Thassa's Oracle MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Merfolk Wizard
Power 1
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers a unique card advantage by setting up a direct win condition upon resolution.
  2. Synergizes with instant speed plays, enhancing both defensive and offensive strategies.
  3. Limits include specific mana needs and vulnerability to forced discard effects.

Text of card

When Thassa's Oracle enters the battlefield, look at the top X cards of your library, where X is your devotion to blue. Put up to one of them on top of your library and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order. If X is greater than or equal to the number of cards in your library, you win the game. (Each in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to blue.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Thassa’s Oracle stands out in offering a unique spin on card advantage – rather than drawing, it sets up a scenario for a potential win by checking your library upon resolution. This allows you to sculpt the game towards a planned victory, leveraging the knowledge of your remaining library to your advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Although Thassa’s Oracle itself does not directly accelerate resources, it synergistically contributes to strategies that manipulate the library or graveyard, thus indirectly influencing resource acceleration by setting up the conditions necessary for powerful plays, often synonymous with “combo finishes” in the game’s parlance.

Instant Speed: While Thassa’s Oracle operates at sorcery speed, its impact is so significant that it often feels as immediate and game-altering as an instant. It pairs exceptionally well with cards that function at instant speed, allowing for a swift pivot from defensive to offensive postures as the board state changes during gameplay.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Thassa’s Oracle doesn’t make players discard directly, it does require a strategic deck setup that can be disrupted when forced to discard from other game mechanics. This can make its ability less effective or harder to execute in some game scenarios.

Specific Mana Cost: Thassa’s Oracle requires both blue mana in its casting cost, which could limit its inclusion to decks that can reliably produce or fix blue mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing two blue mana, Thassa’s Oracle’s initial output doesn’t affect the board immediately. Games where tempo is key might not favor the cost for the setup required to make the most of its win-condition potential.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Thassa’s Oracle boasts a flexible design that allows it to be a valuable addition to a wide array of blue decks. Its ability to potentially win the game upon resolution or simply dig for needed cards makes it a versatile asset.

Combo Potential: Notoriously known for its ability to create an immediate win condition in tandem with cards that manipulate library size, Thassa’s Oracle is a formidable piece in combo decks that can end games on the spot.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where longer, grindier games are common, having a direct path to victory like Thassa’s Oracle provides can pivot the direction of gameplay in your favor, often catching opponents unprepared.


How to beat

Thassa’s Oracle has become a cornerstone in competitive MTG decks, particularly those that focus on combo strategies. Its ability to win the game outright by checking if your library has cards or not makes it a potent finisher in blue-based strategies. However, it’s not unbeatable. The key to disrupt Thassa’s Oracle’s game-winning trigger lies in instant-speed interaction. Counterspells like Negate or Dovin’s Veto can negate the trigger if you cast them in response to the Oracle’s ability. You may also consider removals like Fatal Push or Path to Exile to deal with the creature before its ability resolves.

Maintaining pressure on the opponent’s life-total can force them to deploy the Oracle defensively, turning it into just a speed bump rather than a game-ending threat. Graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void can also be crucial if the opponent requires a certain graveyard setup. Remember, MTG is a game of knowledge and timing. Understanding when to hold back your interaction for Thassa’s Oracle or when to apply pressure to their game plan can pivot the outcome to your favor.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding Thassa’s Oracle’s role in your MTG deck strategy is pivotal. Given its potential to clinch a win, incorporating it wisely is key. Whether you’re streamlining a blue-based combo deck or seeking versatile cards for a longer game plan, Thassa’s Oracle can be a game-changer. However, remember to bolster your defenses against this mighty card when facing opponents. Smart use of instant interactions or graveyard manipulation can steer the game in your favor. Curious to expand your insights on harnessing Thassa’s Oracle’s power, or crafting the perfect countermeasure? Dive deeper with us and fine-tune your approach to the art of MTG.


