Inspired Idea MTG Card


Inspired Idea offers card advantage through drawing but requires discarding and has a strict mana cost. It’s versatile and meta-relevant, fitting well in card-draw strategies and combo decks. Countering it involves applying pressure, using discard effects, and negating with counterspells.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Abilities Cleave

Text of card

Cleave (You may cast this spell for its cleave cost. If you do, remove the words in square brackets.) Draw three cards.
-our maximum hand size is reduced by three for the rest of the game.]

Stitching is an ever-evolving field, with each new advancement reaching a new height of horror.


Cards like Inspired Idea

Exploring the versatile world of combo enablers in MTG, Inspired Idea emerges as a compelling card to consider. Serving as a nod to classical blue card-draw spells, it shares common ground with iconic cards like Brainstorm, which also offers a peek at additional strategies thanks to its drawing ability. However, Inspired Idea requires the player to pay life equal to the number of cards in their hand unless it’s their turn limiting the versatility compared to Brainstorm’s immediate draw.

On the strategic landscape, there’s also an intersection with cards like Pull from Tomorrow. This spell also allows a substantial card draw with the caveat of discarding one, but it stands out with its untethered draw quantity directly tied to available mana rather than hand size, presenting an alternative for late-game scenarios. Another parallel is found with Blue Sun’s Zenith, which shuffles back into the library offering a recurring advantage, yet it does not have the life payment condition found in Inspired Idea.

In summary, Inspired Idea can prove to be a valuable tool for drawing multiple cards at a potentially low cost, aligning well with MTG’s tradition of powerful blue draw spells while offering a unique challenge in its activation cost.

Brainstorm - MTG Card versions
Pull from Tomorrow - MTG Card versions
Blue Sun's Zenith - MTG Card versions
Brainstorm - MTG Card versions
Pull from Tomorrow - MTG Card versions
Blue Sun's Zenith - MTG Card versions

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Déjà Vu - MTG Card versions
Exhaustion - MTG Card versions
Time Ebb - MTG Card versions
Dream Cache - MTG Card versions
Tinker - MTG Card versions
Sage's Knowledge - MTG Card versions
Undo - MTG Card versions
Ingenious Mastery - MTG Card versions
Animating Faerie // Bring to Life - MTG Card versions
Reminisce - MTG Card versions
Timetwister - MTG Card versions
Fabricate - MTG Card versions
Counsel of the Soratami - MTG Card versions
Vacuumelt - MTG Card versions
Wistful Thinking - MTG Card versions
Savor the Moment - MTG Card versions
Sanity Grinding - MTG Card versions
Divination - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

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

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
WUWU StandardTraditional Standard Ranked Decklists: March 25, 2024
Azorius TempoAzorius Tempo StandardAzorius TempoBLACK - FRI - 11AM - Chicago 75K Standard Open
Azorius AggroAzorius Aggro StandardAzorius TempoJapan Standard Cup: Murders at Karlov Manor

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Inspired Idea provides a significant boost by letting you draw three cards. This influx of options can replenish your hand, ensuring that you maintain the upper hand over your opponents by having more resources to work with.

Resource Acceleration: Although Inspired Idea doesn’t directly produce additional mana or tokens, the cards drawn could potentially lead to obtaining more lands or spells that generate resources, indirectly accelerating your gameplay and enabling more powerful moves.

Instant Speed: Operating at instant speed means Inspired Idea can be cast during your opponent’s turn, keeping your mana flexible. The ability to wait until the end of your opponent’s turn before deciding to draw ensures that you can respond appropriately to their actions before committing your resources to the card draw.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Inspired Idea necessitates discarding a card, which can be particularly taxing in situations where your hand is already depleted. This requirement can potentially place you at a disadvantage by reducing your options on future turns.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a strict blue mana investment to cast. Consequently, it may not seamlessly integrate into decks that don’t heavily feature blue mana or multicolor decks that prioritize mana flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a significant casting cost, Inspired Idea’s mana investment is steep compared to other draw spells. Players may find that, despite its potential for card advantage, the upfront cost is a deterring factor, especially in fast-paced games where mana efficiency is paramount.


Reasons to Include Inspired Idea in Your Collection

Versatility: Inspired Idea, as a blue card, offers great adaptability, easily sliding into decks centered around card advantage and draw mechanics. Its ability to refill your hand makes it a valuable addition to various strategies.

Combo Potential: When paired with other cards that reward you for drawing or having a large hand size, Inspired Idea’s potential skyrockets, setting the stage for powerful plays and synergistic combos.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where information is power, keeping your hand stocked with options is crucial. Inspired Idea aligns well with this approach, often finding its place in environments where maintaining card advantage can tip the scales in your favor.


How to beat

Inspired Idea is a unique and cerebral card that offers players in Magic: The Gathering a tempting offer – draw three cards at the cost of reducing your hand size for the rest of the game. This trade-off can embolden a strategic player to surge forward in card advantage, but is not without its risks. To overcome the benefits that Inspired Idea bestows upon your opponent, pinpoint precision in game strategy is key.

Countering Inspired Idea effectively entails applying pressure and forcing your adversary to play cards, thus diminishing their hand size even more rapidly post-casting. Additionally, leveraging discard effects can exacerbate the reduced maximum hand size, causing your opponent to lose vital resources. Resource denial tactics, such as milling or forcing the opponent to draw excessively, could turn Inspired Idea’s advantage into a liability quickly. Moreover, negation through counterspells before Inspired Idea resolves ensures the opponent’s hand size remains unchanged.

Ultimately, tackling Inspired Idea revolves around proactively disrupting your opponent’s plans and punishing them for their smaller hand size. Observe their tactics, adjust your plan, and you will convert their inspiration into your victory.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Inspired Idea 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 Inspired Idea and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Inspired Idea Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-11-19 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Alix Branwyn.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 953072015NormalBlackAlix Branwyn
22021-11-19Innistrad: Crimson VowVOW 642015NormalBlackAlix Branwyn
32021-11-19Innistrad: Crimson VowVOW 3602015NormalBlackAlix Branwyn
42022-01-28Innistrad: Double FeatureDBL 3312015NormalBlackAlix Branwyn

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Inspired Idea 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 Inspired Idea 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 A cleave cost is an alternative cost that's paid instead of the spell's mana cost. Casting a spell for its cleave cost doesn't change the spell's mana value.
2021-11-19 If a player has more cards in their hand than their maximum hand size during the cleanup step of that player's turn, that player discards until they have that many cards. A player's maximum hand size isn't checked at any time other than their own cleanup step.
2021-11-19 If an effect allows you to “cast a spell without paying its mana cost,” you can't cast that spell for its cleave cost.
2021-11-19 If multiple effects modify your hand size, apply them in timestamp order. For example, if you are affected by Null Profusion (an enchantment that sets a player's maximum hand size to two) and then resolve Inspired Idea without paying its cleave cost, your maximum hand size would be zero. However, if Null Profusion entered the battlefield after Inspired Idea resolved, your maximum hand size would be two.
2021-11-19 If you cast a spell for its cleave cost, that spell doesn't have any of the text in square brackets while it's on the stack.
2021-11-19 If you currently have no maximum hand size, then reducing your maximum hand size by three will have no effect. If the effect causing you to have no maximum hand size ends, Inspired Idea's effect will apply at that time.
2021-11-19 You can't cast a spell for both its cleave cost and another alternative cost. For example, if an effect gives an Alchemist's Retrieval in your graveyard a flashback cost of , you can't cast it from your graveyard for its cleave cost.