Once Upon a Time
Mana Cost:
Type: Instant
Oracle Text:
If this spell is the first spell you've cast this game, you may cast it without paying its mana cost.
Look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal a creature or land card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
Power/Toughness: -/-
Rarity: rare
Prints: View all prints (1) →
Expansion: Mystery Booster 2
Price ( USD): $1.05
USD: $1.05 · EUR: €0.80
Public Decks Using This Card
No public decks are currently using this card.
Character Background
Once Upon a Time functions like a fairy-tale opening line for your deck: cast it as your first spell to either grab a creature or a land from the top five, which makes it excellent for tempo and consistency in creature-based aggro, midrange, and creature-combo strategies. Practically it’s a one-card mulligan hedge and a deck-thinner that often converts into an immediate play when paired with one-mana mana dorks (Elvish Mystic, Llanowar Elves, Noble Hierarch) or into a guaranteed land drop for greedy starts; that specific synergy turns the free tutor into real early board presence. Deckbuilding-wise, tilt your 60-card list toward a higher density of playable creatures and utility lands so the top-five window is reliably live — think lots of one-drops, a critical combo piece or two, and a handful of fetchable utility lands. Used correctly, Once Upon a Time is a low-variance opener that preserves tempo while smoothing draws and assembling game-winning creature lines.
Generated using gpt-5-mini · Updated at 2026-05-16 10:20:45 UTC