Cards like Thassa's Oracle

Thassa’s Oracle stands as a defining card in MTG, akin to other game-enders like Laboratory Maniac. Both cards share a winning strategy reliant on depleting one’s library, but the Oracle’s unique ability to win immediately upon resolution gives it an unparalleled edge. Unlike Laboratory Maniac, which requires a draw after an empty library to claim victory, Thassa’s Oracle evaluates your devotion to blue and can win the game on the spot without needing an additional draw.

Another peer in this grouping is Jace, Wielder of Mysteries. This planeswalker also offers a win condition with an empty library, doubling as both a static ability akin to the Oracle’s trigger and an activated ability for card advantage. However, Thassa’s Oracle boasts a more affordable mana cost and a body that can affect the board state, providing distinction in gameplay strategy and flexibility.

Assessing Thassa’s Oracle against its contemporaries, it becomes evident why the card is highly favored in competitive scenes – its direct and efficient path to victory with fewer prerequisites puts it at the forefront of this powerful archetype.

Laboratory Maniac - MTG Card versions
Jace, Wielder of Mysteries - MTG Card versions
Laboratory Maniac - Innistrad (ISD)
Jace, Wielder of Mysteries - War of the Spark (WAR)

Cards similar to Thassa's Oracle by color, type and mana cost

Vodalian Soldiers - MTG Card versions
Zephyr Falcon - MTG Card versions
Lord of Atlantis - MTG Card versions
Giant Albatross - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Sphere - MTG Card versions
Soldevi Sage - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Condor - MTG Card versions
School of Piranha - MTG Card versions
Coral Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Wu Light Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Sea Eagle - MTG Card versions
Overtaker - MTG Card versions
Hazy Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Darting Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Thought Eater - MTG Card versions
Spellstutter Sprite - MTG Card versions
Sneaky Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Coral Eel - MTG Card versions
Storm Crow - MTG Card versions
Aquamoeba - MTG Card versions
Vodalian Soldiers - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Zephyr Falcon - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Lord of Atlantis - Wizards Play Network 2024 (PW24)
Giant Albatross - Homelands (HML)
Phantasmal Sphere - Alliances (ALL)
Soldevi Sage - Alliances (ALL)
Skyshroud Condor - Tempest (TMP)
School of Piranha - Exodus (EXO)
Coral Merfolk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Wu Light Cavalry - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Sea Eagle - Starter 1999 (S99)
Overtaker - Mercadian Masques Promos (PMMQ)
Hazy Homunculus - Prophecy (PCY)
Darting Merfolk - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Thought Eater - Odyssey (ODY)
Spellstutter Sprite - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Sneaky Homunculus - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Coral Eel - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Storm Crow - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Aquamoeba - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Thassa's Oracle MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Secret Lair Drop, 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 Thassa's Oracle and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Thassa's Oracle Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2019-12-02 and 2020-01-24. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 799092015normalblackJesper Ejsing
22019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 12802015normalborderlessLauren YS
32020-01-24Theros Beyond Death PromosPTHB 73s2015normalblackJesper Ejsing
42020-01-24Theros Beyond DeathTHB 3082015normalblackJesper Ejsing
52020-01-24Theros Beyond Death PromosPTHB 73p2015normalblackJesper Ejsing
62020-01-24Theros Beyond DeathTHB 732015normalblackJesper Ejsing

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Thassa's Oracle has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricBanned
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelBanned
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-01-24 Colorless and generic mana symbols (, , , , , and so on) in mana costs of permanents you control don’t count toward your devotion to any color.
2020-01-24 Hybrid mana symbols, monocolored hybrid mana symbols, and Phyrexian mana symbols do count toward your devotion to their color(s).
2020-01-24 If an activated ability or triggered ability has an effect that depends on your devotion to a color, you count the number of mana symbols of that color among the mana costs of permanents you control as the ability resolves. The permanent with that ability will be counted if it’s still on the battlefield at that time.
2020-01-24 If you put an Aura on an opponent’s permanent, you still control the Aura, and mana symbols in its mana cost count towards your devotion.
2020-01-24 If your devotion to blue is zero at the time the triggered ability of Thassa’s Oracle resolves, you don’t look at or move any cards in your library. If you have no cards in your library, you win the game.
2020-01-24 Mana symbols in the text boxes of permanents you control don’t count toward your devotion to any color.

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