I am proud to have a MINT version of this card for my personal collection, it is one of the most recognized cards of Magic the Gathering and stands as a symbol to all MTG players. However, I believe this card is the most overrated in gameplay. If you have to push yourself to always have 7 cards in your hand to use this then you need a better deck. As an opponent you are telling me that most of the 7 cards in your hand is unplayable at the moment or useless and you have to scrounge through your deck to get something you need. Anyone I payed that had a Library of Alexandria in their deck did not help them out that well. They lost everytime.

  -- By IG from Hi on March 15, 2011

This is the best card in the game, and arguably the most collectible.

  -- By Orestes from Johannesburg, SA on July 04, 2009

Most fun card to play with.. combined with mind over matter ;) I once won a vintage tournament. Finals; both me and opponent with an active library. Hell that was fun! (I drew more Force of Will and also the recall as well as a Xantid Swarm & Key + Vault) Probably next time this card is only in SB, cuz it really sucks against non-control decks. Too bad good Control decks can afford to playwithout this baby!

  -- By nonstop-nonsense from F-O-R-E-I-G-N on April 08, 2009

Great card, too bad vintage is at a point where this card will slow you down and playing a LoA is actually a disadvantage. It only sees play in casual games anymore over here. Again, too bad. It used to be (and probably still is) my favorite mtg card of all time. I love the art, ability and even the sweet expansion symbol. Too broken to be unrestricted, too slow to see actual tournament play. Poor LoA...

  -- By BVDM from Ternat, Belgium on March 25, 2009

Massively overrated. In fast paced games, guess what, your missing out on one mana. That can kill you. In long term games, your playing at most 2 cards a turn or losing this cards effect. While this card is good in certain decks, it is not even close to as good as most say. While this card is good, its not amazing.

  -- By Anon from USA on September 05, 2008

mirari wakes plus magus on the candlabra = win

  -- By Zane from Behind you on August 26, 2008

This is one of the classic power cards in Magic. I've played with it in a B/W control deck and even drawing one during a game is enough to gain major card advantage. Considering it has no casting cost, no activation cost and it can produce mana if neccesary makes it one of the best.

  -- By Anonymous from Johannesburg, South Africa on August 02, 2008

I've had this card in a mono red burn deck. It was a blast...

  -- By Percy from Chicago on June 19, 2008

You gotta remember, the Library fuels itself. Just by using it you increase the probability that use it again and again. Also being a land, no splash of colour is required to play it (but recall is still awesome). Any deck? Yay!

  -- By Michael from Adelaide, South Australia on February 08, 2008

Final Fortune is second best only to Time Walk! The golden rule is whoever DRAWS more cards win. Ancestral Recall is DEFINATELY better than Library, but it still follows the rule of card-drawing. This card is just plain freakin amazing. Having the equivalent of 9 cards on the turn you go second seems broken to me.

  -- By Boyse from des moines, iowa on January 17, 2008

Land that takes card advantage and if you play it well your game shoud have 2 card-draw per turn... thatīs double your opponent do (Except he plays a necro xD). Powerful card, very powerfull, advantage without paying anything (lives, mana, ANYTHING)

  -- By Chaito from Argentina on November 07, 2007

Probably the best card in the entire game, it can't be countered, lets you get 2 cards a turn, and is hard to get rid of. Useful in almost any type 1 deck.

  -- By Kevin LaTempt from St. Louis, MO on August 25, 2007

The immense card advantage it gives is INSANELY fast. In my opinion this card should be in the power9 instead of timetwister. A perfectly solid card for vintage control decks.

  -- By Anonymous from Singapore on December 05, 2006

This is a very situational card. If you get it in your opening hand it probably is the best card in the game. But if you get it on turn three or later... well, you can still use it for colorless mana. There is no way this is the best card in the game. A good card has to be good all by itself and in EVERY situation. A powerful card but heavily overrated by some.

  -- By Kristen P. from Madison,WI on June 13, 2006

Best card ever printed, I have 2 of these!

  -- By MG from Finland on April 13, 2006

As an owner of a Black Lotus, a Recall and a Library, I would have to say the library has won me many more games than the other two. In T1 play the Lotus may be the most powerfull but when playing against multiple friends nothing can beat the Library in a control deck!

