Thassa's Oracle

Thassa's Oracle Full Guide

Theros Beyond Death Rare
Mana Cost: {U}{U}
Type: Creature — Merfolk Wizard
P/T: 1/3
Thassa's Oracle Text:
When this creature enters, look at the top X cards of your library, where X is your devotion to blue. Put up to one of them on top of your library and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order. If X is greater than or equal to the number of cards in your library, you win the game. (Each {U} in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to blue.)
Artist: Jesper Ejsing
Collector Number: 308
Release Date: 2020-01-24
Art crop
Cards Mentioned in This Review
These cards are referenced in the strategy guide below

Strategy Guide

Last updated 2025-06-28
TL;DR Summary

Thassa's Oracle: A 2-mana, 1/3 creature that offers a unique draw effect. When it enters the battlefield, Thassa's Oracle allows you to look at X cards from the top of your library (where X is your devotion to blue), then put up to one card on top and the rest in random order at the bottom.

Power Level: Moderate to High. While its combat stats are underwhelming, its ability to influence the draw can be a game-changer in Commander and other formats.

Main Use Cases: Thassa's Oracle excels in:

  • Commander decks focused on Blue-based draws, such as Daxos, Blessed Hound
  • Blue-heavy builds that rely on card advantage
  • Combo-oriented decks that need to access specific cards

In terms of popularity, Thassa's Oracle sees moderate play in Commander, with an EDHREC Rank of 345. Its price is relatively high at $26.41 USD.

Card Mechanics & Interactions

Thassa's Oracle

Thassa's Oracle is a rare, 2-mana creature with 1 power and 3 toughness. Its type line indicates it's a Merfolk Wizard.

Mana Cost and Devotion The card requires two blue mana to play. The oracle text states that your devotion to blue, which is determined by the number of U's in the mana costs of permanents you control, affects how many cards are looked at when it enters the battlefield.

Entering the Battlefield

When Thassa's Oracle enters the battlefield:

  1. Look at the top X cards of your library, where X is your devotion to blue.
  2. Put up to one of them on top of your library and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
  3. If X is greater than or equal to the number of cards in your library, you win the game.

Interaction with Other Cards

  • Library Manipulation: Thassa's Oracle interacts closely with other cards that manipulate the library, such as Mnemosphere and Sensei's Divining Top. These cards can benefit from the oracle text by allowing you to draw or gain card advantage from the revealed cards.
  • Combos with Milling Cards: This card pairs well with milling effects like Thought-Knot Seer, as you can reveal more cards when it enters, potentially generating even more value.

Edge Cases and Unusual Interactions

  • If you have exactly two U's in permanents, your devotion to blue is 2. You would look at the top two cards of your library.
  • Librarian of the Mindful: This card can affect how Thassa's Oracle functions. When it enters with a Librarian on the battlefield, you'll draw an additional card for each card you reveal.
  • Mana Floods: If you cast Thassa's Oracle during a mana flood (when you have more mana than needed), your devotion to blue will increase, allowing you to look at more cards.

Commander-Specific Quirks

  • Thassa's Oracle can serve as an excellent addition to decks focused on blue-based mill strategies or combination-heavy builds.
  • Its ability to reveal multiple cards simultaneously makes it a great fit for decks using Thought-Knot Seer and other milling effects.
Strategic Applications

Strategic Applications of Thassa's Oracle

Thassa's Oracle is a highly versatile and potentially game-ending card that can be integrated into various Commander decks, particularly those focused on blue devotion. Its ability to manipulate the top cards of your library makes it an attractive addition to strategies centered around card advantage, tempo, and control.

Devotion-Based Decks

The most straightforward way to utilize Thassa's Oracle is in pure blue devotion decks. These builds typically focus on ramping up devotion quickly to access more powerful spells. With a high devotion to blue, Thassa's Oracle can look at an impressive number of cards, potentially revealing and re-arranging the top 8 or even 10 cards.

