Flash Conscription MTG Card


Flash Conscription - Ravnica: City of Guilds
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant
Released2005-10-07
Set symbol
Set nameRavnica: City of Guilds
Set codeRAV
Number124
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byStephen Tappin

Key Takeaways

  1. Instant speed allows surprise plays, making Flash Conscription a game-changing card.
  2. Flash Conscription provides card and resource advantage by commandeering creatures.
  3. It’s versatile, fitting into decks that thrive on tempo and unexpected moves.

Text of card

Untap target creature and gain control of it until end of turn. That creature gains haste until end of turn. If was spent to play Flash Conscription, the creature gains "Whenever this creature deals combat damage, you gain that much life" until end of turn.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Flash Conscription offers an invaluable card advantage by potentially turning an opponent’s creature into an unexpected blocker or attacker for yourself. This strategic shift can disrupt your opponent’s plans and enhance your board position.

Resource Acceleration: By commandeering an opponent’s creature, even temporarily, Flash Conscription effectively accelerates your resources. It allows you to utilize creatures you haven’t spent the mana to cast, essentially broadening your presence on the board without dipping into your own card pool.

Instant Speed: The power of Flash Conscription is significantly amplified by its instant speed. Being able to cast it during the combat phase or at the end of your opponent’s turn provides flexibility and the element of surprise, forcing opponents to consider its impact during every phase of their turn. This maintains pressure and can tilt the game in your favor by maximizing the timing of your plays.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Flash Conscription demands that you toss another card aside to play it, a potentially distressing drawback when your hand is desperately clinging to each valuable piece.

Specific Mana Cost: You are shackled to a strict payment of one white and one red mana, a limitation that can prove restrictive if your deck doesn’t consistently generate these hues.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an investment of four mana required to welcome Flash Conscription into the fray, savvy players may weigh its cost against other cards that fill the battlefield or disrupt foes with greater economic efficiency.


Reasons to Include Flash Conscription in Your Collection

Versatility: Flash Conscription is an adaptable card, capable of swinging a game by shifting control of a creature in pivotal moments. It fits into decks that strategize around tempo and surprise plays.

Combo Potential: This card offers unique interaction opportunities, especially in decks that capitalize on sacrificing or utilizing stolen creatures for gain. It can instantly create advantageous scenarios or disrupt opponent strategies.

Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to abruptly alter the board state, Flash Conscription is particularly useful in a meta with creatures that have powerful effects or in games where gaining control of critical threats can determine the outcome.


How to beat

Flash Conscription is a unique card that can turn the tides of a game in Magic: The Gathering. It allows a player to temporarily take control of an opponent’s creature and even grants it haste, making it a formidable weapon that can immediately impact the battlefield. To effectively counterplay against Flash Conscription, it’s essential to have instant-speed removal at your disposal or effects that can protect your creatures from being targeted. Cards like Blossoming Defense not only shield your creatures but also provide a small power boost.

Another strategy to overcome Flash Conscription is to use cards with hexproof or shroud, which naturally immunize them against such control-switching effects. If you’re playing a deck with counterspells, keeping mana open to counter Flash Conscription when your opponent casts it can completely negate the threat. Additionally, employing sacrificial effects, such as Diabolic Edict, forces your opponent to sacrifice creatures preemptively before they can hijack them. By anticipating the potential swing that Flash Conscription can bring to the game, and preparing counter-measures, players can maintain control over their side of the board and mitigate the impact of this powerful card.


Cards like Flash Conscription

Exploring the dynamic aspects of creature control in MTG brings Flash Conscription into the spotlight. This intriguing instant resembles other spells in the game, such as Act of Treason, which also lets players temporarily seize control of an opponent’s creature. However, Flash Conscription adds a unique twist by giving the stolen creature a boost with an additional +2/+0 and lifelink until end of turn, differing from Act of Treason’s straightforward control effect.

Emerging as another comparable card is Zealous Conscripts, which highlights the versatility of creature commandeering tactics. While the effect of Zealous Conscripts is quite conventional, it offers a permanent control change if it targets a creature with a lasting effect, unlike the fleeting influence of Flash Conscription. Then there’s Ray of Command—a bit of a throwback—allowing instant-speed creature theft with the upside of disruption during combat, much like our featured card. However, Ray of Command falls short of providing the stat boost or lifelink bonus that makes Flash Conscription a dual-purpose card.

Upon analysis, Flash Conscription holds its own within the sphere of temporary creature acquisition in MTG. The card not only disrupts opponents’ battle strategies but also turns potential defensive stands into aggressive opportunities, thanks to its well-rounded blend of control and enhancement capabilities.

Act of Treason - MTG Card versions
Zealous Conscripts - MTG Card versions
Ray of Command - MTG Card versions
Act of Treason - MTG Card versions
Zealous Conscripts - MTG Card versions
Ray of Command - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Flash Conscription by color, type and mana cost

Leave // Chance - MTG Card versions
Leave // Chance - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Flash Conscription MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds, 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 Flash Conscription and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Flash Conscription has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2005-10-01 If white mana was paid, the player who controls the creature when it deals combat damage will be the one who gains life.

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