Cut a Deal is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Each opponent draws a card, then you draw a card for each opponent who drew a card this way.
Complete guide
Cut a Deal is a quintessential white political tool that allows you to replenish your hand while currying favor at the table. While it gives your opponents resources, it often leaves you with the largest net gain in cards, especially in multiplayer formats.
What It Does
For three mana, Cut a Deal forces every opponent to draw a card simultaneously. Immediately afterward, you draw one card for each opponent who successfully drew a card during that first step. In a standard four-player game, this usually means three cards for you and one for each of them.
How It Resolves Step by Step
When Cut a Deal resolves, first, all opponents perform the action of drawing a card. If an opponent cannot draw a card (due to an empty library or a replacement effect), they do not draw. Second, the game checks how many opponents actually drew cards. Finally, you draw that many cards total.
Common Mistakes
A common misconception is that you always draw cards equal to the number of opponents you have. If an opponent uses a replacement effect to swap the draw for something else, or if they have an empty library, they did not 'draw a card this way,' and you won't get a card for that specific player. Additionally, even if a replacement effect causes an opponent to draw two cards instead of one, you still only draw a single card for that opponent.
When to Play It
This sorcery is best utilized in Commander or other multiplayer settings where you have at least three opponents. In a one-on-one duel, it is inefficient as both you and your opponent simply trade one card for one card, but in a group, it acts as a powerful draw engine that helps you dig for your win conditions.
Interaction examples
Sevinne's ReclamationIf you have already cast Cut a Deal and it is in your graveyard, you can use Sevinne's Reclamation to return a permanent to the battlefield. If you cast the Reclamation for its Flashback cost, you get two permanents back, helping you rebuild your board state after using Cut a Deal to find the pieces you needed.
Open the ArmoryIn an Equipment-based deck, you can use Cut a Deal early in the turn to draw into more lands or interaction. If you draw into Open the Armory, you can immediately cast it to search your library for a specific Aura or Equipment, ensuring that the extra cards your opponents drew won't save them from your specialized threats.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Cut a Deal
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Although the draws are not optional, if an opponent doesn't draw a card, perhaps because a replacement effect replaced the draw with another effect, that player is not counted when determining how many cards you draw.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If an opponent drew more than one card this way due to a replacement effect, you still draw only one card for that player.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Cut a Deal
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.