Combo Decks

Thassa's Oracle is also valuable in combo decks that rely on specific card synergies. By manipulating the library, it allows players to reveal and set up key combo pieces more efficiently. For example, a deck centered around Meren of Windswept Away can use Thassa's Oracle to find its ultimate enabler.

Control Decks

Thassa's Oracle finds a home in control decks that prioritize disrupting opponents' plans while establishing a strong board presence. By re-arranging the library, it can deny opponents crucial spells or disrupt their sequencing.

Color Combinations and Archetypes

While blue is the primary color associated with Thassa's Oracle, other colors can benefit from its ability:

  • Azorius: A classic combination of white and blue, Azorius control decks often utilize cards like Gideon Jura that synergize well with Thassa's Oracle.
  • Dimir: Dimir offers a more aggressive approach to control, leveraging spells like Infernal Tutor that interact with the library. Thassa's Oracle can enhance this strategy by revealing key pieces of combo business or disrupting opponents' plans.

Competitive and Casual Builds

Thassa's Oracle is suitable for both competitive and casual decks:

  • Modern: This format sees various forms of blue devotion, including traditional builds like "Azorius Control" and more innovative approaches with cards like Sylvan Library.
  • Commander: Thassa's Oracle can be incorporated into more casual Commander decks as a way to manipulate the library and increase card advantage.

Niche Builds

Thassa's Oracle has applications in niche builds that might not be immediately apparent:

  • Combo-Heavy Decks: As mentioned earlier, combo decks centered around specific synergies can greatly benefit from Thassa's Oracle.
  • Library Manipulation Decks: A build focused on library manipulation and card advantage, potentially incorporating cards like Sylvan Library or Cultivate, could use Thassa's Oracle to further enhance its abilities.

In summary, Thassa's Oracle offers a versatile tool for manipulating the library, which can be leveraged in various blue devotion decks, control strategies, and combo builds. Its potential for revealing game-changing cards or disrupting opponents' plans makes it an attractive addition to any deck focused on card advantage and tempo manipulation.

Advanced Techniques

Thassa's Oracle is a highly versatile card that can be used in various ways to disrupt opponents and generate card advantage. Its ability to look at the top X cards of your library, where X is your devotion to blue, allows you to dig deep into your deck and find exactly what you need.

One powerful combination involves pairing Thassa's Oracle with cards like Dive Down or Rampaging Baloth. By generating card advantage through ramp spells, you can create an oracle effect that draws a large number of cards from the top of your library. This can be particularly devastating if you're playing against an opponent with a low life total.

Another interesting synergy involves combining Thassa's Oracle with cards like Thalia, Guardian of Thraben or Linvala, the Reflector. By removing unwanted cards from the top of your library and replacing them with random cards from the bottom, you can effectively disrupt your opponent's plans while generating card advantage for yourself.

In addition to these more straightforward applications, Thassa's Oracle also has some subtler uses. For example, you can use it to protect your life total by removing unwanted cards from the top of your library and replacing them with copies of Surgical Extraction or other removal spells. This allows you to maintain a consistent life total while still generating card advantage.

Thassa's Oracle can also be used in more aggressive decks that rely on disrupting opponents' plans. By creating an oracle effect that draws multiple cards from the top of your library, you can generate card advantage and attack your opponent with a large number of creatures at once. This can be particularly effective when paired with cards like Komatatsu Sentinel or [Maelstrom Pulse.

Overall, Thassa's Oracle is a highly versatile card that can be used in a variety of ways to disrupt opponents and generate card advantage. Its ability to look at the top X cards of your library allows you to dig deep into your deck and find exactly what you need, making it an excellent addition to any blue-based deck.

Common Mistakes

Timing Issues with Thassa's Oracle

Players often misjudge the timing of Thassa's Oracle's ability, leading to inconsistent results. When this creature enters, its ability triggers immediately, but its effect is a delayed trigger that resolves at the beginning of the next end step.

