Sins of the Past MTG Card

Sins of the Past - Ravnica: City of Guilds

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery
Released	2005-10-07
Set symbol
Set name	Ravnica: City of Guilds
Set code	RAV
Number	106
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jeremy Jarvis

Key Takeaways

This card’s ability allows for replaying powerful spells, essentially serving as a bonus draw from the graveyard.
Playing Sins of the Past at instant speed lets players respond with flexibility, adapting to in-game dynamics.
Despite its strengths, the card requires careful deck building to mitigate its discard requirement and mana cost.

Text of card

Until end of turn, you may play target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard without paying its mana cost. If that card would be put into your graveyard this turn, remove it from the game instead. Remove Sins of the Past from the game.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When casting Sins of the Past, you’re not just playing from your hand but also reaching into your graveyard. It grants you access to any instant or sorcery card within, essentially serving as an extra draw that could change the outcome of the game in your favor. This move secures a significant strategic leverage as it recycles potent spells for a second chance on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: Although Sins of the Past itself doesn’t directly provide mana, its ability to cast a powerful spell from the graveyard without paying its mana cost can result in a massive effective mana gain. This could amount to a considerable resource acceleration at a critical moment in the game, especially when reviving high-cost instants or sorceries for impactful plays without the heavy mana burden.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Sins of the Past at instant speed offers flexibility and surprise. You can wait until the end of your opponent’s turn to decide the best course of action, keeping your options open while assessing the evolving game state. This tactical advantage allows you to maximize the efficiency of your mana and spells, keeping your adversaries guessing.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Sins of the Past requires players to discard a card in addition to its mana cost. This can lead to a loss of valuable hand advantage, which is especially detrimental in game stages where resources are crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that demands both black and generic mana, this card can pose a challenge for decks that aren’t aligned with the black mana’s strategy or that struggle with mana flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At six mana to cast, Sins of the Past has a relatively steep cost when considering its one-time effect. Players might find other spells or abilities that accomplish similar or better results without such a significant mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Sins of the Past is a dynamic card that can adapt to various deck builds. It particularly shines in decks centered around spell-casting or those looking to leverage spells from their graveyard for a second act.

Combo Potential: This card opens up avenues for intricate combinations by recasting powerful spells from the graveyard without paying their mana cost. It’s a key component for decks aiming to execute game-changing plays by revisiting their most impactful spells.

Meta-Relevance: With many decks relying on key spells to pivot their game plan, Sins of the Past offers players a way to disrupt opponents’ strategies. At the same time, it remains relevant by providing access to your own past spells that could change the course of the game in the current meta.

How to beat

Sins of the Past is a unique card that allows players to delve into their graveyard and cast an instant or sorcery card without paying its mana cost. This ability can swing the game by recasting high-impact spells. To effectively counter this card, it’s essential to manage your graveyard and control the spells available for recasting.

Graveyard hate cards, like Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze, can remove key targets from graveyards, rendering Sins of the Past less effective. Exile effects deny your opponent the chance to gain value from their graveyard. Alternatively, countering Sins of the Past with spells like Cancel or Negate disrupts your opponent’s strategy while protecting your gameplan, ensuring that their past don’t haunt you.

Playing around Sins of the Past requires a proactive approach to deny key spells from ever hitting the graveyard or shielding them from being recast. By prioritizing these tactics, players can mitigate its potential and maintain control over the match.

Cards like Sins of the Past

Sins of the Past is a noteworthy spell in MTG, offering a unique take on reusing instant and sorcery cards from your graveyard. Comparable cards include the likes of Snapcaster Mage, granting a similar effect by providing flashback to a card in the graveyard. However, Sins of the Past brings the added benefit of not requiring any mana payment for the cast spell, in contrast to the Snapcaster Mage’s need for the spell’s casting cost.

Another parallel can be drawn with Past in Flames, which gifts all instant and sorcery cards in your graveyard flashback until end of turn, but it requires mana to cast each one. Sins of the Past stands out by allowing a single, mana-free cast, emphasizing strategic choice and timing. Then there is Yawgmoth’s Will, a powerful card that permits the casting of any number of spells from the graveyard but at their original mana cost, unlike the cost-free approach of Sins of the Past.

Ultimately, Sins of the Past holds a specialized position in MTG for players seeking to capitalize on key spells without the additional mana expense, providing a potent yet singular recovery of a past play that can shift the tides of the game.

Cards similar to Sins of the Past by color, type and mana cost

Choice of Damnations - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sins of the Past 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 Sins of the Past and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sins of the Past has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sins of the Past 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	The instant or sorcery card is cast from your graveyard, not your hand. You choose modes, pay additional costs, choose targets, etc. for the spell as normal when casting it. Any X in the mana cost will be 0. Alternative costs can’t be paid.
2005-10-01	The instant or sorcery card never gets put back into your graveyard, even if it’s countered. You can’t cast it more than once.