Not of This World MTG Card


Provides card advantage and tempo by shielding your game-changing creatures at crucial moments. Enables powerful plays without mana expenditure when safeguarding creatures with power 7 or more. Not of This World’s instant speed casting can unexpectedly thwart opponents’ strategies in real-time.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityUncommon
TypeTribal Instant — Eldrazi

Text of card

Counter target spell or ability that targets a permanent you control. Not of This World costs less to cast if it targets a spell or ability that targets a creature you control with power 7 or greater.


Cards like Not of This World

Not of This World stands out in the realm of protective spells in Magic: The Gathering. It bears similarity to cards like Negate which can counter noncreature spells, however, Not of This World specifically targets spells or abilities that could potentially destroy a creature you control. Its uniqueness lies in its potential costlessness—if it’s defending a creature with power 7 or more, the mana cost is waived altogether.

Comparatively, we can look at Avoid Fate, which also counters actions targeting your permanents, yet it does not encompass the scope of spells that Not of This World can negate, especially in the case of targeting colossal creatures. Similarly, Turn Aside is another protective instant that prevents effects directed at a single permanent you control, maintaining simplicity and efficiency with a single blue mana cost, yet it doesn’t share the no-cost advantage for large creatures.

Overall, Not of This World’s niche offering of cost-free countering under specific conditions can provide an unforeseen line of defense, making it a unique tool in MTG for safeguarding your most formidable creatures on the battlefield.

Negate - MTG Card versions
Avoid Fate - MTG Card versions
Turn Aside - MTG Card versions
Negate - MTG Card versions
Avoid Fate - MTG Card versions
Turn Aside - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Not of This World. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Sultai DepthsSultai Depths LegacySultai DepthsCircuito Legacy Catarinense | Temporada 2024 | Etapa 1
Golgari DepthsGolgari Depths LegacySultai DepthsLegacy League 2024-02-16
Turbo DepthsTurbo Depths LegacySultai DepthsLisbon Legacy League 2024 // 6th Qualifier
Four-color DepthsFour-color Depths LegacySultai DepthsSouth Wales Legacy Showcase
Esper ReanimatorEsper Reanimator ModernGoryo's VengeanceMTG SEA Championship Final Season 2 Round 2
4c Depths4c Depths LegacySultai DepthsLegacy League 2024-02-01
Golgari ComboGolgari Combo LegacySultai DepthsLegacy Etapa #01-2024 - Liga Curitibana de Legacy

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Not of This World offers a unique benefit that sets it apart from other protective spells. Rather than directly drawing cards, its power lies in safeguarding your most important and likely expensive creatures. By potentially negating a removal spell targeted at your behemoth, you maintain presence and pressure, preventing card and tempo loss.

Resource Acceleration: This powerhouse of protection comes with a formidable advantage for decks running formidable creatures: it costs nothing if you are protecting a creature with power 7 or greater. This ability enables you to deploy other strategies and threats without using up valuable resources, keeping the momentum firmly on your side.

Instant Speed: The true strength of Not of This World lies in its reactive potential. Casting it at instant speed allows you to adapt to threats in real-time, turning an opponent’s calculated play into a thwarted attempt. This versatility of response keeps your adversaries on their toes, wary of the protection you might have up your sleeve.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Not of This World requires seven mana to play, which can be a limiting factor in many games. Having such a high cost means you often need to wait until the later stages of the game to use it, potentially missing out on critical early to mid-game plays.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana cost is colorless, which while versatile, can still be a challenge in terms of ramping up enough mana, especially if your deck is not built to generate a significant amount of colorless mana efficiently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The seven-mana investment for a single disruptive effect is expensive compared to other protection spells in MTG. There are alternatives that can protect creatures for less mana, which might be more efficient and easier to fit into a deck’s curve.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Not of This World offers broad defensive utility, capable of protecting your largest creatures from targeted spells. Its ability to be casted for free under certain conditions makes it a surprise element in any deck featuring massive creatures.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with strategies that include colossal Eldrazi, as well as other decks that spawn gigantic creatures. Its presence can turn the tide by preserving your board state when opponents least expect it.

