by Can Tran

Created on: November 07, 2009

"Intervention Pact" is a white instant spell printed as a rare for the Magic the Gathering expansion set known as "Future Sight." This is somewhat of an interesting instant spell that can help you immediately. However, this is one of the types of instant spells that have some sort of string attached. In a sense, Intevention Pact is the type of card with the dynamic that can be translated into "There Is No Such Thing As Free Lunch" or "TINSTASF."

The converted mana cost for Intervention Pact is zero. You need zero mana to play Intervention Pact. In this respect, you do not have to pay any mana to play Intervention Pact. For what Intervention Pact can do, you get a whole lot for paying nothing at all. Since Intervention Pact is an instant spell, you can play this at any given time during the game.

What does Intervention Pact do in the first place?

When you play Intervention Pact, you prevent damage coming to you from a source that you choose. If an opponent decides to play some massive spell or attack with a powerful creature to deal you many points of damage, you can play Intervention Pact. Not only do you prevent that much damage, you gain that much life in return. Being able to play such a spell and not pay any mana.

However, there is the catch. During your next upkeep, you have to pay two white mana and one colorless mana. If you do not, you lose the game. It does not matter if you have the board advantage or the most life points, you are out of the game if you do not pay that mana. For the most part, it should be that simple. However, there could be an opponent that decides to become a total jerk and decides to pop off your means of producing the needed white mana for that cost. Because of this cost, Intervention Pact is pretty much similar to the notion of TINSTAF. As soon as you play Intervention Pact, you have to remember to pay the mana next turn. Keep in mind that your opponent could play a spell such as "Armageddon" before you can pay the mana.

There is a combination of cards that you can use to get the most out of Intervention Pact. If an opponent decides to pop off your lands, you can make him/her pay. You are going to need "Boon Reflection," "Sanguine Bond," "Tainted Sigil," and "Wound Reflection." This is if you are playing black and white. Boon Reflection will double the life points you receive via Intervention Pact. Sanguine Bond lets you pick a target player to lose that many life points. You sacrifice Tainted Sigil to gain that much life points that your opponent lost. That gets doubled with Boon Reflection. The effect of Sanguine Bond kicks in. Finally, Wound Reflection kicks in which doubles the amount of life points lost.

Alone, Intervention Pact seems to be interesting enough provided that you pay that mana the next turn. With other cards, you can deal a lot of damage with Intervention Pact.

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