Mnemonic Wall MTG Card


Mnemonic Wall excels in returning spells, ensuring a steady flow of options for the controller. It accelerates game plans by reusing powerful instants and sorceries from the graveyard. Instant spell synergy provides strategic advantages with surprise plays during any turn.
Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Wall
Abilities Defender
Power 0
Toughness 4

Text of card

Defender When Mnemonic Wall enters the battlefield, you may return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand.

"I'd build an entire fortress of them if I could." —Mzali, Lighthouse archmage


Cards like Mnemonic Wall

Mnemonic Wall stands out in MTG as a pivotal creature card for its ability to recover spells from your graveyard. A parallel to Mnemonic Wall is Archaeomancer, which serves a similar purpose of retrieving an instant or sorcery card to your hand. While both cards have the same mana value and power/toughness ratio, Archaeomancer limits its ability to instants and sorceries, whereas Mnemonic Wall offers broader possibilities.

Another card that echoes this mechanic is Izzet Chronarch, albeit with a specific guild color identity. Just like Mnemonic Wall, it returns an instant or sorcery upon entering the battlefield. However, Izzet Chronarch requires both blue and red whereas Mnemonic Wall only demands a commitment to blue.

Evaluating the specialty of these retrieval cards in the context of MTG gameplay, Mnemonic Wall certainly holds its own. Its versatility and ability to impact your spell strategies without restrictive color demands make it a reliable choice for various decks that value spell recursion.

Archaeomancer - MTG Card versions
Izzet Chronarch - MTG Card versions
Archaeomancer - MTG Card versions
Izzet Chronarch - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

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

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Ephemerate TronEphemerate Tron PauperEphemerate TronPauper League 2024-03-04
Flicker TronFlicker Tron PauperEphemerate Tron5° Tappa - Season 7 - Road to Paupergeddon Spring edition 2024 @ Lega Pauper Martesana
Walls ScomboWalls Scombo PauperWalls ComboTappa Lega Pauperissima "Road to Pisa" @Magic Akiba
Azorius FamiliarsAzorius Familiars Free formNoble Spring Quarterly
Azorius ComboAzorius Combo PauperFamiliarsOgonyok
Wall ComboWall Combo PauperWalls ComboSprint Wheel Event - Geddon Series 1^ tappa PISA 2024
Azorius ControlAzorius Control PauperFamiliarsOgonyok
Walls ComboWalls Combo PauperWalls ComboPauper League 2024-03-25
Four-color TronFour-color Tron PauperEphemerate TronPauper Jungle
Five-color TronFive-color Tron PauperEphemerate TronC'mon! Pozna

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Mnemonic Wall takes center stage in strategies geared towards reusing vital spells. When this stalwart defender enters the battlefield, it offers the immediate benefit of returning an instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand, ensuring that you maintain a robust selection of options and enhancing your overall card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: While Mnemonic Wall doesn’t accelerate resources in terms of mana production, it effectively “accelerates” your resources by recycling your most impactful spells. This can lead to a rapid succession of powerful plays, as previously used spells are cast for a second time, affecting the game state substantially without further depletion of your hand’s resources.

Instant Speed: While Mnemonic Wall itself is a creature card and does not operate at instant speed, it synergizes exceptionally with instant speed spells. By retrieving an instant from your graveyard, you set the stage for unpredictable and strategic plays that can be executed during your opponent’s turn, thereby keeping them guessing and giving you a tactical edge in the duel.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Mnemonic Wall, while not having a discard requirement as part of casting it, does not provide card advantage on its own. When using the wall to retrieve an important instant or sorcery, you are essentially converting one resource (the card) into another, which means that if you’re already in a position where resources are scarce, Mnemonic Wall might not provide the immediate impact you need to stabilize.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires two blue mana in its casting cost, making it somewhat restrictive in multicolored decks. If your mana base is not finely tuned, the double blue requirement can pose difficulties in casting Mnemonic Wall on curve, thereby inhibiting its potential in a timely fashion.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, including two specific for blue, Mnemonic Wall can be seen as a hefty investment, especially when you consider that the body it provides (a 0/4 wall) doesn’t apply much pressure on the board. In many cases, players could opt for lower cost spells or creatures that can affect the board state more efficiently or provide a wider range of tactical options.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Mnemonic Wall offers a dynamic option for decks that thrive on recycling spells from the graveyard. It slots seamlessly into control or combo decks where returning a key instant or sorcery can shift the tide of the game.

Combo Potential: When combined with cards that allow for multiple uses of enter-the-battlefield (ETB) triggers, Mnemonic Wall can create a loop to indefinitely recur powerful spells, opening up avenues for game-winning combos.

Meta-Relevance: As metas evolve, decks that can reuse their most crucial spells often gain an advantage. Mnemonic Wall’s ability to consistently retrieve critical spells makes it a resilient choice capable of adapting to various meta shifts.


How to beat

Mnemonic Wall is a versatile card in Magic the Gathering that can frustrate opponents by returning instant or sorcery cards from your graveyard to your hand. To counter this persistent wall, you’ll need to adopt strategies that remove it from the battlefield or prevent its abilities from activating. For an effective solution, consider including graveyard disruption cards. These can range from those that exile cards in the graveyard, like Bojuka Bog or Tormod’s Crypt, to those that shuffle the graveyard back into the library, such as Elixir of Immortality.

Targeted removal spells that bypass the Wall’s higher toughness, like Path to Exile or Assassin’s Trophy, are also quite effective. Additionally, countering the spell with a Negate or a similar counterspell when the Wall’s ability goes on the stack means it never gets a chance to bring back an instant or sorcery card. Ultimately, staying one step ahead of the Wall’s recursion and having the right answers in your deck can turn this seemingly impenetrable defense into a minor obstacle.


BurnMana Recommendations

The path to victory in Magic the Gathering lies in understanding the potential of your cards. Mnemonic Wall is a keystone for innovative players keen on maximizing spell reuse. While this card might present certain mana challenges, the strategic value of recuperating pivotal instants or sorceries can’t be overstated. Whether disrupting opponents’ plans with revived spells or forging unstoppable combos, this wall stands firm in the face of evolving metas. If you’re ready to enhance your tactics and construct a deck that stands the test of time, delve deeper with us. Forge your strategy around Mnemonic Wall’s remarkable abilities and become an adaptable and formidable contender in the MTG arena.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mnemonic Wall MTG card by a specific set like Rise of the Eldrazi and Theros, 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 Mnemonic Wall and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Mnemonic Wall Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2010-04-23 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12010-04-23Rise of the EldraziROE 782003NormalBlackVance Kovacs
22013-09-27TherosTHS 552003NormalBlackTrevor Claxton
32013-11-01Commander 2013C13 502003NormalBlackVance Kovacs
42016-08-26Conspiracy: Take the CrownCN2 1162015NormalBlackVance Kovacs
52017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 672015NormalBlackTrevor Claxton
62019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 4352015NormalBlackTrevor Claxton
72020-09-26The ListPLST IMA-672015NormalBlackTrevor Claxton

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Mnemonic Wall has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PioneerLegal