Plea for Power MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Abilities Will of the council

Key Takeaways

  1. Draw three cards or potentially take an extra turn to accelerate your MTG game plan advantageously.
  2. Despite not being an instant, Plea for Power can influence resource management and bluffing strategies.
  3. The card’s versatility and combo potential make it a valuable addition to blue-centric MTG decks.

Text of card

Will of the council — Starting with you, each player votes for time or knowledge. If time gets more votes, take an extra turn after this one. If knowledge gets more votes or the vote is tied, draw three cards.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Plea for Power ensures a substantial gain in card advantage. By casting this spell, you can either draw three cards or force a vote that could lead to an extra turn, each outcome propelling you ahead in the game.

Resource Acceleration: Though this card doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, the potential extra turn granted by Plea for Power can be seen as resource acceleration. This additional turn gives you another land drop and more untapped mana, which can be crucial in the later stages of a match.

Instant Speed: As a sorcery, Plea for Power can’t be cast at instant speed, but its ability to either boost your hand or offer an additional turn creates opportunities to use your resources more efficiently. Holding back mana to bluff instant speed interaction before casting can also be a strategic advantage in itself.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Plea for Power does not necessitate discarding directly, it can put players in a tight spot. Being a high-value target for counter play, you might find yourself using other cards to protect it, potentially diminishing your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Plea for Power demands both blue mana and generic mana. Although the cost is not overly restrictive, it does dictate that your mana base is well-tuned to accommodate blue spells, which can sometimes limit the card’s inclusion to decks that heavily feature blue.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: A cost of four mana for an immediate impact on the game can be steep. In environments where efficiency is key, players might opt for alternatives that offer card draw or other advantages at a lower cost, reserving their mana for other pivotal plays during a turn.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Plea for Power offers flexibility for a variety of blue-centric decks, serving as both a potent draw spell and a tool for political maneuvering in multiplayer formats.

Combo Potential: Its ability to potentially provide an extra turn can synchronize with combos that capitalize on time manipulation or seek to assemble winning conditions uninterrupted.

Meta-Relevance: Given that games can often hinge on card advantage or critical plays in successive turns, Plea for Power may prove invaluable in situations where maintaining tempo is key to victory.


How to beat

Plea for Power offers a unique dynamic to the game of Magic: The Gathering, presenting a choice that can shift the tide of any match. Typically, this card slots into blue-centric control decks and can either draw you three cards or grant you an additional turn, based on opponents’ choices. To counteract this spell, utilize strategic discard effects to ensure it never makes it to the stack or leverage counterspells to negate it directly. It’s also effective to apply pressure early in the game to limit the usefulness of the extra turn or cards an opponent might gain from Plea for Power. Moreover, cards that strip the opponent’s hand like Thoughtseize or Duress can remove Plea for Power before it becomes a threat while proactive card advantage engines ensure you don’t fall behind if Plea for Power resolves. Finally, remember to keep an eye on your opponent’s mana and counteract wisely, either by forcing them to use their mana resources before they have enough to cast Plea for Power or by being ready with a response when they do.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering your MTG deck is all about balancing power, strategy, and the artful play of impactful cards. Plea for Power is a versatile card that offers a meaningful choice between gaining card advantage or potentially taking an extra turn. With its specific mana requirements and strategic depth, this card could be a pivotal addition to your deck, especially if you thrive on outmaneuvering opponents. Whether it’s through shrewd political moves in multiplayer games or setting up devastating combos, Plea for Power promises to be a valuable asset. Dive deeper with us, scrutinize its best applications, and discover how it can turn the tides of your matches. Your path to becoming an adept MTG strategist starts here.


Cards like Plea for Power

Plea for Power is a compelling choice in the collection of blue sorceries within Magic: The Gathering, inviting comparisons to other potent draw spells. For instance, Concentrate is similar as it allows the player to draw three cards at the same cost. However, Plea for Power offers an intriguing twist with its Will of the Council mechanic, offering the potential to either draw three cards or take an extra turn based on voting results, which Concentrate lacks.

