Force of Despair MTG Card


Provides instant-speed creature wipe, potentially clearing the board of new threats and maintaining dominance. Allows mana flexibility, holding resources while poised to neutralize opponent’s plays. Demands careful hand management due to its discard requirement for optimal play.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeInstant

Text of card

If it's not your turn, you may exile a black card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost. Destroy all creatures that entered the battlefield this turn.


Cards like Force of Despair

Force of Despair stands out in the realm of creature removal spells within Magic The Gathering. Its immediate impact on the board allows for a come-from-behind victory by nullifying opponent’s creatures that were cast this turn. This feature is somewhat paralleled by the card Damnation, which also removes multiple creatures but unlike Force of Despair, it is not limited to freshly played creatures and allows no response when played at sorcery speed.

Comparatively, Toxic Deluge offers a degree of flexibility with its scalable effect, allowing a player to pay life to determine the range of creatures it destroys. While this does provide control, it doesn’t offer the free-casting mechanic seen in Force of Despair when you have a black card in hand to exile. Meanwhile, Languish might seem similar with its -4/-4 across the board, it can’t always guarantee the same level of instantaneous board clearance due to its lack of exile and reduced power against sturdier creatures.

Ultimately, Force of Despair’s unique combination of speed, surprise, and specificity earns it a niche spot in MTG’s pantheon of board wipes, catering to players who prefer strategic timing and maintaining pressure within their black control decks.

Damnation - MTG Card versions
Toxic Deluge - MTG Card versions
Languish - MTG Card versions
Damnation - MTG Card versions
Toxic Deluge - MTG Card versions
Languish - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Force of Despair by color, type and mana cost

Spoils of Evil - MTG Card versions
Dark Banishing - MTG Card versions
Stench of Decay - MTG Card versions
Carrion - MTG Card versions
Corpse Dance - MTG Card versions
Sick and Tired - MTG Card versions
Bone Harvest - MTG Card versions
Slay - MTG Card versions
Hapato's Might - MTG Card versions
Afflict - MTG Card versions
Dismember - MTG Card versions
Body Count - MTG Card versions
Reaping the Graves - MTG Card versions
Execute - MTG Card versions
Kill! Destroy! - MTG Card versions
Sudden Death - MTG Card versions
Footbottom Feast - MTG Card versions
Fevered Strength - MTG Card versions
Hideous End - MTG Card versions
Corpse Lunge - MTG Card versions
Spoils of Evil - MTG Card versions
Dark Banishing - MTG Card versions
Stench of Decay - MTG Card versions
Carrion - MTG Card versions
Corpse Dance - MTG Card versions
Sick and Tired - MTG Card versions
Bone Harvest - MTG Card versions
Slay - MTG Card versions
Hapato's Might - MTG Card versions
Afflict - MTG Card versions
Dismember - MTG Card versions
Body Count - MTG Card versions
Reaping the Graves - MTG Card versions
Execute - MTG Card versions
Kill! Destroy! - MTG Card versions
Sudden Death - MTG Card versions
Footbottom Feast - MTG Card versions
Fevered Strength - MTG Card versions
Hideous End - MTG Card versions
Corpse Lunge - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Force of Despair. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Rakdos ScamRakdos Scam ModernRakdos ScamModern League 2024-04-01
Mono-Black CoffersMono-Black Coffers ModernMono-Black CoffersLast Chance Qualifier Ghent
Golgari UnearthGolgari Unearth ModernGoryo's VengeanceMIT Championship -
Domain ZooDomain Zoo ModernDomain ZooModern Preliminary 2024-02-16 (1)
Mono-Black AggroMono-Black Aggro LegacyMono-Black Scam2023 Asia Legacy Championship

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Force of Despair offers a unique twist on card advantage by potentially eliminating multiple creatures your opponents played this turn. By doing this, you equalize the playing field and negate their attempts to build a formidable board presence, this can lead to advantageous swing in card parity.

