By Invitation Only MTG Card


Affects board state dramatically by selectively preserving creatures, swinging the game in your favor. Indirectly accelerates resources by diminishing opponents’ while setting up your own board development. Requires careful planning for mana and creature strategy, due to specific casting requirements and costs.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Text of card

Choose a number between 0 and 13. Each player sacrifices that many creatures.

The red envelopes guarantee safe passage through the Lurenbraum barrier. Olivia left strict instructions: no invitation, no entry, no exceptions.


Cards like By Invitation Only

By Invitation Only offers a unique approach to controlling the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This card is often weighed against other mass removal spells, such as Wrath of God or Damnation. Like By Invitation Only, these classic spells are pivotal in sweeping the board clean of creatures. However, By Invitation Only provides a distinct twist, allowing you to choose the number of creatures each player gets to keep, potentially skewing the board state to your advantage while Wrath of God and Damnation offer no such choice, simply destroying all creatures outright with no exceptions.

Diverging from traditional “destroy all” cards, By Invitation Only lets players sculpt the outcome of its effect, which can be significantly more strategic in multiplayer games. Austere Command is another card that can be seen as a counterpart, offering choices in what types of permanents to destroy, yet it lacks the precision control of By Invitation Only, which can be particularly useful when trying to maintain a strong board presence.

Therefore, By Invitation Only stands out in the world of board control spells in Magic: The Gathering by introducing a customizable aspect, allowing for clever tactics that can turn the tide of a game and setting it apart from its more indiscriminate counterparts.

Wrath of God - MTG Card versions
Damnation - MTG Card versions
Austere Command - MTG Card versions
Wrath of God - MTG Card versions
Damnation - MTG Card versions
Austere Command - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to By Invitation Only by color, type and mana cost

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Global Ruin - MTG Card versions
March of Souls - MTG Card versions
Purify - MTG Card versions
Lonesome Unicorn // Rider in Need - MTG Card versions
Slash the Ranks - MTG Card versions
Saltblast - MTG Card versions
Three Dreams - MTG Card versions
Evangelize - MTG Card versions
Hallowed Burial - MTG Card versions
Iona's Judgment - MTG Card versions
Increasing Devotion - MTG Card versions
Defy Death - MTG Card versions
Angelic Edict - MTG Card versions
Rout - MTG Card versions
End Hostilities - MTG Card versions
Fell the Mighty - MTG Card versions
Winds of Rath - MTG Card versions
Planar Outburst - MTG Card versions
Righteous Confluence - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: By Invitation Only provides the ability to alter the board state significantly, potentially removing a large number of creatures from your opponents while preserving yours. Such a swing can lead to a dominant game position.

Resource Acceleration: Although By Invitation Only does not directly produce mana or tokens, efficiently clearing the board can serve as indirect resource acceleration by leaving your opponent’s resources diminished while yours remain ready for further development.

Instant Speed: As a sorcery, By Invitation Only can’t be cast at instant speed. However, the strategic timing of its utilization right before your turn can mirror the surprise element that instant speed spells provide, paving the way for an unobstructed attack.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: By Invitation Only necessitates meticulous planning in terms of the creatures you choose to keep or sacrifice, possibly forcing unwanted decisions when you’re managing a wide battlefield presence or attempting to preserve key synergies within your creature lineup.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring two white mana can strain your mana base, especially in multi-colored decks that depend on a varied mana pool, as it asks for a firm commitment to white mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, By Invitation Only competes with numerous other impactful cards in the same mana range, potentially creating a bottleneck in your mana curve and making it a less favorable option during critical turns.


Reasons to Include By Invitation Only in Your Collection

Versatility: By Invitation Only offers flexibility across various playstyles, thriving in decks that aim to control the board. It’s an adaptable sweeper that allows you to scale its impact based on the current situation, making it a valuable addition no matter your strategy.

Combo Potential: This card works well with strategies focused on creature tokens or death triggers. It can lead to potent combos, especially in scenarios where you benefit from your creatures dying or when you’re aiming to reset the board strategically.

Meta-Relevance: As the metagame frequently shifts, a card that can effectively reduce overpopulated boards is always pertinent. By Invitation Only can turn the tide of battle in metas dominated by creature-heavy decks, ensuring its relevance across a multitude of competitive environments.


How to beat

By Invitation Only is a unique card that allows you to control the creature population on the battlefield. This sorcery targets games with numerous creatures, reducing them to a number determined by the spell caster. To counteract this, diversify your deck strategies beyond creature counts. Enhance your tactics with enchantments, planeswalkers, or spells that deal direct damage. Focusing on creatures with indestructible or those that can regenerate or create tokens upon leaving the battlefield can also mitigate the impact of By Invitation Only. Another effective approach is to utilize counterspells to prevent it from being cast in the first place, safeguarding your board presence. As always, knowing when to extend your board and when to hold back is key when facing potential sweeping effects.

Understanding your opponent’s deck and anticipating key plays allows you to plan a more strategic, controlled game. By Invitation Only can catch players off guard, but with thoughtful play and deck construction, its influence can be mitigated, ensuring your creatures’ safety and your continued dominance over the game’s state.


BurnMana Recommendations

The intricate dynamics of MTG are beautifully showcased by By Invitation Only, offering creative control over the board state. Its strength lies in the ability to dictate game tempo and craft pivotal moments in your favor. Acknowledging the card’s potential and understanding its strategic place within your collection is essential for any player looking to dominate. For those intrigued by the possibilities this card presents and ready to harness its power effectively, we invite you to delve deeper into its applications. Whether you’re seeking to refine an existing deck or imagining new synergies, join us for an in-depth exploration and elevate your game with By Invitation Only.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase By Invitation Only MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Innistrad: Crimson Vow, 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 By Invitation Only and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The By Invitation Only Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2021-11-19 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Micah Epstein.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 952632015NormalBlackMicah Epstein
22021-11-19Innistrad: Crimson VowVOW 52015NormalBlackMicah Epstein
32021-11-19Innistrad: Crimson VowVOW 3462015NormalBlackMicah Epstein
42021-11-19Crimson Vow Art SeriesAVOW 72015Art seriesBorderlessMicah Epstein
52022-01-28Innistrad: Double FeatureDBL 2722015NormalBlackMicah Epstein

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where By Invitation Only has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2021-11-19 If a player controls fewer than the chosen number of creatures, they will sacrifice all their creatures.
2021-11-19 Starting with the player whose turn it is, each player in turn order chooses which creatures they will sacrifice, then all the creatures chosen by all players are sacrificed at the same time. Players get to know the choices made by players who chose before them.
2021-11-19 The numbers you may choose include 0 and 13.