Broken Concentration MTG Card


Broken Concentration - Shadows over Innistrad
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant
Abilities Madness
Released2016-04-08
Set symbol
Set nameShadows over Innistrad
Set codeSOI
Number50
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byClint Cearley

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers card advantage by countering spells while refilling your hand, enhancing your strategic position.
  2. Instant speed allows flexibility and reactive play, making it a dynamic addition to any blue deck.
  3. Demanding specific mana and a high casting cost can reduce its overall efficiency in diverse decks.

Text of card

Counter target spell. Madness (If you discard this card, discard it into exile. When you do, cast it for its madness cost or put it into your graveyard.)

Some minds bend under pressure. Others break.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Broken Concentration offers the strategic benefit of disrupting your opponent’s plans while keeping your hand filled by drawing a card from your library when it successfully counters a spell.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly contributing to resource acceleration, denying your opponent’s crucial spells can set them back, indirectly accelerating your own board state in comparison to theirs.

Instant Speed: As an instant, Broken Concentration gives you the flexibility to react to threats at any time, preserving your mana until the most advantageous moment and allowing you to adapt to the evolving game state on the fly.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The utilization of Broken Concentration comes with the stipulation that you must pitch another card when opting for its Madness ability. During moments when your hand is already dwindling, this demand can backfire, limiting your options and potential plays significantly.

Specific Mana Cost: Necessitates two blue mana within its casting cost, rendering it somewhat restrictive. Players not running a deck with a heavy blue mana base might struggle to consistently cast Broken Concentration when needed, which hampers its versatility in multi-color or splash decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With three mana needed to harness its base capability, Broken Concentration sits on the pricier end for a counterspell. This mana investment can be costly, especially when compared to other counter options that provide similar effects without the steep cost, allowing for a more efficient defense against opposing strategies.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Broken Concentration offers flexible counterplay that adapts to various situations. It can be cast normally to counter any spell, or its madness cost can be utilized if you’re discarding cards, thereby fitting neatly into discard-themed decks.

Combo Potential: This card complements strategies centered around instants and sorceries. Its madness ability enables synergy within decks that manipulate hand content, creating opportunities for unexpected plays and interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment dominated by high-impact spells, having Broken Concentration ready can be a decisive factor. By disrupting your opponent’s key plays, it could hold its ground and remain a relevant choice for control decks aiming to dictate the pace of the game.


How to beat

Broken Concentration stands as a versatile countermeasure in the arsenal of blue spells within Magic: The Gathering. As a counterspell, it’s essential to plan strategically to negate its impactful denial. One effective tactic is to bait out the counterspell with a less critical spell, preserving your significant spells for later when your opponent’s mana is tapped out or their guard is down. Additionally, playing cards with an uncounterable clause can seamlessly bypass Broken Concentration’s effect, ensuring your spell resolves.

A well-timed Duress or Thoughtseize can force the opponent to reveal their hand, offering a window to remove Broken Concentration before they have a chance to use it. Lastly, applying pressure with an aggressive creature strategy can limit the mana your opponent has available for counterspells, making it harder for them to maintain control. In the battle of wits on the MTG battlefield, insight and timing are key to overcome the challenges posed by reactive cards like Broken Concentration.


Cards like Broken Concentration

Broken Concentration adds strategic depth to the countermagic options available in Magic: The Gathering. This counterspell is on par with the likes of Cancel, with both offering the essential and straightforward ability to thwart an opponent’s spell at the cost of three mana. However, Broken Concentration stands out with its Madness cost, allowing it to be cast for a different cost if discarded from your hand—an option not available in Cancel.

Comparing it further, we see Dissolve, another three-mana counterspell with an added scry benefit, giving players a peek at their future draws. Broken Concentration does not enable scry and thus lacks that slight tactical advantage. Negate, in comparison, has a lower mana cost but is restricted to noncreature spells, while Broken Concentration offers broader application being able to counter any type of spell.

Ultimately, the adaptability offered by Broken Concentration via its Madness cost can give players the edge in certain situations, especially in decks designed to leverage such mechanics. It remains a versatile and valuable piece in a player’s arsenal of counters, providing flexibility to navigate around various strategic encounters.

Cancel - MTG Card versions
Dissolve - MTG Card versions
Negate - MTG Card versions
Cancel - MTG Card versions
Dissolve - MTG Card versions
Negate - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Broken Concentration by color, type and mana cost

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Mana Short - MTG Card versions
Psionic Blast - MTG Card versions
Capsize - MTG Card versions
Intuition - MTG Card versions
Forbid - MTG Card versions
Frantic Search - MTG Card versions
Exclude - MTG Card versions
Crystal Spray - MTG Card versions
Hibernation - MTG Card versions
Circular Logic - MTG Card versions
Keep Watch - MTG Card versions
Archmage's Charm - MTG Card versions
Commander's Insight - MTG Card versions
Ixidor's Will - MTG Card versions
Catalog - MTG Card versions
Vex - MTG Card versions
Thirst for Knowledge - MTG Card versions
Murmurs from Beyond - MTG Card versions
Venser's Diffusion - MTG Card versions
Dream Fracture - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Broken Concentration MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad, 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 Broken Concentration and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Broken Concentration has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2016-04-08 A spell cast for its madness cost is put onto the stack like any other spell. It can be countered, copied, and so on. As it resolves, it’s put onto the battlefield if it’s a permanent card or into its owner’s graveyard if it’s an instant or sorcery card.
2016-04-08 Cards are discarded in a Magic game only from a player’s hand. Effects that put cards from a player’s library into that player’s graveyard do not cause those cards to be discarded.
2016-04-08 Casting a spell for its madness cost doesn’t change its mana cost or its mana value. You just pay the madness cost instead.
2016-04-08 Effects that cause you to pay more or less for a spell will cause you to pay that much more or less for its madness cost, too.
2016-04-08 If you choose not to cast a card with madness when the madness triggered ability resolves, it’s put into your graveyard. You don’t get another chance to cast it later.
2016-04-08 If you discard a card with madness to pay the cost of a spell or activated ability, that card’s madness trigger (and the spell that card becomes, if you choose to cast it) will resolve before the spell or ability the discard paid for.
2016-04-08 If you discard a card with madness while resolving a spell or ability, it moves immediately to exile. Continue resolving that spell or ability—the card is not in your graveyard at this time. Its madness trigger will be placed onto the stack once that spell or ability has completely resolved.
2016-04-08 Madness works independently of why you’re discarding the card. You could discard it to pay a cost, because a spell or ability tells you to, or even because you have too many cards in your hand at the end of your turn. You can’t discard a card with madness just because you want to, though.
2016-04-08 When you cast a card with madness, it was still discarded. If it was discarded to pay a cost, that cost is still paid. Abilities that trigger when a card is discarded will still trigger.