Evacuation MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 13 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Evacuation efficiently swings the tide by bouncing all creatures, regaining a strategic upper hand.
  2. It’s versatile, with instant speed allowing for adaptable play and optimal timing.
  3. Despite a specific mana cost and later game usage, its reset potential is noteworthy.

Text of card

Return all creatures to owners' hands.

The first step of every exodus is from the blood and the fire onto the trail.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Evacuation offers a potent means to reset the battlefield, often resulting in a significant card advantage. By returning all creatures to their owners’ hands, you effectively negate the efforts your opponent has made in developing their board, while preserving the creatures in your own arsenal for a more strategic redeployment.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana or ramp, Evacuation can function as a form of resource acceleration by saving your creatures from imminent threats or unfavorable trades. This allows you to reallocate your resources more efficiently in subsequent turns, maintaining a robust defense or preparing for a decisive offensive maneuver.

Instant Speed: The instant speed of Evacuation is what gives it strategic flexibility, enabling you to wait for the optimal moment to clear the board. Whether in response to a massive attack, an opponent’s combo setup, or simply at the end of their turn to maximize your next play, the immediate nature of this spell keeps your adversaries on their toes and disrupts their tempo.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Evacuation allows you to clear the board by returning creatures to their owners’ hands, it does not force opponents to discard those creatures, merely delaying potential threats instead of removing them.

Specific Mana Cost: Evacuation’s casting cost demands two blue mana, which may not integrate seamlessly into multi-color decks, often requiring a stable blue mana base to cast it consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, Evacuation may come into play too late against fast-paced decks, where cheaper mass removal options could better serve a similar purpose at a critical earlier stage of the game.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Evacuation stands out as a card that can seamlessly adapt to a spectrum of control strategies. It offers a reset button during your opponent’s turn, allowing you to avoid unfavorable combat or surprise interactions.

Combo Potential: This card has immense synergy with creatures that provide effects upon entering or leaving the battlefield. You can return your own creatures to your hand to reuse their enter-the-battlefield abilities, potentially swinging the game in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: In game environments where creature-based decks are dominant, having Evacuation can be a game-changer. It allows you to handle swarming strategies and maintain positional advantage, keeping you in line with or ahead of the current competitive scene.


How to Beat Evacuation

Evacuation stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a powerful board control card. Its ability to return all creatures to their owners’ hands can be both a saving grace and a daunting obstacle. To navigate around Evacuation, it’s essential to plan strategically, focusing on casting spells at opportune moments or investing in non-creature forms of victory.

One effective strategy is to bait out Evacuation. Play creature cards sparingly, forcing your opponent to use it prematurely or with less impact. After Evacuation resolves, you can deploy your more significant threats. Utilize instant-speed creatures and spells to maintain board presence even after your opponent has attempted to reset the field.

Moreover, implementing cards that benefit from being returned to your hand or that can counter spells are useful tools in curbing Evacuation’s impact. Cards with flash allow you to reestablish your board quickly, and spells that can’t be countered provide you with an undeniable foothold. Understanding timing and the rhythm of your opponent’s playstyle is the key to overcoming the disruptive power of Evacuation.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the nuances of Evacuation can be vital in both utilizing and countering it effectively in MTG. As a versatile card with the power to turn the tide of battle, its inclusion in your deck could be a strategic masterstroke. For players keen on gaining the upper hand, it’s important to consider how this card impacts game dynamics. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newcomer eager to elevate your gameplay, delving deeper into the strategic deployment of Evacuation and similar cards is a journey worth taking. Join us to discover advanced tactics, deck synergies, and how to optimize your gameplay with Evacuation’s board-sweeping prowess.


Understanding Evacuation in the Realm of Board Control

Cards like Evacuation

Evacuation is an impactful card within Magic: The Gathering, offering a powerful board sweep mechanism. It shines in situations that call for a mass creature bounce as it returns all creatures to their owners’ hands. Looking at Cyclonic Rift, another card in blue’s arsenal, it offers more flexibility by being a single-target bounce with its overload option, evolving into a one-sided board wipe, which makes it a game-winner in many scenarios.

Another comparison can be drawn with Aetherize, a card that affects only the attacker’s creatures. While this conditional effect can be a hindrance in some situations, in others it can significantly alter the tide of battle in your favor without disturbing your own battlefield. There is also Flood of Tears, which can reset the playing field much like Evacuation but also allows you to potentially play a high mana cost permanent for free, adding a distinctive edge.

Choosing between these options inevitably depends on the situation at hand. However, Evacuation holds its ground as a dependable reset button in blue that can clear the board in one broad stroke, setting it apart from its peers with its simplicity and scope of effect.

Cyclonic Rift - MTG Card versions
Aetherize - MTG Card versions
Flood of Tears - MTG Card versions
Cyclonic Rift - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Aetherize - Gatecrash (GTC)
Flood of Tears - Core Set 2020 Promos (PM20)

Cards similar to Evacuation by color, type and mana cost

Desertion - MTG Card versions
Force of Will - MTG Card versions
Double Take - MTG Card versions
Sunder - MTG Card versions
Submerge - MTG Card versions
Misdirection - MTG Card versions
Gush - MTG Card versions
Perplexing Test - MTG Card versions
Graven Lore - MTG Card versions
Access Denied - MTG Card versions
Counterbore - MTG Card versions
Traumatic Visions - MTG Card versions
Whiplash Trap - MTG Card versions
Mysteries of the Deep - MTG Card versions
Jace's Ingenuity - MTG Card versions
Quicksilver Geyser - MTG Card versions
Lost in the Mist - MTG Card versions
Psychic Spiral - MTG Card versions
Totally Lost - MTG Card versions
Aetherspouts - MTG Card versions
Desertion - Conspiracy: Take the Crown (CN2)
Force of Will - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Double Take - Unglued (UGL)
Sunder - The List (PLST)
Submerge - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Misdirection - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Gush - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Perplexing Test - Wilds of Eldraine Commander (WOC)
Graven Lore - Kaldheim Promos (PKHM)
Access Denied - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Counterbore - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Traumatic Visions - Conflux (CON)
Whiplash Trap - Commander 2020 (C20)
Mysteries of the Deep - Worldwake (WWK)
Jace's Ingenuity - Magic 2015 (M15)
Quicksilver Geyser - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Lost in the Mist - Innistrad (ISD)
Psychic Spiral - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Totally Lost - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Aetherspouts - Midnight Hunt Commander (MIC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Evacuation MTG card by a specific set like Stronghold and Seventh Edition, 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 Evacuation and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Evacuation Magic the Gathering card was released in 9 different sets between 1998-03-02 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-03-02StrongholdSTH 301997normalblackRob Alexander
22001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 72★1997normalblackDarrell Riche
32001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 721997normalwhiteDarrell Riche
42003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 76★2003normalblackRob Alexander
52003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 762003normalwhiteRob Alexander
62005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 752003normalwhiteRob Alexander
72005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 75★2003normalblackRob Alexander
82007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 832003normalblackFranz Vohwinkel
92010-06-04Duels of the PlaneswalkersDPA 92003normalblackFranz Vohwinkel
102016-11-11Commander 2016C16 912015normalblackFranz Vohwinkel
112023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 4872015normalblackFranz Vohwinkel
122023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 892015normalblackFranz Vohwinkel
132023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 1562015normalblackJason Rainville

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Evacuation has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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