  -- By Rob from Cleveland, OH USA on January 27, 2006

Yes this card is good, but its not great. The only time in the game that you will have seven cards in you hand is the begining or if you draw extra cards. No matter what deck I am using, by turn three i have five cards or less. If you still have seven cards in your hand by turn three in T1, you're dead. A win in Type 1 is 85% of the time obtained by turn 4, so you will get one or two extra draws while loosing a colored mana and out 300 bucks. The art, however, is superb and some of the best in the game.

  -- By Mike from Cleveland, OH USA on June 26, 2005

Often cited as the next most powerful card after the Power 9, Library is so unbelieveably broken that it is the only card to have an answer for it printed in the next set; Strip Mine (antiquities). LoA draws you cards and wins you games, which is why its restricted and has a hefty price tag.

  -- By Spike from Cincinnati Ohio on May 08, 2005

The quintessential land for a Type 1 control deck. It nets you card advantage, plus it is never a dead land as it can still produce colourless mana when you no longer have seven cards in hand, unlike Maze of Ith and other situational lands. LoA is definitely one of the best cards in the game, and the best or second best land in the game.

  -- By Ben from Canada on April 02, 2005

This card spells game over for anyone who doesn't have a Stripmine to deal with it. Plus its based off an actual Library and has a cool picture.

  -- By Royal Ass. from KC on January 31, 2005

I believe this to be the best card ever. And I have got just a small remark to make. You don't ALWAYS have to play 2 cards. Just make sure you end your previous turn with either 6 or 7 cards and use it after or before your drawing phase. You always have the choice between 2 cards or one card more or less (depending on what you did before).

  -- By Vincent from Belgium on December 06, 2004

If you don't have this in your deck you don't have a deck.

  -- By Anonymous from mountain grove, missouri usa on October 09, 2004

Even Richard Garfield (the game's creator) acknowledges this as the best card ever.

  -- By Ray from Kansas on December 31, 2003

What wins games? Cards do. If you pull this card your first turn, thats a 1 card advantage over your opponent and you can keep using it. You would have to be a beginner in Magic to not understand the potential of this card.

  -- By Matthew Davis from Bronson, MI on February 21, 2003

This card is awesome. It's worthy of being in the P9 in place of Time Walk in my opinion. Think about it, if this card is in a control deck, your hand is usually full. This card almost guarantees two cards per turn in a control deck. Much better than taking a second turn once.

  -- By Kyle Dowling from Florida on December 18, 2002

The library of alexandria is the best land in the game and probably the 3rd best card. If you dont understand its power than you are obviously a T2 player who has no concept of T1 play.

  -- By Steve Williams from Johnson city, NY, USA on November 05, 2002

This is one kick-A** card! Not only can you get mana, but it gets you more cards to play, and that works well for me, because most of my cards are mana-based attacks. Great Card!

  -- By Jayson R. from Cochranton, Pa USA on July 09, 2002

This is a very powerful card. I wouldn't say it's better than Ancestral Recall or Time Walk, but anything that gives you a card a turn is very good. The trick is to make sure that you're playing exactly two cards, one land and one spell, every turn. Which means that you shouldn't always drop those three Moxes right away.

  -- By Nate from on June 27, 2002

It's not as good as Ancestral Recall or Time Walk- take an extra turn or draw THREE cards if you have ONE or seven cards in your hand for 2 or 1 mana? Think about it. Marilyn Monroe was freaky. Besides, with a black lotus, swamp, and dark ritual on your first turn, you can play a SIX MANA card on your first turn- that's amazing. This is an OK card, but the person who takes the most TURNS wins the game.

  -- By from on May 15, 2002

The Library of Alex is the Magic card equivalent of Marilyn Monroe....PERFECT IN EVERY WAY !

  -- By Mike Ness from Orange County, Ca on January 10, 2002

This is the best card printed!

  -- By Bob from Knoxville, Tn USA on December 28, 2001

When people name the best cards in magic, they often over look this powerful card. Library of Alexandria beats them all, Black Lotus, Ancestral Recall, Time Walk. It's a land that let's you draw cards for crying out loud, no wonder it's nicknamed the cheating machine.

  -- By Trevor Yeomans from Calgary, Alberta on November 06, 2001