Orzhova MTG Card

Rarity	Common
Type	Plane — Ravnica
Released	2018-12-25
Set symbol
Set name	Planechase Anthology Planes
Set code	OPCA
Number	60
Frame	2015
Layout	Planar
Border	Black
Illustred by	Charles Urbach

Key Takeaways

Orzhov cards provide card advantage through draw effects, recursion, and forced opponent discards.
Resource acceleration is key, with mechanics like extort and lifelink fueling strategic advantages.
Instant speed Orzhov spells allow for disruptive play, giving players the edge in pivotal moments.

Text of card

When you planeswalk away from Orzhova, each player returns all creature cards from his or her graveyard to the battlefield. Whenever you roll {Chaos}, for each opponent, exile up to one target creature card from that player's graveyard.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Orzhov cards are typically known for their ability to provide incremental card advantage. This can come in the form of drawing extra cards, forcing opponents to discard, or even recurring cards from the graveyard back to your hand, ensuring you’re never at a loss for options.

Resource Acceleration: Through various mechanics like extort or lifelink paired with sacrifice effects, Orzhov cards can ramp up your resources. They effectively turn life points and creature deaths into valuable mana or other in-game advantages, keeping the gears of your strategy turning smoothly.

Instant Speed: Orzhov spells often offer instant speed interactions, allowing savvy players to disrupt opponents’ plays right when it matters most. From removal spells to protection effects, the ability to act during your opponent’s turn with Orzhov magic can be a decisive factor in the ebb and flow of the game state.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One notable drawback is that some Orzhova cards necessitate discarding as part of their casting cost or to trigger an ability. This could deplete your hand quickly, leaving you at a disadvantage, especially if your strategy relies on maintaining card advantage over your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: Orzhova cards often require a mix of white and black mana. This can be a hurdle for multicolor decks that struggle with mana consistency, potentially stalling your game plan if the right mana sources aren’t available when you need them.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Within the Orzhova arsenal, certain cards come with high mana costs. This tends to reduce the speed of your game, as you might have to wait several turns before you’re able to play these powerful cards-effectively giving faster, more aggressive decks the edge over you early on.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Orzhov cards offer a flexible approach for deck builders, boasting tools for control, lifegain, and token strategies. Their ability to adapt to various game situations makes them a strategic addition for many types of decks.

Combo Potential: With Orzhov’s synergy between life manipulation and creature recursion, these cards can enable powerful combinations. Often, they work harmoniously to create effects that can swing the game’s momentum in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: Orzhov decks remain pertinent in a shifting meta, often providing answers to popular strategies with their blend of removal, disruption, and resilience. Their presence in the meta keeps opponents on their toes and can disrupt established tactics effectively.

How to beat

Confronting an Orzhov card in Magic: The Gathering can be quite the challenge, given the synergy and resilience this guild is known for. One effective strategy is to disrupt their game plan early on. This could involve removing key creatures that fuel their life-draining abilities or countering pivotal spells that lead to overwhelming board states. Dealing with their array of taxing enchantments and creatures swiftly is crucial, as these can quickly spiral out of control.

Another angle of attack is to target their hand and graveyard. Many Orzhov strategies rely on recursion, bringing cards back from the graveyard to the battlefield or hand, and utilizing the graveyard as a resource. Cards with exile effects can permanently remove threats from the game, dealing a blow to the Orzhov player’s long-term plans. Lastly, since Orzhov decks often play a long game aiming at outvaluing their opponents, applying consistent pressure and maintaining a board presence can help in outpacing and eventually overcoming the resilience of Orzhov cards.

By focusing on these tactics, you position yourself to effectively dismantle the Orzhov strategy, limiting their ability to establish and execute their strategy for victory.

Cards like Orzhova

Orzhov is a powerful force in the MTG universe, with the Orzhova Syndicate being a formidable guild that leverages debt and death to control Ravnica’s streets. When looking at the Orzhova card specifically, comparisons to other cards that exemplify the guild’s essence become evident. Teysa, Orzhov Scion, for instance, is a quintessential card that represents the Orzhov ethos by creating and using creature tokens for both control and advantage.

Another comparable card is Ghost Council of Orzhova, which uses sacrifice and life manipulation mechanics inherent to the Orzhov playstyle. This card can repeatedly exile and return to the battlefield, offering strategic resilience and board control. Kaya, Ghost Assassin also falls within this spectrum, albeit as a planeswalker card. Her abilities to exile and manipulate creatures and life totals reflect the Orzhov theme of using death as a tool.

In essence, while the Orzhova MTG card embodies the guild’s philosophy, it is part of a broader family of cards that boasts similar mechanics of sacrifice, life-gain, and control. Each card complements the others, with some focusing more on token generation and others on direct manipulation of the board state, showing the depth and versatility of the Orzhov guild’s strategy in MTG.

Ghost Council of Orzhova - MTG Card versions

Kaya, Ghost Assassin - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Orzhova MTG card by a specific set like Planechase Anthology Planes, 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 Orzhova and other MTG cards: