Balance
Limited Edition Alpha 3 • rare
- Set
- Limited Edition Alpha
- Collector number
- 3
- Rarity
- Rare
- Mana cost
- 1 generic mana white mana
- Type
- Sorcery
- Colors
- White
- Artist
- Mark Poole
- Market price
- €1,603.82
What it does
Each player chooses a number of lands they control equal to the number of lands controlled by the player who controls the fewest, then sacrifices the rest. Players discard cards and sacrifice creatures the same way.
Where you can play it
- StandardNot legal
- PioneerNot legal
- ModernNot legal
- LegacyBanned
- VintageRestricted
- CommanderBanned
- PauperNot legal
- BrawlNot legal
- HistoricNot legal
- TimelessNot legal
- Penny DreadfulNot legal
- OathbreakerBanned
Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. Card text via Scryfall. Not approved or endorsed by Wizards. As of the last catalogue refresh.
Where to find one
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Where it came from
Balance was released in 1993 as part of Limited Edition Alpha, the inaugural set for the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. Created by Richard Garfield and published by Wizards of the Coast, the card was designed to serve as a powerful equalizer in gameplay, forcing players to discard cards and sacrifice permanents to match the state of the player with the fewest. Its design philosophy centered on resetting board states, a concept that immediately solidified its status as one of the most impactful cards in the early metagame.
The artwork was commissioned from illustrator Mark Poole, who provided a minimalist, ethereal interpretation that aligned with the game's high-fantasy roots. Poole's evocative style was a staple of the Alpha set, helping to establish the visual identity of Magic: The Gathering. Upon its release, Balance was recognized by players as a uniquely potent rare, eventually earning a restricted or banned status in many organized formats due to its tendency to swing the momentum of a match entirely in the caster's favor.
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Who's collecting this
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About Balance
Balance is a card in the Magic: The Gathering catalog on collecto.rs. Limited Edition Alpha 3 • rare. Catalog data is sourced from Scryfall. No public cards collectors track this one yet — adding yours would make you the first on collecto.rs.
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Where does the Balance catalog entry come from?
The catalog entry for Balance is sourced from Scryfall. Catalog-level facts stay consistent across every collector; your own data (condition, edition, acquisition notes) is yours.
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