Resource Acceleration: While Force of Despair doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it provides a strategic advantage by preserving your mana. You can effectively pass the turn with mana untapped, only using Force of Despair should your opponent commit heavily to the board, thus allowing flexibility in your plays and resource allocation.

Instant Speed: The instant speed nature of Force of Despair makes it a powerful surprise against opponents. Castable at the end of an opponent’s turn, it can disrupt their plays and remove newly cast creatures before they get a chance to attack or use their abilities, maintaining your control over the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Force of Despair necessitates the player to discard another black card from their hand, which can be a demanding requirement, particularly if your hand is not well-stocked with additional black cards or if you are aiming to maximize card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: This instant requires one colorless and two black mana to cast under normal circumstances. This specific mana cost can be restrictive, making it difficult to incorporate into multicolor decks that may not always have the necessary black mana sources available when this removal spell is needed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Force of Despair can be a potent card when casting for its alternate cost, casting it for its regular mana cost totals three, which is steep for a removal spell, especially in formats where mana efficiency can be pivotal to success. Cards with lower mana costs may offer similar or alternative effects, potentially making Force of Despair less favorable in certain deck builds.


Reasons to Include Force of Despair in Your Collection

Versatility: Force of Despair can be a key component in decks that need instant-speed answers to creature threats. Its ability to destroy all creatures that entered the battlefield this turn makes it an ideal response during your opponent’s turn or after a sudden surge of creatures.

Combo Potential: This card pairs excellently with discard or mill strategies that aim to disrupt the opponent’s plans. Dropping creatures through graveyard revival and then eliminating them with Force of Despair can swing the game in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment teeming with aggro decks and creature combos, having an instant that can act as a mass removal to level the playing field is invaluable. Force of Despair shines in metas where creatures come into play rapidly and en masse.


How to beat

Force of Despair is a powerful instant in Magic: The Gathering, offering the potential to wipe out creatures that entered the battlefield in the same turn. While it may seem daunting to overcome, there are strategies to mitigate its impact. As it’s a black card, it can’t counter abilities, meaning that creatures with potent enter-the-battlefield effects could still provide value even if ultimately destroyed.

Building a diversified deck with a variety of casting costs can also circumvent the all-or-nothing nature of Force of Despair. Spreading out your creature plays, instead of deploying multiple threats in a single turn, reduces the potential downside. Keeping mana open for counterspells when playing against black control decks can also protect your board from unexpected mass removal.

Lastly, utilizing graveyard recovery mechanics allows you to play the long game. Since Force of Despair targets only the creatures that have come into play on a given turn, recurring threats from the graveyard avoids its restrictive clause. By doing so, you maintain pressure despite the threat of instant speed removal.


BurnMana Recommendations

If knowledge is power in MTG, then understanding the intricate balances within your deck is crucial. Force of Despair could be the unexpected ace up your sleeve in a tight match, providing a potential multitude of creature removals in one swift move. Spell timing, thoughtful deck assembly, and resource management are your keystones to leveraging this card effectively. Whether you aim to master the art of control or simply want to enhance your current strategy, Force of Despair warrants consideration. Eager for more insights and ways to optimize your deck around this unique spell? Join the BurnMana community to deepen your tactical playbook.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Force of Despair // Force of Despair MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons Art Series and Modern Horizons, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Force of Despair // Force of Despair and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Force of Despair // Force of Despair Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-06-14 and 2019-06-14. Illustrated by Seb McKinnon.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-06-05Modern Horizons Art SeriesAMH1 292015Art seriesBorderlessSeb McKinnon
22019-06-14Modern HorizonsMH1 922015NormalBlackSeb McKinnon

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Force of Despair has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Force of Despair card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2019-06-14 Force of Despair destroys all permanents that entered the battlefield this turn and are currently creatures. It doesn’t matter whether they were creatures as they entered the battlefield.