Wiretapping MTG Card


Grants card advantage and can disrupt opponent strategies by revealing their deck’s composition. At instant speed, Wiretapping weaves seamlessly into gameplay, allowing players to cast it opportunistically. The card’s requirements include a specific mana cost and discard, limiting its versatility in some decks.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment
Abilities Hideaway

Text of card

Hideaway 5 (When this enchantment enters the battlefield, look at the top five cards of your library, exile one face down, then put the rest on the bottom in a random order.) Whenever you draw your first card during each of your draw steps, draw a card. Then if you have nine or more cards in hand, you may play the exiled card without paying its mana cost.


Cards like Wiretapping

Wiretapping situates itself uniquely in the realm of information control within Magic: The Gathering. Cards such as Telepathy also unveil the hidden knowledge in opponents’ hands, but Wiretapping goes beyond mere revelation. It permits ongoing surveillance of the opponent’s deck, granting a player the power to predict and potentially disrupt their every move. While Telepathy is passive, Wiretapping is a more active form of intel-gathering.

Peering into the same category, we find Ghoulcaller’s Bell, which also manipulates decks but does so by milling one card from the top at a time. This is a less targeted approach, as it does not allow for the strategy sculpting that Wiretapping can enable. Codex Shredder is another piece of this puzzle, offering both deck interaction and the additional utility of retrieving a card, but lacking the opponent deck visibility that Wiretapping provides.

Overall, Wiretapping carves a niche for itself among cards that interact with decks and hands. Through its unique ability to maintain a constant watch on the opponent’s deck, it enables a level of strategy and anticipation that is unmatched by its counterparts, solidifying its position in the MTG landscape.

Telepathy - MTG Card versions
Ghoulcaller's Bell - MTG Card versions
Codex Shredder - MTG Card versions
Telepathy - MTG Card versions
Ghoulcaller's Bell - MTG Card versions
Codex Shredder - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wiretapping grants consistent access to additional cards every turn, thereby enhancing card advantage and potentially overwhelming your opponent with more options and resources.

Resource Acceleration: By steadily siphoning off the top card of an opponent’s library, Wiretapping subtly accelerates your resources. This can disrupt your opponent’s strategy while boosting your own potential for plays and combos.

Instant Speed: Wiretapping’s capability to be played at instant speed means it can be cleverly timed to interfere with an opponent’s tactics or deployed when they’re most vulnerable – during their end step or in response to their actions.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One notable downside of Wiretapping is that it asks players to discard a card, which could be detrimental to hand advantage. For those who value card retention, this could be a significant hurdle, especially in crucial stages of the game where every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Wiretapping requires a precise mana configuration to be played, which inherently restricts the card to decks that can consistently produce the necessary colors. This makes it less flexible and harder to include in a broad range of deck types, potentially narrowing its playability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The investment to cast Wiretapping is fairly substantial when compared to other cards with similar effects. Players may find that the balance between the mana spent and the outcome received doesn’t always align, particularly when more cost-effective alternatives are available in the MTG ecosystem.


Reasons to Include Wiretapping in Your Collection

Versatility: Wiretapping provides ongoing information about your opponent’s hand, making it a valuable addition in control and tempo decks that aim to disrupt the opponent’s plans.

Combo Potential: Possessing knowledge about your opponent’s hand allows for strategic plays and can act as a combo enabler by setting up the perfect conditions for your win conditions.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where knowing and countering an opponent’s moves are crucial, Wiretapping proves its worth by offering consistent insights, potentially shifting the balance in your favor.


How to beat

Overcoming the Wiretapping card in Magic: The Gathering can be a nuanced challenge. This card offers strategic depth as it allows players to gain insight into their opponents’ moves, potentially disrupting their game plan. To effectively combat Wiretapping, consider using cards that limit the information it can provide. This could include spells that shuffle your library, thus minimizing the advantage an opponent would get from knowing the top card.

Another tactic is to employ cards that draw multiple cards at once, quickly changing the known card and reducing the time your opponent can benefit from the information Wiretapping provides. Additionally, using instant-speed spells during your opponent’s turn can alter the top card of your library after Wiretapping’s ability has been used, but before they can act on the information, mitigating its effect.

A well-constructed deck that can function efficiently without heavily relying on the element of surprise can also lessen the impact of Wiretapping. By maintaining versatility and unpredictability in your play style, you can ensure that Wiretapping doesn’t hinder your path to victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Diving into MTG strategies, the Wiretapping card unveils a realm of possibilities for deck advantage and control. Whether you’re looking to outpace your opponent with resource acceleration or you’re aiming to disrupt their game plan by playing at instant speed, mastering the uses of Wiretapping can give you the upper hand. If overcoming the drawbacks and integrating this card into your strategic arsenal intrigues you, you’re in the right place. Embrace the power of informed gameplay and ensure your collection is prepared for any meta shifts. Get ready to refine your deck and outsmart your opponents with Wiretapping. Discover more strategic insights and tips to advance your MTG experience with us.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wiretapping MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Streets of New Capenna, 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 Wiretapping and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Wiretapping Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2022-04-29 and 2022-04-29. Illustrated by Jason A. Engle.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 997732015NormalBlackJason A. Engle
22022-04-29Streets of New CapennaSNC 652015NormalBlackJason A. Engle
32022-04-29Streets of New Capenna PromosPSNC 65p2015NormalBlackJason A. Engle
42022-04-29Streets of New CapennaSNC 4152015NormalBlackJason A. Engle
52022-04-29Streets of New Capenna PromosPSNC 65s2015NormalBlackJason A. Engle

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wiretapping 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 Wiretapping card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2022-04-29 Any player who has controlled a permanent with a hideaway ability since a card was exiled with it may look at that card.
2022-04-29 Hideaway now causes you to put the rest of the cards on the bottom of your library in a random order instead of any order.
2022-04-29 Previously, permanents with hideaway entered the battlefield tapped. This ability has been removed from the definition of hideaway. Older cards have received errata to have an additional paragraph that reads “
-his permanent] enters the battlefield tapped,” and they now have hideaway 4.
2022-04-29 “Hideaway N” means “When this permanent enters the battlefield, look at the top N cards of your library. Exile one of them face down and put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order. The exiled card gains ‘The player who controls the permanent that exiled this card may look at this card in the exile zone.'”