Checks and Balances MTG Card
Key Takeaways
- This card provides card advantage and tempo control through its capacity to counter multiple opponent moves.
- Instant speed interaction enhances strategic flexibility and surprise plays against adversaries.
- Being color specific with a discard requirement may limit its use, necessitating strategic deck building.
Text of card
Whenever any spell is played, counter that spell if each player, other than the caster and his or her teammates, agrees to choose and discard a card. Those players must discard those cards after agreeing. Checks and Balances may be played only in a game with three or more players.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Checks and Balances enables you to destabilize opponents by keeping their board in check, potentially leading to gaining card advantage as you efficiently deal with multiple threats at once.
Resource Acceleration: Though it doesn’t directly generate mana or tokens, it aids in resource acceleration by allowing you to effectively delay or disrupt opponent’s strategies, keeping your resources secure for future plays.
Instant Speed: The capacity to play Checks and Balances at instant speed provides the strategic upper hand, allowing for surprise interactions during your opponent’s turn, which can shift the tempo of the game in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Checks and Balances requires discarding a card to activate its counter spell ability. This can deplete your hand, leaving you with fewer options as the game progresses.
Specific Mana Cost: With a specific mana cost that includes white and blue, Checks and Balances does not easily fit into multicolored decks that might not run these colors, potentially restricting its playability across various deck types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Needing three mana to cast, including two that are color-specific, this card play may be considered high for its situational use, especially when compared with other low-cost counter options available. Consequently, it can slow down your early game strategy when you might prefer to establish board presence or set up for future turns.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Checks and Balances offers a unique control dynamic, fitting comfortably into decks that aim to keep opponents’ strategies in check. Its ability to counter spells unless the opponent has a copy of that spell themselves makes it a strategic addition to any deck looking to navigate through diverse meta landscapes.
Combo Potential: This card shines in decks that manipulate the stack and spell casting. It can be partnered with effects that allow you to see your opponent’s hand or with cards that force them to play with their hand revealed, giving you the upper hand in deciding when to play it for maximum effect.
Meta-Relevance: In a competitive environment where unique strategies can provide an edge, Checks and Balances can act as a powerful tool. Its inclusion in a deck can deter opponents from relying on their key spells, especially in formats where deck diversity is high and the element of surprise is crucial.
How to beat
Checks and Balances is an intricate card that can add a layer of strategic depth to any game of Magic: The Gathering. This card is particularly known for its ability to counter other spells, but it has a unique twist. Unlike a straightforward counter like Counterspell, Checks and Balances requires you to have more votes than any other player to successfully counter the target spell.
Defeating this card calls for a mix of wit and resource management. A good approach is to deploy bait spells that can draw out your opponent’s counters before playing your key cards. Additionally, considering cards that can’t be countered, like Supreme Verdict or Abrupt Decay, adds valuable avenues to sidestep the card’s ability. It’s also beneficial to have counterspells of your own, allowing you to outmaneuver your opponent during crucial votes. Lastly, playing when Checks and Balances’s controller is tapped out or has fewer cards in hand can significantly reduce their influence over the game’s outcome.
Understanding your opponent’s strategy and staying one step ahead is the cornerstone of beating Checks and Balances. Careful play and clever timing are essential in ensuring your most impactful spells dodge this political tool and land successfully on the battlefield.
Cards like Checks and Balances
Checks and Balances is an intriguing control spell in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, with a unique interaction in multiplayer formats. If we look at cards like Veto, we find a simpler, more streamlined counter spell that’s reliable for single target denial. Unlike Checks and Balances, Veto doesn’t require the consensus of other players, making it a more predictable and straightforward choice in a duel.
Comparatively, Council’s Judgment is another card that embraces the multiplayer dynamic, seeking the will of the council to remove troublesome permanents. Though it doesn’t deal with spells on the stack as Checks and Balances does, it has the ability to bypass hexproof and shroud, presenting quite the obstacle. Then we have Expropriate, a high-stakes card that involves all players in decision-making, leading to either extra turns or control over permanents, depending on those decisions.
In summarizing, Checks and Balances offers a political twist to traditional counter spells, encouraging negotiation amongst players. While it may not have the swiftness of a Veto or the direct impact of a Council’s Judgment, its ability to possibly counter multiple spells or none at all adds a layer of intrigue and strategy to MTG matches.
Cards similar to Checks and Balances by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Checks and Balances MTG card by a specific set like Unglued, 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 Checks and Balances 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
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