Cunning Wish MTG Card
2002-05-27 - Number 37
2002-08-14 - Number cr37
2003-08-07 - Number dz37
2007-01-01 - Number 2
2002-06-24 - Number 31393
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Instant |
Key Takeaways
- Cunning Wish offers targeted sideboard access, enhancing in-game adaptability with instant speed execution.
- Though restricted by color and cost, strategic deck construction can leverage its powerful utility.
- Countering Cunning Wish requires a strategy of hand disruption, counterspells, or sideboard restrictions.
Text of card
Choose an instant card you own from outside the game, reveal that card, and put it into your hand. Remove Cunning Wish from the game.
He wished for knowledge, but not for the will to apply it.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Cunning Wish is a powerful tool for accessing a wider array of strategic options, as it allows you to fetch the perfect card from your sideboard to adapt to the current game situation, hence bolstering your hand’s potential without dipping into your library.
Resource Acceleration: While Cunning Wish doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the form of mana, it can significantly streamline your gameplay by retrieving cards that can. This means it can act indirectly to accelerate your strategy by ensuring you have the right spell at the right time.
Instant Speed: The ability to cast Cunning Wish at instant speed grants you the flexibility to adapt to an ever-evolving battlefield. Hold up mana for a potential response and if the coast is clear, end your opponent’s turn with a well-timed Wish that can change the course of the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: As Cunning Wish allows you to select a card from outside the game, it necessitates having a well-considered sideboard, potentially causing you to discard cards during the match that could have been more immediately impactful.
Specific Mana Cost: Cunning Wish’s mana cost requires two blue mana, which could restrict its integration in multicolored or colorless decks that may not reliably generate the required blue mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Fetching an instant card from outside the game comes with a three mana investment. For some decks, this cost is steep, considering other low-cost options available that might not offer the same utility but are more efficient in terms of mana expenditure.
Reasons to Include Cunning Wish in Your Collection
Versatility: Cunning Wish is a useful tool for players who want flexibility within their gameplay. It allows you to fetch an instant from outside the game, which means from your sideboard. This opens up a range of options to respond to an opponent’s threats or to advance your own game plan in the middle of a match.
Combo Potential: For those who love to strategize, the card offers immense combo potential. Since you can choose any instant you need from your sideboard, you can prepare powerful combos or disruptive plays tailored to counter specific opponent strategies, making it a clever inclusion in combo decks.
Meta-Relevance: As metagames evolve, having adaptability is key. Including Cunning Wish in your collection means you always have a response ready for prevalent strategies, keeping your deck competitive against various opponent decks that dominate the current meta.
How to beat
Cunning Wish is known for its instant speed flexibility, allowing players to fetch a card from their sideboard mid-game. It is part of a powerful cycle of Wishes from the Judgment set, each offering unique strategic advantages. To counter the effect of Cunning Wish, consider cards that restrict sideboard access or use counter spells to mitigate its influence. Running a robust set of counter spells like Negate or Disallow can effectively neutralize Cunning Wish before it resolves, thereby preserving the balance of the game.
Another strategic approach involves minimizing the utility of Cunning Wish by controlling the battlefield and maintaining pressure on your opponent. This constrains their options, making Cunning Wish less impactful. Cards that disrupt an opponent’s hand, such as Thoughtseize, can also be valuable. By preemptively removing key pieces from their hand, you reduce the pool of beneficial cards they can access, even with Cunning Wish. Lastly, using Leyline of Sanctity provides a passive defense, protecting against targeted Wish spells and maintaining your field advantage.
By incorporating these strategies, players can effectively navigate around the cunning maneuvers of Cunning Wish and maintain the upper hand in their MTG matches. Understanding the dynamics of sideboard interaction is crucial when facing cards with such utility.
Cards like Cunning Wish
Cunning Wish holds a unique spot in the vast repertoire of blue spells in Magic: The Gathering, as it grants players an intriguing power – to fetch an instant from outside the game, which generally refers to your sideboard. A card that mirrors this utility is Glittering Wish, which allows you to search for a multicolored card from outside the game instead. Yet, Cunning Wish is singular in its focus on instant cards, making it a more precise tool for accessing situational answers or combo pieces.
Moving along the spectrum, we encounter Burning Wish, which shares the ‘Wish’ aspect but diverges as it fetches sorceries. Although both cards provide strategic depth to a deck, Burning Wish expands your sorcery arsenal while Cunning Wish sharpens your instant-response capabilities. Lastly, there’s Living Wish, which allows players to select a creature or land card, showcasing the adaptability of the ‘Wish’ cycle but with an emphasis on broadening your in-game resources rather than enhancing instant access like Cunning Wish does.
Each ‘Wish’ card offers a strategic advantage in its domain, but Cunning Wish stands out for players seeking immediate reactive options, demonstrating the card’s distinctive position as an essential enabler in interactive and combo-oriented blue decks within the game.
Cards similar to Cunning Wish by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Cunning Wish MTG card by a specific set like Judgment and Magic Online Promos, 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 Cunning Wish 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 Cunning Wish Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2002-05-27 and 2007-01-01. Illustrated by 4 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2002-05-27 | Judgment | JUD | 37 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Jim Nelson | |
| 2 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 31393 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai | ||
| 3 | 2002-08-14 | World Championship Decks 2002 | WC02 | cr37 | 1997 | Normal | Gold | Jim Nelson | |
| 4 | 2003-08-07 | World Championship Decks 2003 | WC03 | dz37 | 2003 | Normal | Gold | Jim Nelson | |
| 5 | 2007-01-01 | Judge Gift Cards 2007 | G07 | 2 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Cunning Wish has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Cunning Wish 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 | Can’t acquire the Ante cards. They are considered still “in the game” as are cards in the library and the graveyard. |
| 2007-05-01 | If you fail to find something, you still exile this. |
| 2007-05-01 | The choice is optional. |
| 2007-09-16 | Can’t acquire cards that are phased out. |
| 2009-10-01 | In a sanctioned event, a card that’s “outside the game” is one that’s in your sideboard. In an unsanctioned event, you may choose any card from your collection. |
| 2009-10-01 | You can’t acquire exiled cards because those cards are still in one of the game’s zones. |
