Relic Amulet MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Artifact
Released	2020-09-25
Set symbol
Set name	Zendikar Rising
Set code	ZNR
Number	247
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Yeong-Hao Han

Key Takeaways

Relic Amulet offers incremental control by dealing damage to creatures and planeswalkers efficiently.
It thrives in strategies with frequent casting of noncreature spells, enhancing its removal potency.
To counteract Relic Amulet, minimize spell casting that triggers its ability or use direct artifact removal.

Text of card

Whenever you cast an instant, sorcery, or Wizard spell, put a charge counter on Relic Amulet. , , Remove all charge counters from Relic Amulet: It deals that much damage to target creature.

Old power finds new purpose.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Relic Amulet serves as an incremental advantage engine, allowing you to slowly whittle down opposing creatures or planeswalkers, and potentially controlling the board without sacrificing your own card resources.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating mana production, Relic Amulet can save crucial mana by dealing with threats efficiently. This allows you to allocate resources more freely towards other spells and actions within your turn.

Instant Speed: The ability to use Relic Amulet at instant speed gives you the flexibility to respond to threats on the fly. This can catch opponents off-guard, especially when you fully leverage the untapped mana to activate the Amulet’s ability at the most opportune moment.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The activation of Relic Amulet depends on casting instant or sorcery spells, which can sometimes lead to a severe depletion of your hand without ensuring immediate value or board presence.

Specific Mana Cost: Relic Amulet requires both colorless and blue mana to be utilized effectively, potentially restricting it to decks that cater specifically to that color combination and potentially impairing deck-building flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the Amulet itself is not costly to play, the need to charge it by playing other spells before it becomes impactful can lead to a slower pace, making it a less favorable option in a meta that favors speed and efficiency.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Relic Amulet is an adaptable card that can find its place in various deck strategies, particularly those requiring spell-casting triggers to control the board or pinging creatures and planeswalkers.

Combo Potential: This card has synergies with decks that aim to cast several noncreature spells. Each spell cast not only furthers your game plan but also arms the Amulet, potentially turning it into a powerful removal tool.

Meta-Relevance: Given the right deck and meta, Relic Amulet can be a crucial tool. In an environment filled with utility creatures or opposing planeswalkers, it provides repeated targeted damage to maintain board advantage.

How to beat

Relic Amulet is a unique card in the realm of Magic: The Gathering that grows in power the more you cast instant or sorcery spells. As it accumulates charge counters, it can become a formidable weapon against your creatures, capable of removing threats on the board with precision. To overcome the escalating threat of Relic Amulet, a savvy strategy would be to minimize the effectiveness of the amulet’s ability to gather counters. Instead of allowing it to charge up, focus on playing spells less frequently or casting spells that don’t trigger its ability.

Moreover, having direct artifact removal in your deck can be an efficient way to dispose of Relic Amulet before it becomes an issue. Cards like Naturalize or Abrade serve as clean solutions to disenchant the amulet. You may also employ hexproof or indestructible creatures that can withstand Relic Amulet’s targeted removal, ensuring your board presence remains unthreatened. Lastly, instant speed interaction can be crucial. Being able to respond during your opponent’s turn can disrupt their game plan, making the accumulation of counters on Relic Amulet less predictable and less devastating.

Ultimately, understanding Relic Amulet’s strengths and planning around them can be the key to securing your victory over decks that rely on this card. By adapting your playstyle and including proper countermeasures, you can ensure that this artifact doesn’t disrupt your path to triumph.

Cards like Relic Amulet

Relic Amulet stands out as a unique mana rock in Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with artifacts like Pyromancer’s Goggles in its ability to provide strategic advantage through noncreature spell utilization. However, Relic Amulet ascends a notch higher with its growing capacity to accumulate charge counters, which can then be used to deal damage to creatures. This incremental effect centered around spells isn’t mirrored in the Goggles’ one-time mana doubling benefit.

Another artifact that may come to mind is the Prismatic Lens, which serves a dual purpose of mana filtering and ramp like the Amulet. What sets Relic Amulet apart is its interactive role; while Prismatic Lens is a passive enabler, the Amulet actively participates in shaping the battlefield. It doesn’t offer mana acceleration but wields the potential to control the game by picking off key creatures, thereby altering the opponent’s strategy.

Overall, when delving into the intricacies of Magic: The Gathering artifacts that synergize with spell casting, Relic Amulet stands as a viable option. Its singular blend of offensive capability tied to spellcasting marks its territory in various deck strategies that value continuous board interaction.

Pyromancer's Goggles - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Relic Amulet by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Relic Amulet MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar Rising, 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 Relic Amulet and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Relic Amulet has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2020-09-25	A Wizard spell is one with the creature type Wizard. Spells that are Wizard-themed (such as Relic Amulet) aren’t Wizard spells.
2020-09-25	An ability that triggers when a player casts a spell resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger, but after targets have been chosen for that spell (if it has any targets). The ability resolves even if that spell is countered.