  • This means that if you play Thassa's Oracle on turn 2 and it has two blue mana symbols in its mana cost (devotion), you will draw three cards from the top of your library and put them back in random order, potentially winning the game. However, this effect does not trigger again until the beginning of your next end step.
  • Some players mistakenly think that Thassa's Oracle can be used to manipulate their deck's contents more frequently.

Misunderstood Rules

The oracle text of Thassa's Oracle is often misunderstood:

  • When X (devotion) is equal to or greater than the number of cards in your library, you win the game immediately. The ability does not trigger again after winning.
  • If X is less than the number of cards in your library, you can choose which card to put on top of your library and discard the rest, but this is often overlooked.

Poor Synergies

Some players pair Thassa's Oracle with other blue cards expecting powerful synergy:

  • While it pairs well with cards like Opt (R) and Ponder (R), allowing for even more card advantage, it does not interact meaningfully with most blue creatures.
  • When played alongside a strong draw spell, such as Daze (U) or Counterspell (U), the potential to win the game quickly increases.

Example Deck Examples

Thassa's Oracle pairs well in Merfolk and control deck archetypes. A sample build:

  • Main: Thassa's Oracle, Opt (R), Ponder (R), Daze (U), Counterspell (U)
  • Sideboard: cards like Sylvan Library (G) to help dig for Merfolk cards

In general, players should be aware of the timing and rules surrounding Thassa's Oracle's ability to make informed deck-building decisions.

Conclusion

Here's a rewritten version of the text, adhering to the provided style guidelines:

Thassa's Oracle

Thassa's Oracle is a rare creature from the Theros set. It rewards devotion to blue and has an intriguing ability that can significantly impact gameplay.

Mechanics and Abilities

  • Devotion: Thassa's Oracle requires a significant investment in blue mana for its abilities to shine.
  • Oracle Text: When this creature enters, look at the top X cards of your library, where X is your devotion to blue. Put up to one of them on top of your library and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
  • Game-Winning Condition: If X is greater than or equal to the number of cards in your library, you win the game.

Strategic Considerations

  • Blue Devotion: Thassa's Oracle relies heavily on blue devotion. Each additional blue mana cost contributes to this devotion, reflecting the merfolk's affinity for the mysterious and unknown.
  • Mill Strategies: In a mill deck, Thassa's Oracle can be used to search for key cards that will help you mill the opponent or draw through your deck.

Notable Appearances

Thassa's Oracle has been featured in several iconic Commander decks, including those built around Merfolk-themed strategies or aggressive blue decks that rely on its ability to look at multiple cards when it enters.

Budget and Accessibility

  • Price: Thassa's Oracle is a rare card from the Theros set. Its current prices are around 26.41 USD.
  • Reprint Status: As a rare card, its reprint status is uncertain.
  • Alternatives: For players seeking similar effects, consider alternatives like Mystic Remora or Rampaging Baloth.

Commander-Friendly Options

In Commander, Thassa's Oracle's effects can be replicated or improved upon using other cards. Consider the following alternatives:

  • Gerrard Capashen, Sky Kiing: While not directly comparable, this commander offers a similar ability to disrupt opponents' draws.
  • Jace, Vryn's Prodigy: This card provides a powerful blue devotion engine and can be used in conjunction with Thassa's Oracle for a more complex gameplay experience.

Lore and Flavor

Thassa's Oracle is a merfolk wizard that embodies the enigmatic and mystical aspects of the Thassa, the Sea God. Its oracle text reflects the mysterious and unpredictable nature of the sea, offering a glimpse into the depths of its owner's library.

Deckbuilding & Synergies

Building Around Thassa's Oracle

Thassa's Oracle is a versatile and powerful card that can be built around in various ways. Its ability to manipulate the top X cards of your library, where X is your devotion to blue, offers numerous opportunities for deck-building.

Commanders and Color Identities

Thassa's Oracle excels in blue-white decks, particularly those with high devotion to blue. Some popular Commander options include:

  • Garruk, Primal Hunter: A green-blue Commander that can generate card advantage and create tokens.
  • Serra Ascendant: A white-blue Commander that offers a significant boost to blue devotion and can create indestructible creatures.