Meta-Relevance: With the rise of decks focusing on large creatures and commanders, Not of This World becomes an essential tool for negating targeted removals that could otherwise dismantle your game plan.


How to beat

Not of This World is a unique card in Magic: The Gathering, offering players a powerful protective spell for their massive creatures. As a seven-mana cost card, it can be overwhelming to face, especially when you’re about to make a crucial move against a formidable Eldrazi creature. The key to overcoming this card is timing and disruption. Hold onto your countermagic or discard effects for when you suspect this card is at the ready.

Consider using cards that force your opponent to play spells on their own turn, like Teferi, Time Raveler, which limits their ability to spring this trap during your attack. Hand disruption spells such as Thoughtseize allow you to remove Not of This World from your opponent’s hand before it becomes a problem. Additionally, efficient removal spells that don’t target, such as board wipes, can sidestep the card’s condition of targeting a creature with seven or more power.

Lastly, it’s critical to meticulously manage the stack and the sequence of your plays. With its towering mana cost waived when protecting a giant creature, Not of This World can effortlessly surprise you if you’re not thoughtful about when and how you deploy your threats and removal.


BurnMana Recommendations

As MTG players delve into the ever-evolving world of strategy and competition, Not of This World emerges as a card to consider for those playing gargantuan creatures. Its protective capabilities at no cost, when paired with massive beasts, make it a strategic addition to many decks. The value lies in keeping your titans in play, ultimately swinging the game in your favor. However, it’s important to balance your deck with efficiency in mind, as the unaided mana cost can be steep. Looking to fortify your deck with this unique card or find clever ways to counteract these defenses? Explore in-depth tactics, card interactions, and enhance your deck-building skills with us. Head over and expand your MTG acumen with all the insights on Not of This World.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Not of This World MTG card by a specific set like Rise of the Eldrazi and Mystery Booster Retail Edition Foils, 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 Not of This World and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Not of This World Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2010-04-23 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by Izzy.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12010-04-23Rise of the EldraziROE 82003NormalBlackIzzy
22020-03-08Mystery Booster Retail Edition FoilsFMB1 12003NormalBlackIzzy
32020-09-26The ListPLST ROE-82003NormalBlackIzzy
42023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 8072015NormalBlackIzzy

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Not of This World has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Not of This World card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2010-06-15 If a spell or ability targets you, but not a permanent you control, you can’t cast Not of This World targeting it.
2010-06-15 Not of This World doesn’t check whether the targets of the spell or ability it’s targeting are currently legal for that spell or ability, only who controls them and what their power is. For example, say a player casts Forked Bolt targeting you and a creature you control. If, in response, another spell or ability causes that creature to gain shroud, then you can still cast Not of This World targeting Forked Bolt.
2010-06-15 Not of This World’s first ability checks the current state of the targets of the spell or ability it’s targeting to determine whether one of them is a permanent you control. For example, say a player casts Forked Bolt targeting you and a creature you control. If, in response, another spell or ability causes that creature to no longer be under your control, then you can’t cast Not of This World targeting Forked Bolt. Alternately, if you cast Not of This World targeting Forked Bolt and, in response, another spell or ability causes that creature to no longer be under your control, Not of This World won’t resolve when it tries to resolve for having an illegal target.
2010-06-15 Not of This World’s second ability checks the current state of the targets of the spell or ability it’s targeting to determine whether one of them is a creature you control with power 7 or greater. This check is made as you cast Not of This World, before you activate mana abilities. It doesn’t matter what the power of the creature was at the time the targeted spell or ability was cast.
2010-06-15 The spell or ability you target with Not of This World may have any number of targets, as long as one of them is a permanent you control.