Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Popularity scoring: Measuring community usage of Take Possession

Magic: The Gathering has always thrived on the pulse of its player base—the memes, the decklists, and the late-night theorycrafting that fills forums and Discord channels. When we talk about popularity scoring for a card like Take Possession, we’re not just looking at raw power on a single play—though the seven-mana tempo play of blue’s aura can swing a game in a dramatic, cinematic way. We’re measuring how often players reach for this spell, how often it appears in top-performing lists, and how its unique flavor—an aura with split second that lets you steal an opponent’s permanent—echoes in the broader MTG community. 🧙‍♂️🔥💎

Take Possession spends most of its life in blue-centric control shells, and its popularity is a whisper-quiet indicator of a deck’s health rather than a loud, flashy eruption. Its mana cost of 5UU and its split second clause create a delicate balance: the card is devastating in the right moment, but that moment has to be carefully cultivated. In the Modern Masters era, where this card first made its reappearance, players gravitated toward it as a finisher for stalled boards. The blue archetype—tuned with countermagic, card draw, and permission—loves multi-step plans, and Take Possession is a quintessential example of a plan that pays off in a single sweeping turn. 🧠🎲

“Split second is a love-it-or-hate-it mechanic: it punishes patience, but it rewards the bold play where you steal the show and the opponent’s best threat.”

From a data-driven viewpoint, this kind of card tends to rise in popularity when players talk about “turning the corner” moments—those big plays where you force a choice on your foe and come out ahead. Because Take Possession enchants a permanent and grants you control of that permanent, it scales with the amount of resource parity in the game. In decks that aim to lock the board with potent permanents—be theylands, mana rocks, or game-changing permanents—the card becomes both a tempo tool and a potential win condition. The rarity tag of uncommon in Modern Masters doesn’t hamper its mystique; it just makes it a sought-after centerpiece for budget-conscious control pilots. ⚔️🎨

How communities quantify popularity for a spell like this

• Deck presence: frequency of Take Possession in published decklists across Modern, Legacy, and Commander. The blue control archetype tends to showcase it most, especially in formats where securing opponent’s threats is a premium.
• Format-specific impact: how often it shows up in top-tier Modern or Legacy decks versus casual Commander tables. Split second can be a game-ender in multi-player formats where surprise theft disrupts alliances and plans alike.
• Cost efficiency: its mana cost relative to the value of the stolen permanent. Since Take Possession often steals a top-end threat, players weigh the tempo swing against the mana investment.
• Art, flavor, and nostalgia: the Modern Masters era brought a wave of collectors who prize reprints for both their power and their art. The Michael Phillippi illustration contributes to its enduring appeal. 🧭
• Price and accessibility: even as a reprint, the price curve hints at how many players nod along when they see Take Possession in a decklist. It remains approachable for many collectors and players, helping its community presence endure.

In practical terms, the card’s split second mechanic adds a dramatic flair to any blue toolbox. When the stack is active, opponents can’t cast spells or activate non-mana abilities, which creates a window—an opportunity to seize a critical permanent. That dramatic swing is precisely the kind of moment fans chase in live play videos and tournament coverage, fueling chatter and, yes, a little hype. 🧙‍♂️⚔️

Design-wise, Take Possession embodies a clean, elegant paradox: control magic that requires you to give up nothing but mana, yet costs significant mana to deploy. The artwork, the rarity, and the reprint history all contribute to a well-traveled narrative within the community. It’s not just about raw power; it’s about the story a card tells when a player steals a legendary creature or a game-ending mana engine right from their opponent’s grasp. And that story, shared and reshaped by players across formats, is what keeps its popularity score moving upward in the community’s collective memory. 💎🎨

Practical takeaways for builders chasing popularity metrics

• Pair Take Possession with counterspells and cantrips to ensure you reach the critical mana threshold and protect your theft on the stack.
• Include synergy permanents that you’d love to control—lands that enable big plays, or threats that transform the battlefield when under your domain.
• In Commander, think about avenues to maximize value from stolen permanents without overloading your curve. A few quality steals can snowball into a dominant outcome.
• Follow community trends: if you see Take Possession showing up in top 8 lists or popular streams, it’s a good time to study the deck tech and pivot your own build.
• Remember the lore of blue: information, tempo, and control. Take Possession crystallizes that philosophy in a single, memorable moment.

For fans who enjoy the crossover between gameplay and collectible culture, Take Possession offers a vivid lens on how a single card can linger in the metas and the memes alike. Whether you’re a longtime control aficionado or a curious newer pilot, watching how communities score and celebrate this spell reveals as much about the MTG ecosystem as the card itself. 🧙‍♂️🔥

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