Other color combinations that work well with Thassa's Oracle include:

  • Blue-White Control
  • Azorius (Blue-White)
  • Rakdos (Red-Black)

Themes and Engines

Thassa's Oracle is an excellent fit for decks focused on card advantage, manipulation, and draw. Some popular themes and engines include:

  • Demonic Consultation: A powerful artifact that allows you to draw cards from the top of your library.
  • Cage of Mind: A sorcery that can create a prison-like effect, forcing opponents to discard their hand.
  • Estrid's Invocation: An enchantment that creates an army of 1/1 blue Birds.

Synergy Cards

Here are some cards that synergize well with Thassa's Oracle:

Combo Notes

When building around Thassa's Oracle, it's essential to consider the following combinations:

  • Mill Combo: Pair Thassa's Oracle with a mill engine like Demonic Consultation or Cage of Mind to create an explosive draw phase.
  • Lands and Card Advantage: Combine Thassa's Oracle with cards that generate card advantage, such as Browbeat or Ponder, to create an unbeatable card draw loop.

Tips for Building Around Thassa's Oracle

When building a deck around Thassa's Oracle, focus on creating a strong blue devotion engine. Include cards like Serra Ascendant or Garruk, Primal Hunter as Commanders, and emphasize blue-white control and card advantage themes.

Format Roles

Thassa's Oracle is a rare, blue creature with a unique ability that impacts the game in several ways. It has a power of 1 and toughness of 3, making it an average-sized creature.

In Commander formats, Thassa's Oracle can be considered competitive due to its low cost (2UU) and potential for card advantage through its oracle text. When it enters the battlefield, you draw X cards from your library, where X is equal to your devotion to blue. This means that if you have multiple sources of blue mana, such as Jeska's Will, Phantasmal Conjuration, or Blue Sun's Zenith, you can increase the value of X and potentially gain a significant advantage.

If Thassa's Oracle enters when you have an empty library, it will immediately win the game due to its ability. However, this is unlikely in most Commander decks, as players typically try to maintain a diverse library with various cards. In such cases, the oracle text offers a secondary benefit: allowing you to reorganize your library and potentially draw into a powerful card.

In casual play, Thassa's Oracle can be used as a way to disrupt opponents' plans by manipulating their topdeck and disrupting their draws. Its ability also makes it an attractive target for removal spells, such as Abrupt Decay or Slaughter Pact, making it more likely to see the bottom of the library.

In terms of pricing, Thassa's Oracle is relatively expensive, with a USD price of 26.41. This may limit its inclusion in some Commander decks due to budget constraints.

Overall, Thassa's Oracle offers unique card advantage and disruption potential, but its competitive viability depends on the specific deck and game context.

Key Scenarios

Scenarios where Thassa's Oracle excels:

  • Combo pieces: In a combo-heavy deck, Thassa's Oracle can be used to search for key pieces of the combo by looking at the top cards of your library. With high devotion to blue, you can easily find and play out important cards like Sylvan Library or Pendrell Mire.
  • Blue devotion: As a 2-mana creature with large power and toughness, Thassa's Oracle can help generate additional devotion to blue, allowing you to search deeper into your library for more valuable cards.
  • Mill strategies: In a mill deck, Thassa's Oracle can be used to search for key cards that will help you mill the opponent or draw through your deck.

Scenarios where Thassa's Oracle fails:

  • Low devotion: If you have low devotion to blue, Thassa's Oracle is essentially a 1/3 creature with a very high mana cost. You won't be able to search deep into your library for valuable cards.
  • Small libraries: If your library has fewer than the number of cards equal to your devotion to blue, Thassa's Oracle will not win you the game, as there are not enough cards in your library for X to be greater than or equal to the number of cards.
  • Competitive multiplayer environments: In a competitive Commander setting, opponents may have ways to disrupt your ability to search through your library with Thassa's Oracle.
History & Meta

Thassa's Oracle History

Printed in the Theros Block set (thb) as a rare card, Thassa's Oracle is a creature that rewards devotion to blue. Its oracle text allows it to look at the top X cards of your library when it enters, where X equals your devotion to blue. This mechanic can significantly impact gameplay.

Notable Reprints

While there are no recent notable reprints of Thassa's Oracle, its inclusion in several popular decks has made it a staple in some Merfolk and blue-themed strategies.

Tournament Presence

Thassa's Oracle has appeared in various formats over the years. Its performance varies depending on metagame conditions and the presence of other blue devotion cards like Jace, the Mind Sculptor or Snapcaster Mage. In recent years, it has seen more play in Commander decks due to its ability to manipulate the top of the library.

EDHREC Stats

As per EDHREC's data (rank 345), Thassa's Oracle is considered a moderate-choice card for Eternal formats. Its relatively low usage rate may be attributed to the availability of other, more powerful blue devotion cards.

Iconic Decks

Thassa's Oracle has been featured in several iconic Commander decks, including those built around Merfolk-themed strategies or aggressive blue decks that rely on its ability to look at multiple cards when it enters.

Flavor & Lore

Thassa's Oracle is a merfolk wizard that embodies the enigmatic and mystical aspects of the Thassa, the Sea God. This creature hails from the underwater realm of Valakut, where the waves of chaos are said to have birthed countless wonders and terrors.

As a blue devotion creature, Thassa's Oracle requires a significant investment in the color of choice for its abilities to shine. Each additional blue mana cost contributes to this devotion, reflecting the merfolk's affinity for the mysterious and unknown. When Thassa's Oracle enters the battlefield, it unleashes a burst of magical insight, revealing a glimpse into the depths of its owner's library.

The oracle text of Thassa's Oracle is reminiscent of ancient prophecies and mystical incantations, where the wise and knowledgeable seek guidance from the gods. By examining the top X cards, the player is granted a brief window into the future, as if consulting an otherworldly seer. The ability to rearrange these cards at random adds an element of uncertainty, mirroring the unpredictable nature of the sea.

Thassa's Oracle can be seen as a manifestation of the Sea God's influence over the ocean's depths, where secrets and mysteries lie hidden beneath the waves. Its rare presence in a deck suggests that its owner has cultivated a deep understanding of the blue mana and is willing to take risks to unlock its full potential.

In certain combinations with other cards, such as Ancestral Recall, Thassa's Oracle can become a game-changing force on the battlefield, allowing players to manipulate their library at will. This synergy creates opportunities for creative deck-building and strategic playmaking, but it also demands a mastery of blue mana and its intricacies.

The artwork on Thassa's Oracle features an enigmatic merfolk with an otherworldly aura, gazing into the depths of the ocean. The illustration seems to capture the essence of the card, conveying an air of mystery and intrigue that is quintessential to the Thassa's Oracle experience.

Budget/Alternatives

Budget-Friendliness and Reprint Status

Thassa's Oracle is a rare card from the Theros Beyond Bright White set. Its current prices are around 26.41 USD, making it relatively expensive. As a rare card, its reprint status is uncertain.

Comparison to Other Cards

For players seeking similar effects, consider:

  • Mystic Remora: This card has a more affordable price point and provides a similar top-decking effect.
  • Rampaging Baloth: A more aggressive option with a lower power-toughness ratio but still offering blue devotion benefits.

Commander-Friendly Options

In Commander, Thassa's Oracle's effects can be replicated or improved upon using other cards. Consider the following alternatives:

  • Gerrard Capashen, Sky Kiing: While not directly comparable, this commander offers a similar ability to disrupt opponents' draws.
  • Jace, Vryn's Prodigy: This card provides a powerful blue devotion engine and can be used in conjunction with Thassa's Oracle for a more complex gameplay experience.

Conclusion

While Thassa's Oracle is an intriguing card, its price point makes it challenging to consider for many players. The alternatives mentioned above offer similar effects or benefits at lower costs, making them more accessible options.