Utter End MTG Card


Instant speed and comprehensive removal offer strategic advantage and game flexibility. Demands specific mana but eliminates key opponent resources, impacting their gameplay. While costly, its potential to disrupt opponent strategies justifies its inclusion.
Card setsReleased in 16 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeInstant

Text of card

Exile target nonland permanent.

"I came seeking a challenge. All I found was you." —Zurgo, khan of the Mardu


Cards like Utter End

Utter End is a potent tool in the vast arsenal of removal spells within Magic: The Gathering. It stands alongside other impactful cards like Anguished Unmaking, which also offers the broad utility of exiling any nonland permanent at the cost of three mana and life points. Utter End edges out with no life loss penalty, but at the expense of an additional mana point.

Considering alternatives, there is Vindicate – a spell known for its versatility in handling any permanent, including land. While it’s a more affordable option with a cost of three mana, it merely destroys instead of exiling, leaving room for potential graveyard retrieval strategies that Utter End circumvents by removing targets from the game completely.

It’s important to evaluate the strengths of each card within the context of any deck. Utter End’s exile effect is incredibly powerful, steering clear of graveyard manipulations and providing a definitive end to threats. Balancing cost, impact, and speed, Utter End is revered for its finality and reliability within removal spells in MTG.

Anguished Unmaking - MTG Card versions
Vindicate - MTG Card versions
Anguished Unmaking - MTG Card versions
Vindicate - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

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

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Five-color ComboFive-color Combo LegacyPainterCharlotte Legacy League Season 2 Week 1

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Utter End card provides a substantial benefit by allowing you to permanently remove any target nonland permanent from the game. This can significantly diminish your opponent’s resources and potentially disrupt their strategy, leading to a more favorable board state for you.

Resource Acceleration: Though Utter End itself doesn’t provide direct resource acceleration, its capability to eliminate key resources of an opponent can set them back, indirectly accelerating your position in the game. By removing mana-generating permanents or other utility pieces, you can gain a relative advantage.

Instant Speed: The power of Utter End is amplified by its instant speed, granting you the flexibility to respond to threats or actions of an opponent during their turn. This characteristic is valuable for maintaining the element of surprise and keeping your mana open for reactions instead of committing to a play preemptively.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Utter End offers a powerful exile effect, it does not necessitate discarding as part of its casting cost. However, the need to keep mana open specifically for this removal can lead to missed opportunities for using other cards in hand that could develop your board presence or advance your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Utter End is quite color-intensive, requiring both white and black mana. This can pose a hindrance to decks that aren’t heavily based in those colors or that have a less consistent mana base, potentially limiting the card’s flexibility and utility across various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing four mana—two generic and one each of white and black—Utter End’s mana efficiency is debatable. In formats where tempo plays a critical role, the four-mana investment can be a drawback, especially considering that there are other lower-cost removal options available that may not exile but still effectively deal with threats on the board.


Reasons to Include Utter End in Your Collection

Versatility: Utter End is a highly adaptable card, suitable for various decks that require unconditional removal. It can target almost any troublesome nonland permanent, from creatures to planeswalkers, ensuring its place in sideboards and main decks alike.

Combo Potential: By removing key pieces of an opponent’s combo or strategy, Utter End aids in dismantling their game plan. Its instant speed allows players to disrupt combos at critical moments, maintaining tempo and control of the match.

Meta-Relevance: Given its broad removal capabilities, Utter End remains relevant in a constantly shifting meta. Whether facing down artifacts in artifact-heavy environments or eliminating persistent threats, it proves to be a crucial inclusion that adapts to the prevailing decks and strategies.


How to beat

Utter End, known for its versatility, allows players to exile any nonland permanent at the cost of four mana, granting players a powerful control tool in Magic: The Gathering. This capability makes it formidable, especially in formats where indestructible or regenerative creatures loom large on the battlefield. Despite this, savvy players can employ several strategies to mitigate its impact.

Utilizing spells that tax or counter your opponent’s removal plays can be effective against Utter End. Running counterspells, such as Negate or Dovin’s Veto, can help preserve your game-changing permanents. Utilizing more disposable threats can also dilute Utter End’s impact by overextending the field with creatures or artifacts that aren’t crucial to your win condition, forcing your opponent to make tough choices about what to exile. In the face of this exiling threat, players can employ redundancy, weaving in multiple key permanents to ensure their strategic components aren’t entirely derailed. Lastly, capitalizing on the four-mana cost by playing under its curve and maintaining pressure can force your opponent into a defensive position, having to choose between dealing with immediate threats or saving their removal for a tide-turning play.

By anticipating its use and setting a stage where Utter End is not the end-all, players can navigate around its power and maintain their board presence.


BurnMana Recommendations

The strategic depth of MTG beckons players to constantly refine their arsenal and understanding of the game. Utter End represents a powerful tool in that journey, offering a versatile solution against an array of challenges that crop up during play. Whether you’re aiming to bolster your control deck’s reliability or enhance your ability to dictate the pace of the match, including Utter End in your collection could be a game-changing decision. Dive deeper with us into the nuances of gameplay and expand your MTG expertise as we dissect strategies, meta shifts, and how to capitalize on every card’s potential. Advance your knowledge and come out ahead in your next duel.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Utter End MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Khans of Tarkir Promos, 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 Utter End and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Utter End Magic the Gathering card was released in 13 different sets between 2014-09-26 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 545632015NormalBlackJack Wang
22014-09-26Khans of Tarkir PromosPKTK 210p2015NormalBlackMark Winters
32014-09-26Khans of Tarkir PromosPKTK 2102015NormalBlackJack Wang
42014-09-26Khans of Tarkir PromosPKTK 210s2015NormalBlackMark Winters
52014-09-26Khans of TarkirKTK 2102015NormalBlackMark Winters
62016-11-11Commander 2016C16 2262015NormalBlackMark Winters
72018-08-09Commander 2018C18 1932015NormalBlackMark Winters
82020-09-26The ListPLST KTK-2102015NormalBlackMark Winters
92021-04-23Commander 2021C21 2322015NormalBlackMark Winters
102021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 1952015NormalBlackMark Winters
112022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 3562015NormalBlackMark Winters
122022-10-07Warhammer 40,000 Commander40K 226★2015NormalBlackDavid Astruga
132022-10-07Warhammer 40,000 Commander40K 2262015NormalBlackDavid Astruga
142023-04-21March of the Machine CommanderMOC 3412015NormalBlackMark Winters
152023-05-08From Cute to BrutePCTB 472015NormalBlackMark Winters
162023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 2922015NormalBlackMark Winters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Utter End has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal