing a deep peek into your deck, aiding strategic plays.
  2. Instant speed casting augments flexibility, keeping opponents uncertain of your next move.
  3. Although powerful, its specific mana cost and discard requirement may limit its use in some decks.

Text of card

({2 U} can be paid with any two mana or with . This card's converted mana cost is 6.) Look at the top five cards of your library. If you control more creatures than any other player, put two of those cards into your hand. Otherwise, put one of them into your hand. Then put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Casting Advice from the Fae not only gives you instant access to the top four cards of your library but also the power to choose one of those, neatly sidestepping the limitation of a single draw per turn. It’s like peeking into the future and pulling out just the spell you need, putting you a step ahead of your opponents.

Resource Acceleration: While Advice from the Fae itself doesn’t create resources directly, the strategic selection it offers can lead to powerful plays. By drawing into ramp spells or finding that crucial land, you can accelerate your game plan, ensuring that your resources keep flowing smoothly. The right card at the right time can be the key to unlocking your deck’s full potential.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Advice from the Fae at instant speed offers unparalleled flexibility. You can end your opponent’s turn with new options in hand, ready to untap and take full advantage of the resources and strategies you’ve just secured. This reactive power allows for a dynamic playstyle, keeping your opponents guessing and your actions obscured until the moment of revelation.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside to Advice from the Fae is the necessity to discard another card just to play it. This might not be ideal if you’re already facing a shortage of cards in hand, forcing you to make potentially unfavorable trade-offs.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s cost is not only specific but also somewhat demanding, requiring blue mana. This makes it less flexible and can be a bottleneck for decks that run multiple colors or have a more stringent mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sitting at three blue mana, Advice from the Fae is on the higher end of the cost spectrum for its effect. There are alternatives available that might offer similar benefits without compelling you to invest as much mana, leaving you room for other plays in your turn.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Advice from the Fae offers a unique flexibility in gameplay, allowing players to peek into the future of their library. This can be strategically advantageous in decks geared towards manipulating the top cards of the library or looking for specific answers during critical moments in the game.

Combo Potential: Flawlessly integrating into combo decks that pivot on knowledge and rearrangement of the deck’s top cards, Advice from the Fae enables players to set up their winning conditions or search for combo pieces effectively. Coupled with cards that shuffle the library or generate extra turns, it becomes a powerhouse in combo-oriented playstyles.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where foreseeing an opponent’s plan is crucial, Advice from the Fae maintains relevance. It can adjust to various meta shifts by either setting up for long-term game plans or outmaneuvering opponents through superior card selection, giving it a stable position in control and mid-range decks alike.


How to Beat

Advice from the Fae is a unique blue sorcery card that can be a tricky opponent in MTG matches. It allows a player to look at a number of cards from the top of their library and put one of those cards into their hand, equating the number to their devotion to blue. When facing Advice from the Fae, the key is to limit the card advantage it provides.

To counteract this card, playing with strategies that reduce an opponent’s devotion is effective. Using cards that can remove or neutralize blue permanents on the battlefield impacts the effectiveness of their devotion count. Additionally, running counterspells, discard effects, or instant-speed removal can disrupt the play before the sorcery resolves. Keeping pressure with a fast-paced aggressive deck can also minimize the time your opponent has to set up for the bigger devotion payoffs. Always be wary of your opponent’s open mana and try to bait out their countermeasures before committing major threats to the board. This can often keep Advice from the Fae from tilting the game too far in your opponent’s favor.


Cards like Advice from the Fae

Delving into the magical realm of powerful card advantage abilities, Advice from the Fae stands out for its unique spin on scrying and drawing in Magic: The Gathering. Its kinship with cards like See the Unwritten is evident as they both offer the prospect of looking at multiple cards from the top of your deck. Advice from the Fae offers a deep scry of four, with the possibility of casting a card two turns ahead, while See the Unwritten digs even deeper but without the delayed gratification.

Crystal Ball is another parallel, which permits a persistent scrying effect. However, Advice from the Fae’s single but deeper peek into the future can sometimes be more strategic. It allows a targeted approach to draw into your most needed spells or creature compared to a repeated but shallower scry. Ponder is also a worthy mention, offering a quick and less costly one-time scry three and draw, but it doesn’t match the anticipatory play that Advice from the Fae introduces into the game.

Ultimately, Advice from the Fae presents a distinctive approach with its blend of scry and delayed execution. This positions it as a prime choice for players seeking to set up pivotal game moments by arranging their decks for future turns while biding their time for the perfect opportunity to strike.

See the Unwritten - MTG Card versions
Crystal Ball - MTG Card versions
Ponder - MTG Card versions
See the Unwritten - Khans of Tarkir (KTK)
Crystal Ball - Magic 2011 (M11)
Ponder - Lorwyn (LRW)

Cards similar to Advice from the Fae by color, type and mana cost

Amnesia - MTG Card versions
Cultural Exchange - MTG Card versions
Echo of Eons - MTG Card versions
Cosmic Epiphany - MTG Card versions
Mind's Desire - MTG Card versions
Rise from the Tides - MTG Card versions
Cut Your Losses - MTG Card versions
Time Spiral - MTG Card versions
Inspiring Refrain - MTG Card versions
Flow of Ideas - MTG Card versions
Tunnel Vision - MTG Card versions
Govern the Guildless - MTG Card versions
Reality Strobe - MTG Card versions
Mass Polymorph - MTG Card versions
Mindculling - MTG Card versions
Stolen Identity - MTG Card versions
Spelltwine - MTG Card versions
Rise of Eagles - MTG Card versions
Interpret the Signs - MTG Card versions
Upheaval - MTG Card versions
Amnesia - Masters Edition (ME1)
Cultural Exchange - Odyssey (ODY)
Echo of Eons - Modern Horizons (MH1)
Cosmic Epiphany - Dominaria United (DMU)
Mind's Desire - Strixhaven Mystical Archive (STA)
Rise from the Tides - Game Night 2019 (GN2)
Cut Your Losses - Streets of New Capenna (SNC)
Time Spiral - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Inspiring Refrain - Doctor Who (WHO)
Flow of Ideas - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Tunnel Vision - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Govern the Guildless - Dissension (DIS)
Reality Strobe - Future Sight (FUT)
Mass Polymorph - The List (PLST)
Mindculling - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Stolen Identity - New Capenna Commander (NCC)
Spelltwine - Commander 2017 (C17)
Rise of Eagles - Journey into Nyx (JOU)
Interpret the Signs - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Upheaval - Modern Horizons 2 (MH2)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Advice from the Fae MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor, 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 Advice from the Fae and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Advice from the Fae has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2008-05-01 A card with a monocolored hybrid mana symbol in its mana cost is each of the colors that appears in its mana cost, regardless of what mana was spent to cast it. Thus, Advice from the Fae is blue, even if you spend six black mana to cast it.
2008-05-01 A card with monocolored hybrid mana symbols in its mana cost has a mana value equal to the highest possible cost it could be cast for. Its mana value never changes. Thus, Advice from the Fae has a mana value of 6, even if you spend to cast it.
2008-05-01 If a cost includes more than one monocolored hybrid mana symbol, you can choose a different way to pay for each symbol. For example, you can pay for Advice from the Fae by spending , , , or .
2008-05-01 If an effect reduces the cost to cast a spell by an amount of generic mana, it applies to a monocolored hybrid spell only if you've chosen a method of paying for it that includes generic mana.
2008-05-01 In a multiplayer game, compare the number of creatures you control with the number of creatures each other player controls. If any single player controls at least as many creatures as you, you get to put only one card into your hand.

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