Fall of the Gavel MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant
Released	2012-10-05
Set symbol
Set name	Return to Ravnica
Set code	RTR
Number	161
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Matt Stewart

Key Takeaways

Fall of the Gavel combines countering with card drawing, enhancing your defensive tactics and hand resources.
Its life gain aspect acts as a buffer, lessening the need for spells or moves to stabilize health.
Understanding its strategic uses and limitations is key to integrating or countering it in competitive play.

Text of card

Counter target spell. You gain 5 life.

"My ruling is final. Order is upheld. Justice is done."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Fall of the Gavel not only counters an opponent’s spell but also lets you gain card advantage by drawing a card. This dual action can shift the momentum in your favor, ensuring that you’re not falling behind in the race to out-resource your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: By gaining life when you cast Fall of the Gavel, you effectively save resources that would otherwise be spent on stabilizing your life total. This indirectly accelerates your resources, as you can then allocate more towards board development and control.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of instant speed provides you with the tactical advantage of making critical decisions at the most opportune times. With Fall of the Gavel, you decide whether to counter a threatening spell during your opponent’s turn, keeping them guessing and disrupting their plans.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Fall of the Gavel mandates discarding a card as part of its casting requirements. This can lead to a potential loss in card advantage, especially problematic in scenarios where your hand is already depleted.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a precise combination of blue and white mana, which might handcuff deck-building options. Players running a more diverse mana base may find it challenging to consistently meet the casting prerequisites.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total mana cost that is on the upper end for its effect, gamers must weigh whether Fall of the Gavel offers enough value when there are alternative cards that provide similar benefits with lower mana requirements.

Reasons to Include Fall of the Gavel in Your Collection

Versatility: Fall of the Gavel is a useful tool for a variety of decks, offering both a counter to your opponent’s spells and life gain. This versatility can be a game-changer in pressure situations.

Combo Potential: This card is not only a stable defensive play but can also synergize with strategies that capitalize on life gain or spell casting to unlock powerful combinations.

Meta-Relevance: Given that competitive play can often revolve around disrupting opponent’s plans, Fall of the Gavel holds relevance by providing both a preventive and reactive solution, keeping you ahead of the game.

How to Beat Fall of the Gavel

Fall of the Gavel is a unique card in the MTG realm, combining life gain with a counterspell. As players may know, it’s a potent mix that can disrupt an opponent’s plays while buffering your own life total. But like every spell in Magic: The Gathering, there are ways to strategically overcome it.

Your primary approach should involve baiting out the counterspell with less critical spells before committing your game-changing plays to the board. Additionally, running cards that can’t be countered, such as those with the “can’t be countered” text or utilizing spells that grant your other spells the same protection, will render Fall of the Gavel ineffective. Moreover, cards that grant you hexproof will prevent spells and abilities your opponent controls from targeting you, which makes it impossible for them to cast Fall of the Gavel on your spells.

Another tactic is to play on an empty stack, meaning casting spells when your opponent is tapped out and likely unable to pay Fall of the Gavel’s mana cost. This puts you in a favorable position to execute your strategy without interference. Finally, pacing the game to your tempo and maintaining card advantage will often outmaneuver the life gain and countering of Fall of the Gavel, leading you to eventual victory.

Cards like Fall of the Gavel

Fall of the Gavel is an intriguing instant in MTG that has a dynamic role in control decks. It reminds players of Absorb, another instant spell that counters a target spell, but with the added advantage of netting the user three life. While Fall of the Gavel does not offer life gain, it compensates by allowing the caster to draw a card instead, potentially turning the tide of the game by refilling the hand while disrupting opponents.

Cancellation is another card that can be compared to Fall of the Gavel. Both have the ability to counter target spells, maintaining the essence of Magic’s reactive playstyle. Yet, Cancellation is more straightforward without any additional benefits, which makes Fall of the Gavel particularly useful for those who crave that extra card advantage. Conversely, Dissolve steps up the game by not only countering spells but also scrying, setting up future draws which could be deemed more valuable than drawing in certain situations.

Ultimately, though Fall of the Gavel may not be the most renowned counter-spell, it certainly has its place in MTG. Its unique blend of counter and draw provides careful strategists with the tools to keep their hand flush with options while denying the opponent’s play, quite a tactical advantage in the right setting.

Cards similar to Fall of the Gavel by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Fall of the Gavel MTG card by a specific set like Return to Ravnica, 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 Fall of the Gavel and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Fall of the Gavel has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2012-10-01	If the target spell is an illegal target when Fall of the Gavel tries to resolve (perhaps because it’s been countered by another spell), Fall of the Gavel won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. You won’t gain 5 life.
2012-10-01	You must be able to target a spell to cast Fall of the Gavel.