Desertion
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Magic: The Gathering
Mana cost
Classic Sixth Edition6ED · #64
- Card type
- Instant
- Rarity
- Rare
- Indicative price
- 2.32 € · 2.07 $
- Mana value
- 5
- Colour
- Blue
Card text
Counter target spell. If an artifact or creature spell is countered this way, put that card onto the battlefield under your control instead of into its owner's graveyard.
Format legality
- BrawlLegal
- CommanderLegal
- CompetitivebrawlLegal
- DuelLegal
- GladiatorLegal
- HistoricLegal
- LegacyLegal
- OathbreakerLegal
- PennyLegal
- PredhLegal
- PremodernLegal
- TimelessLegal
- VintageLegal
Legalities follow the imported catalogue; check format rules before a tournament.
Data imported on 2026-10-06 (UTC).
Indicative Scryfall prices, updated daily. ★: foil; ★ E: etched foil. EUR and USD represent different markets.
Printing information
- Illustrator
- Richard Kane Ferguson
- Card language
- English
- Release date
- 1999-04-21
Flavour text
First the insult, then the injury.
Rulings
If the spell is not countered (because the spell it targets can't be countered), then this card's ability does not put the card onto the battlefield. The spell continues to resolve as normal.
The card is put onto the battlefield, but any effects that check if the original card was "cast from your hand" will not trigger or otherwise consider the card to have been cast from your hand. The card was put onto the battlefield by the effect of Desertion instead.
This spell includes a replacement effect. If the target is an artifact or creature spell, it never goes to the graveyard.
