Black Market Connections MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment
Abilities Buy Information,Hire a Mercenary,Sell Contraband,Treasure

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides consistent card advantage and resource acceleration through drawing cards and creating Treasure tokens.
  2. Its Clue tokens can be used for card draw at instant speed, adding strategic depth to gameplay.
  3. Demands careful resource management to prevent discarding valuable cards or hindering your own strategy.

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Black Market Connections. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Abzan MidrangeAbzan Midrange HistoricAbzan MidrangeWeekday Night Magic
Abzan ComboAbzan Combo GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 13 2024
Four-color ZooFour-color Zoo GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: AM Week 08 2024
Mono-Black RampMono-Black Ramp GladiatorGladiator Games: We're Back
Mono-Black MidrangeMono-Black Midrange GladiatorGladiator Games: We're Back
Jund MidrangeJund Midrange GladiatorGladiator Team Unified League

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Black Market Connections MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate and Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, 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 Black Market Connections and other MTG cards:

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Text of card

At the beginning of your precombat main phase, choose one or more — • Sell Contraband — Create a Treasure token. You lose 1 life. • Buy Information — Draw a card. You lose 2 life. • Hire a Mercenary — Create a 3/2 colorless Shapeshifter creature token with changeling. You lose 3 life.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Black Market Connections shines by offering a consistent stream of resources each turn, which greatly improves your card advantage. By paying life and mana, you can draw additional cards, offering a steady flow of options to outmaneuver opponents.

Resource Acceleration: This card’s ability to create Treasure tokens bolsters your resource acceleration, providing the necessary mana for casting pivotal spells or activating abilities at crucial moments.

Instant Speed: While this enchantment itself does not operate at instant speed, its ability to create Clue tokens allows you to adapt to the state of the game by cracking them whenever most advantageous, even on your opponent’s turn. This flexibility complements your strategy and ensures that your mana is utilized effectively throughout each round.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Black Market Connections demands the forfeiture of a card from your hand, which might be a setback, especially when your hand is nearing empty or when every card is vital for your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a combination of black and generic mana to cast, which makes it exclusive to decks that can produce both, potentially limiting its versatility across various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value of three, including one black, Black Market Connections can be considered to have a higher investment cost in comparison to other cards that offer incremental advantage without the same initial mana output.


Reasons to Include Black Market Connections in Your Collection

Versatility: Black Market Connections is a flexible card that provides consistent value in decks that can leverage life, cards, and creature resources effectively.

Combo Potential: This card can serve as an engine in combo decks, offering the ability to draw into crucial pieces while simultaneously populating the board with creatures and potentially ramping with the treasure tokens it provides.

Meta-Relevance: In a fluctuating meta that rewards resource accrual and adaptability, Black Market Connections can be indispensable, especially for strategies that thrive off of incremental advantages.


How to beat

Black Market Connections is a unique enchantment card in Magic: The Gathering that provides players consistent advantages in the form of cards, life, and creature tokens. The card stands out because it requires careful balancing of resource management to optimize its benefits without suffering significant drawbacks. As such, it calls for a strategic approach to effectively neutralize its impact on the game.

Countering Black Market Connections can be done through targeted enchantment removal. Cards like Disenchant or Naturalize prove to be invaluable tools, as they allow you to promptly remove the threat from the battlefield at minimal cost. Furthermore, including instant-speed removal in your deck provides the flexibility to disrupt your opponent’s plans at the most opportune moment. Alternatively, employing a strategy that limits the benefits the enchantment provides — such as life loss or sacrificing creatures — can also be effective. This can include leaning into cards that punish the opponent for drawing extra cards or gaining life. For example, cards like Underworld Dreams or Tainted Remedy turn the advantages of Black Market Connections against the player using it, ultimately making the card less appealing to maintain on the field.

Overall, the key to surpassing the hurdle posed by Black Market Connections lies in the timely application of enchantment control and the strategic mitigation of advantages it confers. By integrating these techniques into your gameplay, you’ll be better equipped to handle this powerful card and maintain the upper hand in your duels.


BurnMana Recommendations

The journey through MTG never ends, and mastering cards like Black Market Connections is a testament to your evolving gameplay. As you look to enhance your deck with cards that can pivot the tide of battle, consider the power of versatility and resource management. With each draw, treasure, or token, you’re crafting a story of victory. Delve deeper into strategies that transform your playstyle from ordinary to extraordinary. If you’re hungry for more insights on deck-building, card synergies, and tips to outplay your opponent, our platform is your next destination. Embrace the full potential of your MTG collection with us.


Cards like Black Market Connections

Black Market Connections is a unique enchantment that stands out in the world of Magic: The Gathering. This card bears semblance to Splinter, which, much like Black Market Connections, provides ongoing value and advantages. However, Black Market Connections offers more than creature tokens; it also delivers card draw and life payment options, highlighting a myriad of strategic choices for players.

When examining the synergistic approach of Underworld Connections, a parallel can be drawn. It provides a similar card draw mechanism, but Black Market Connections pushes the envelope with the addition of creature tokens and the ability to pay life for resources. This creates a more multifaceted strategy as opposed to the straightforward card advantage of Underworld Connections.

Looking at Risky Investment, another related enchantment, we see that both cards focus on resource generation but in differing methods. While Risky Investment tends to bank on future turns with a potential for higher payoff, Black Market Connections allows for immediate and consistent resource flow, presenting a reliable and versatile option for players aiming to create steady advantages over time.

Within the complex tapestry of Magic: The Gathering, Black Market Connections provides a diverse toolkit for players seeking both immediate and sustained benefits, proving itself as a compelling choice in the realm of value-generating enchantments.

Splinter - MTG Card versions
Underworld Connections - MTG Card versions
Splinter - MTG Card versions
Underworld Connections - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Black Market Connections by color, type and mana cost

Gloom - MTG Card versions
Season of the Witch - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Gate - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Chant - MTG Card versions
Withering Wisps - MTG Card versions
Necropotence - MTG Card versions
Funeral March - MTG Card versions
Casting of Bones - MTG Card versions
Blanket of Night - MTG Card versions
Hecatomb - MTG Card versions
Krovikan Fetish - MTG Card versions
Megrim - MTG Card versions
Recurring Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Contamination - MTG Card versions
Oppression - MTG Card versions
Lurking Evil - MTG Card versions
Maggot Therapy - MTG Card versions
Murderous Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Noxious Field - MTG Card versions
Tainted Well - MTG Card versions
Gloom - MTG Card versions
Season of the Witch - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Gate - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Chant - MTG Card versions
Withering Wisps - MTG Card versions
Necropotence - MTG Card versions
Funeral March - MTG Card versions
Casting of Bones - MTG Card versions
Blanket of Night - MTG Card versions
Hecatomb - MTG Card versions
Krovikan Fetish - MTG Card versions
Megrim - MTG Card versions
Recurring Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Contamination - MTG Card versions
Oppression - MTG Card versions
Lurking Evil - MTG Card versions
Maggot Therapy - MTG Card versions
Murderous Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Noxious Field - MTG Card versions
Tainted Well - MTG Card versions

Printings

The Black Market Connections Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2022-06-10 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 6202015NormalBlackEvyn Fong
22022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 6692015NormalBlackEvyn Fong
32022-07-07Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's GateHBG 1452015NormalBlackEvyn Fong
42023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 1812015NormalBlackLixin Yin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Black Market Connections has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal