Maga, Traitor to Mortals MTG Card


Maga, Traitor to Mortals - Saviors of Kamigawa
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Wizard
Released2005-06-03
Set symbol
Set nameSaviors of Kamigawa
Set codeSOK
Power 0
Toughness 0
Number81
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byJim Murray

Key Takeaways

  1. Maga excels in ramp decks, converting excess mana into immediate life total impacts against opponents.
  2. The high mana cost and black mana specificity make Maga a substantial but specialized play.
  3. Being a versatile and meta-relevant threat, Maga can serve as both a win condition and a combo enabler.

Text of card

Maga, Traitor to Mortals comes into play with X +1/+1 counters on it. When Maga comes into play, target player loses life equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on it.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Maga, Traitor to Mortals becomes quite the resource in your arsenal for card advantage. By carefully timing his entry onto the battlefield with a substantial amount of mana, you generate not just a creature of considerable power but also an immediate impact on your opponent’s life total, giving you an upper hand in the gameplay.

Resource Acceleration: In decks built around ramping mana, Maga can be a pinnacle of success. The more mana you can produce, the more potent Maga becomes upon casting. This works brilliantly with strategies focused on resource acceleration, turning your excess mana into a tangible threat that demands an answer.

Instant Speed: While Maga himself does not have instant speed, his role in a deck complements strategies that revolve around holding mana. Whether it’s for instant speed removal, countermagic, or end-of-turn plays, Maga waits for the opportune moment to make a dramatic entrance, ensuring your resources are allocated efficiently throughout each phase of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When employing Maga, Traitor to Mortals, the player must contend with a substantial downside. This card doesn’t specifically demand discarding as a cost, but its X cost suggests a need for extensive resources, potentially leaving the player’s hand depleted as they invest heavily in bringing Maga to the battlefield, thus indirectly acting as a discard requirement.

Specific Mana Cost: Delving into Maga’s mana requirements, it’s evident that the card is built for black mana-heavy decks, demanding one black and two generic mana additionally for each X in its cost. This specificity can limit the environments in which Maga shines, tethering it primarily to mono-black or black-centric strategies that can reliably produce the necessary mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Moreover, the overall mana investment to summon Maga can be steep, as even a modestly powered Maga requires a sizeable mana pool. In an ecosystem where efficiency is paramount, there are cases where rival cards can provide more immediate impact or long-term value at a lower overall investment, thereby overshadowing Maga in terms of board influence per mana spent.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Maga, Traitor to Mortals is a dynamic addition, excelling in decks that capitalize on life loss and big mana generation. Its flexibility allows for it to serve as both a win condition and a strategic piece in various builds.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with numerous mana ramp strategies and can be a critical element in explosive combinations, making it a powerhouse in decks designed to harness high volumes of mana for devastating plays.

Meta-Relevance: In a play environment where large creatures and life totals can be leveraged as resources, Maga’s ability to deal with damage directly proportional to the mana invested makes it a formidable threat against numerous popular archetypes.


How to beat

Maga, Traitor to Mortals, brings a unique challenge to any Magic: The Gathering match. This card can come into play with a massive amount of +1/+1 counters, potentially turning it into an instant threat on the board. Dealing with a juggernaut like Maga requires a strategy that can either prevent it from hitting the battlefield or manage it once it’s in play. Control decks can rely on counterspells such as Cancel or Essence Scatter to stop Maga from ever coming into play, circumventing the problem altogether.

Another approach is to have removal ready. Instant-speed removal such as Path to Exile or Terminate allows you to respond immediately, while modal spells like Abrupt Decay provide additional flexibility. Enchantment-based removal, such as Banishing Light, can also lock Maga away, providing a more permanent solution. It’s crucial to manage your resources effectively, ensuring you have the answers when Maga emerges. Tackling Maga, Traitor to Mortals, means staying one step ahead, making your moves with precision, and keeping the pressure on your opponent to prevent the scales from tipping in their favor.


Cards like Maga, Traitor to Mortals

Maga, Traitor to Mortals commands attention in the realm of creature spells within Magic: The Gathering. It’s a card that has a kinship with other powerhouse creatures like Gray Merchant of Asphodel, both wielding abilities dependent on the number of mana invested into them. While Gray Merchant of Asphodel delivers direct damage to opponents while you gain life based on your devotion to black, Maga springs into play with X +1/+1 counters, directly translating mana spent into potential damage.

Further comparison can be drawn with Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief, wherein her ability to buff herself and obliterate a creature is also determined by the quantity of mana funneled into her ability. Maga, however, sidesteps complicated board interactions by offering up immediate puncturing damage upon entry, contingent only on the mana reservoir you’ve dedicated during summoning. This direct approach can end games swiftly if undeterred.

In summary, Maga, Traitor to Mortals garners respect in a category filled with mana-hungry behemoths by providing a straightforward yet formidable power play ability that can create substantial impact the moment it pulses into the battlefield, making it a relevant choice for players valuing raw strength with an uncomplicated activation.

Gray Merchant of Asphodel - MTG Card versions
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief - MTG Card versions
Gray Merchant of Asphodel - Theros (THS)
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)

Cards similar to Maga, Traitor to Mortals by color, type and mana cost

Nettling Imp - MTG Card versions
Royal Assassin - MTG Card versions
Plague Rats - MTG Card versions
El-Hajjâj - MTG Card versions
Frozen Shade - MTG Card versions
Scathe Zombies - MTG Card versions
Sorceress Queen - MTG Card versions
Lost Soul - MTG Card versions
Mindstab Thrull - MTG Card versions
Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions
Strongarm Thug - MTG Card versions
Razortooth Rats - MTG Card versions
Ghastly Remains - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Undead - MTG Card versions
Deepwood Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Dross Prowler - MTG Card versions
Nim Abomination - MTG Card versions
Vesper Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Hypnotic Specter - MTG Card versions
Dusk Imp - MTG Card versions
Nettling Imp - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Royal Assassin - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Plague Rats - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
El-Hajjâj - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Frozen Shade - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Scathe Zombies - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Sorceress Queen - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Lost Soul - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Mindstab Thrull - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Mischievous Poltergeist - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Strongarm Thug - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Razortooth Rats - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Ghastly Remains - Legions (LGN)
Lord of the Undead - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Deepwood Ghoul - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Dross Prowler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Abomination - Darksteel (DST)
Vesper Ghoul - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Hypnotic Specter - Magic Player Rewards 2006 (P06)
Dusk Imp - Tenth Edition (10E)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Maga, Traitor to Mortals MTG card by a specific set like Saviors of Kamigawa, 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 Maga, Traitor to Mortals and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Maga, Traitor to Mortals has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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