Swerve
~$0.37 low · ~$1.59 high
Multicolor. Instant
Shards of Alara #200 · Illustrated by Karl Kopinski
Shards of Alara #200 · Illustrated by Karl KopinskiWhat is Swerve worth?
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TCGplayer market prices in USD, updated October 14, 2026. Each price is for one printing and one finish.
Oracle text
Change the target of target spell with a single target.
"We can't beat the necromancers in numbers or raw power. We must beat them with ingenuity and timing." —Rannon, Vithian holdout
Format legality
The only printing of Swerve
| Printing | Rarity | Non-foil | Foil | Cardmarket (EUR) | My collection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Shards of Alara ala #200· 2008uncommon· Cardmarket €0.31 · €0.75 foil | uncommon | $0.37 | $1.59 | €0.31€0.75 foil |
Prices are TCGplayer market prices in USD for each printing and finish, via Scryfall. They are a guide, not an appraisal.
Where to buy Swerve
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Card details
- First printed
- 2008
- Printings
- 1
- Mana value
- 2
- EDHREC rank
- #15,717 on EDHREC (Commander popularity)
- Artist
- Karl Kopinski
What the codes mean
The small print at the bottom of the Shards of Alara card (#200).
200
- 200Collector number: this card's place in the set list. Main-set cards print it over the set's card count.
Cards from 1998 to mid-2014 print the collector number over the set's card count (like 90/383) next to the copyright line. They have no rarity letter, set code or language code: the set symbol and its colour show the set and rarity.
How to read a Magic card: every part and code, on real cards.
Card breakdown
The parts of Swerve, read from the Shards of Alara printing. How to read any Magic card.
- Name
- Swerve. Rules use the English name in every language.
- Mana cost
- Mana value 2: the total mana in the cost, colors ignored.
- Type line
- Instant is the card type.
- Text box
- What the card does.
- Flavor text
- Italic story text below the rules. It has no effect on the game, and it can differ between printings.
- Illustration
- By Karl Kopinski. The art has no effect on the game.
- Set symbol
- Shards of Alara. Silver means uncommon.
- Collector number
- 200 = collector number: this card's place in the set list. Main-set cards print it over the set's card count.
- Artist
- Karl Kopinski, after the paintbrush.
- Copyright
- Wizards of the Coast's copyright notice, with the year.
Rulings (6)
2008-10-01
If a spell targets the same player or object multiple times, you can't target it with Swerve.
2008-10-01
Swerve targets only the spell whose target will be changed. It doesn't directly affect the original target of that spell or the new target of that spell.
2008-10-01
If you cast Swerve on a spell that targets a spell on the stack (like Cancel does, for example), you can't change that spell's target to itself. You can, however, change that spell's target to Swerve. If you do, that spell won't resolve when it tries to resolve because Swerve will have left the stack by then.
2008-10-01
You don't choose the new target for the spell until Swerve resolves. You must change the target if possible. However, you can't change the target to an illegal target. If there are no legal targets, the target isn't changed. It doesn't matter if the original target of that spell has somehow become illegal.
2008-10-01
If a spell targets multiple things, you can't target it with Swerve, even if all but one of those targets has become illegal.
2010-03-01
An Aura spell on the stack targets the object or player which it will enchant upon entering. Thus, an Aura spell is a "spell with a single target", which means you may use Swerve to change that target. Doing so will cause it to enter enchanting the new target rather than the original one.
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