Plagiarize MTG Card
2002-02-04 - Number 44
2005-07-29 - Number 89
2005-07-29 - Number 89★
2007-07-13 - Number 97
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Instant |
Key Takeaways
- Card advantage through copying spells bolsters your resources while unsettling opponents.
- Resource acceleration from Plagiarize can shift game momentum in your favor.
- Instant speed play offers surprise factor and turn-based flexibility.
Text of card
Until end of turn, if target player would draw a card, instead that player skips that draw and you draw a card.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When discussing the benefits of Plagiarize in MTG, card advantage is one of the most impactful. This action enables a player to copy an opponent’s spell, effectively giving the controller access to additional resources and disrupting the opponent’s strategy without losing their own card count.
Resource Acceleration: In the fast-paced MTG universe, resource acceleration is key, and that’s where Plagiarize shines. It can turn the tide of a game by allowing you to utilize the effects of powerful spells once reserved only for your opponent. This can propel you ahead, leading to quicker and more dynamic play.
Instant Speed: The ability to cast Plagiarize at instant speed is what sets it apart. This flexibility means that a player can wait for the perfect moment when an opponent casts a game-changing spell, ensuring maximum impact and surprise, while also keeping mana available for other crucial plays within the same turn cycle.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One notable downside is the need to discard a card to activate its abilities. This can be particularly taxing when your hand is already depleted, effectively forcing you to sacrifice valuable card advantage for an effect that may not always justify the cost.
Specific Mana Cost: The card also demands a specific mana combination to be cast. This requirement can restrict its inclusion to decks that can reliably produce the necessary colors, potentially excluding it from a variety of other strategic builds where it could otherwise shine.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Furthermore, the card’s impact on the game is weighed down by its high mana expenditure. When you consider the mana investment relative to its benefits, there are alternative cards that could offer you more bang for your buck, providing either more potent effects or similar abilities at a lower mana threshold.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: The card Plagiarize offers a unique way to disrupt opponents’ plans while keeping your own game on track. This spell’s ability to prevent your opponent from drawing cards shines in decks that aim to control the flow of the game.
Combo Potential: Plagiarize pairs well with forced draw strategies, allowing you to capitalize on your opponents’ attempts to refill their hand, effectively turning their advantage against them and protecting your own interests on the battlefield.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state where card draw strategies are prevalent, including powerful cantrips or wheel effects, Plagiarize can act as a silver bullet, turning key turns in your favor and disrupting the finely tuned plans of opponents.
How to beat
Confronting the Plagiarize card in Magic: The Gathering demands a strategic approach. This card’s ability to deny an opponent the typical draw advantage can be a game changer. To counteract Plagiarize, consider using instant-speed spells that allow you to draw cards on your opponent’s turn. This ensures that you still benefit from card draw without being affected by Plagiarize’s effect during your turn.
Additionally, employing cards with cycling could serve as an alternative to traditional draw methods, circumventing Plagiarize while effectively filtering through your deck. Tactics such as these require players to think outside the box, engaging in indirect card draw methods or adjusting the timing of their draws. Managing spells and abilities with precision to sidestep the constraints Plagiarize imposes can tip the scales back in your favor.
Overall, navigating around Plagiarize’s restrictive presence involves a careful review of your deck’s mechanics and an adaptive strategy. Adapting your gameplay to utilize your resources intelligently will ensure that the essence of your strategy remains uninterrupted by such control cards.
Cards like Plagiarize
The card-plagiarism issue in Magic: The Gathering often arises when discussing effects that mirror one another closely, and the card Plagiarize is no exception. This card echoes the functionality of cards like Notion Thief in disrupting opponents’ plans to gain card advantage. Both cards turn the tables on an opponent’s draw strategy; however, Plagiarize is a one-turn surprise rooted in blue’s control mechanics, while Notion Thief has a persistent effect as long as the creature remains on the battlefield.
Analogous to these is Alms Collector, which shares the concept of turning card draw into a tactical advantage. The key difference is that while Plagiarize is an instant, enabling players to tactically choose the best moment for a surprise, Alms Collector is a creature that provides a continuous threat. It requires thoughtful play to get the most out of its ability, much like the strategic application of Plagiarize during a pivotal draw by an opponent.
In essence, Plagiarize sits nicely amongst a range of cards in Magic: The Gathering that capitalize on controlling the flow of an opponent’s card advantage. It shines in its ability to provide an unexpected hurdle for an opponent, all within a single crucial turn.
Cards similar to Plagiarize by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Plagiarize MTG card by a specific set like Torment and Ninth 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 Plagiarize and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Plagiarize Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2002-02-04 and 2007-07-13. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2002-02-04 | Torment | TOR | 44 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Ben Thompson | |
| 2 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 89 | 2003 | Normal | White | Jeremy Jarvis | |
| 3 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 89★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Jeremy Jarvis | |
| 4 | 2007-07-13 | Tenth Edition | 10E | 97 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Jeremy Jarvis |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Plagiarize has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Plagiarize card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | If you target yourself, this spell has no useful effect. It will not cause an infinite loop since a replacement effect can’t modify the same event more than once. This effect will not modify the draw that it has you perform. |
| 2007-07-15 | If you and your opponent each cast Plagiarize on each other during the same turn, the two spells effectively cancel each other out. You will draw cards when you normally would and so will your opponent. |
| 2007-07-15 | If you target a player whose library is empty, any effect or turn-based action that would cause that player to draw a card will cause you to draw a card instead. It doesn’t matter that the other player would be unable to draw. |
| 2007-07-15 | You draw the card from your library as normal, not from your opponent’s library. |
