Betrayal MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	1997-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Visions
Set code	VIS
Number	26
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Gary Leach

Key Takeaways

Gain control of creatures at instant speed, disrupting opponent’s strategy and tilting battlefield balance.
Resource gain by using opponent’s investment against them, leveraging their creatures’ capabilities.
While offering strategic advantages, Betrayal requires careful management of hand resources and mana.

Text of card

Play only on a creature an opponent controls. If enchanted creature becomes tapped, draw a card.

"Sometimes a burden can be borne only on the shoulders of a willing enemy." —Suq'Ata aphorism

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Betrayal card can create decisive shifts in power by allowing you to temporarily seize control of an opponent’s creature. This not only deprives them of a valuable asset but potentially adds one to your side of the battlefield, tilting the scales in your favor during critical turns.

Resource Acceleration: By commandeering an opponent’s creature, you effectively gain the resources they invested into casting it. This could mean benefiting from additional attack strength, defensive capabilities, or other abilities without the typical mana cost associated with deploying such a creature from your hand.

Instant Speed: Betrayal can be cast at instant speed, providing the strategic advantage of surprise and flexibility. This allows you to react to your opponent’s moves on their turn, potentially altering the course of combat or exploiting a temporary weakness without telegraphing your intentions in advance.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Casting Betrayal forces you to part with another card in your hand, which might leave you at a disadvantage if you’re struggling to maintain card advantage or facing an opponent applying hand pressure tactics.

Specific Mana Cost: Betrayal requires not just a generic mana investment but a precise combination of mana types. This requirement can be tough to meet in a pinch, especially in multicolored decks that may not always have the required mana readily available.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that edges on the higher side for its category, Betrayal competes with other cards within the same mana range that may provide more immediate or impactful advantages on the battlefield, making it a less optimal choice for fast-paced or mana-conservative strategies.

Reasons to Include Betrayal in Your Collection

Versatility: Betrayal offers a wide range of application in various deck types, particularly those utilizing spellslinger or control strategies, where drawing cards and gaining knowledge of your opponent’s plans adds significant value.

Combo Potential: This card has synergistic interactions in decks where manipulating or benefiting from oppoent behavior is key. It can also be paired with cards that trigger off spell casts or enemy actions for incremental advantage.

Meta-Relevance: In environments that favor protracted gameplay or where opponents are likely to cast numerous spells, including Betrayal can enhance your ability to sustain momentum and resource advantage throughout the match.

How to beat

Confronting the tactical challenge presented by Betrayal can be a fascinating test of skill for any player. This unique card allows its controller to benefit from an opponent’s spells, potentially turning the tide of a game. To overcome this advantage, consider employing cards with hexproof or similar protective abilities that shield your spells and your strategy. Additionally, tactics that limit the number of spells each player casts each turn can mitigate Betrayal’s impact. By being mindful of the card’s presence and adjusting your playstyle accordingly, disabling Betrayal’s advantage becomes a manageable task.

Directly removing Betrayal from play also falls within effective counterstrategies. One might look to quick removal spells or abilities that deal with enchantments on the board. Green, for instance, offers naturalize effects that can dismantle Betrayal before its full effect can be realized. So, while Betrayal presents an element of disruption to conventional playing patterns, precise card choices and a thoughtful approach to the match can ensure that such nuisances are but a minor setback on the path to victory.

In essence, adapting to Betrayal’s influence requires a balance of smart deck-building and strategic gameplay, ensuring that its effect does not decide the outcome of your game. Through careful consideration and the right countermeasures, toppling a strategy unified with Betrayal is no mere fantasy—it’s a triumph within reach.

Cards like Betrayal

The landscape of control cards in Magic: The Gathering is diverse, with Betrayal offering a distinctive twist in this arena. When it comes to comparing Betrayal with its counterparts, it’s interesting to observe its synergy with enchantments that tap creatures. Gideon’s Avenger is a creature that gets stronger with each tapped creature your opponents control, which could work in tandem with Betrayal’s mechanic of drawing a card when an opponent’s creature becomes tapped.

Another parallel can be drawn with Opposition, a card that permits the tapping of creatures to tap other permanents. While Opposition itself doesn’t draw cards, the control it exerts over the game can be complemented with Betrayal’s ability to reward you for every tapped creature your opponent controls. Winter Orb also shares a similar domain of keeping opponent’s resources at bay by only allowing them to untap one land during their untap step, which when paired with Betrayal, could lead to a consistent card advantage.

Comparatively, Betrayal encourages a more proactive approach to control – by drawing cards, you gain not only immediate benefit but also long-term advantage through increasing your options and resources. This positions Betrayal as a potentially formidable card in decks built around tapping mechanisms and ongoing control strategies.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Betrayal MTG card by a specific set like Visions, 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 Betrayal and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Betrayal has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Betrayal 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 it ever enchants a creature that isn’t controlled by an opponent of Betrayal’s controller, then it’s put into the graveyard as a State-Based Action.