Another card that comes to mind is Tidings, yet another blue sorcery that provides substantial card advantage by drawing four cards. Tidings does outdo Plea for Power in the raw number of cards drawn but doesn’t provide the same level of strategic flexibility. Similarly, Braingeyser stands out for its scalability, enabling the drawing of X cards, but its requirement for a significant mana investment contrasts with Plea for Power’s fixed cost and added tactical depth.

Overall, Plea for Power can be a game-changer due to its unique choice mechanic, setting it apart from other draw cards and showcasing its versatility in card advantage strategies for players of Magic: The Gathering.

Concentrate - MTG Card versions
Tidings - MTG Card versions
Braingeyser - MTG Card versions
Concentrate - Odyssey (ODY)
Tidings - Starter 1999 (S99)
Braingeyser - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Cards similar to Plea for Power by color, type and mana cost

Juxtapose - MTG Card versions
Baki's Curse - MTG Card versions
Touch of Brilliance - MTG Card versions
Legerdemain - MTG Card versions
Polymorph - MTG Card versions
Diminishing Returns - MTG Card versions
Counterintelligence - MTG Card versions
Ransack - MTG Card versions
Rhystic Scrying - MTG Card versions
Wash Out - MTG Card versions
Dematerialize - MTG Card versions
Deep Analysis - MTG Card versions
Tempted by the Oriq - MTG Card versions
Inscription of Insight - MTG Card versions
Consuming Tide - MTG Card versions
Airborne Aid - MTG Card versions
Peer Pressure - MTG Card versions
Concentrate - MTG Card versions
Mouth to Mouth - MTG Card versions
Sift - MTG Card versions
Juxtapose - Masters Edition (ME1)
Baki's Curse - Homelands (HML)
Touch of Brilliance - Portal Second Age (P02)
Legerdemain - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Polymorph - The List (PLST)
Diminishing Returns - Masters Edition (ME1)
Counterintelligence - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Ransack - Starter 1999 (S99)
Rhystic Scrying - Prophecy (PCY)
Wash Out - IDW Comics 2014 (PI14)
Dematerialize - Odyssey (ODY)
Deep Analysis - Commander Masters (CMM)
Tempted by the Oriq - Strixhaven: School of Mages Promos (PSTX)
Inscription of Insight - Zendikar Rising (ZNR)
Consuming Tide - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
Airborne Aid - Onslaught (ONS)
Peer Pressure - Onslaught (ONS)
Concentrate - Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. Goblins (DDT)
Mouth to Mouth - Unhinged (UNH)
Sift - Salvat 2011 (PS11)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Plea for Power MTG card by a specific set like Conspiracy and Vintage Masters, 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 Plea for Power and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Plea for Power Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2014-06-06 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12014-06-06ConspiracyCNS 242003normalblackJohn Severin Brassell
22014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 872015normalblackJohn Severin Brassell
32020-09-26The ListPLST CNS-242003normalblackJohn Severin Brassell
42022-10-14Game Night: Free-for-AllGN3 332015normalblackJohn Severin Brassell
52023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth CommanderLTC 1952015normalblackJosh Hass

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Plea for Power has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PennyLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2014-05-29 Because the votes are cast in turn order, each player will know the votes of players who voted beforehand.
2014-05-29 No player votes until the spell or ability resolves. Any responses to that spell or ability must be made without knowing the outcome of the vote.
2014-05-29 Players can't do anything after they finishing voting but before the spell or ability that included the vote finishes resolving.
2014-05-29 The phrase "the vote is tied" refers only to when there is more than one choice that received the most votes. For example, if a 5-player vote from among three different choices ends 3 votes to 1 vote to 1 vote, the vote isn't tied.
2014-05-29 You must vote for one of the available options. You can't abstain.

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