Natural End MTG Card

Avacyn Restored (AVR)
2012-05-04 - Number 185

Core Set 2020 (M20)
2019-07-12 - Number 183

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant

Key Takeaways

Natural End provides card advantage and instant speed flexibility during matches.
Despite the mana cost, it is a versatile sideboard option for many metagames.
It competes with similar removal cards but uniquely offers additional life gain.

Text of card

Destroy target artifact or enchantment. You gain 3 life.

The haunted blade shattered, and the geist drifted gratefully to the Blessed Sleep.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Natural End provides an additional benefit by letting you draw a card after destroying an artifact or enchantment. This feature helps offset the cost of using a card from your hand, keeping your options open during the duel.

Resource Acceleration: Though Natural End itself does not directly accelerate your resources, the card it allows you to draw can potentially lead to resource acceleration, depending on your deck’s mechanics and the strategies you employ.

Instant Speed: The real strength of Natural End lies in its instant speed, offering the flexibility to respond to threats at a moment’s notice. This reactive capability means you can efficiently manage your mana and make crucial plays even during your opponent’s turn, keeping you one step ahead.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Natural End is that it doesn’t require a discard, which although might seem like an advantage, limits potential synergy with decks that benefit from discarding as a strategic component.

Specific Mana Cost: Natural End’s casting cost demands both generic and green mana, specifically one green mana. This makes it less flexible in multi-colored decks that may have a tighter mana base, possibly hindering its inclusion in some strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The card has a relatively high mana cost compared to other similar cards available in the game. For a cost of three mana, some players argue there are alternatives that can remove artifacts or enchantments at a lower cost or with additional benefits.

Reasons to Include Natural End in Your Collection

Versatility: Natural End is a useful addition to any collection due to its ability to address a wide range of threats. It can destroy any artifact or enchantment, which makes it a flexible sideboard option regardless of the shifting metagame.

Combo Potential: This card can disrupt opponent combos that rely on artifacts or enchantments. Moreover, its life gain aspect works well with strategies that benefit from increased life totals, adding another layer to your combo plays.

Meta-Relevance: In metas heavily featuring artifacts and enchantments, having a Natural End can give you an edge by efficiently dealing with key opposing pieces. It’s particularly relevant when these card types are dominant in the competitive scene.

How to beat

Overcoming the Natural End card in the world of Magic: The Gathering revolves primarily around its crucial functionality—its ability to target artifacts and enchantments for destruction while granting its caster a modest life gain. This utility makes it a straightforward yet efficient tool in dismantling the strategies and setups of opponents, especially when artifacts or enchantments form the backbone of their game plan.

To effectively counteract Natural End, players should consider diversifying their threats beyond just enchantments and artifacts. Incorporating a balanced mix of creature and instant-based strategies can dilute the impact of a single Natural End. Furthermore, cards with hexproof or those that can regenerate play a pivotal role in mitigating the risk, as they are inherently resistant to such targeted destruction. Alternatively, employing counterspells ensures you can protect key pieces from being destroyed, thus preserving your board state and momentum. Lastly, timing is essential. Anticipating when your opponent might have Natural End available can influence when to play your most valuable artifacts and enchantments or bait out the removal with less critical ones, thereby safeguarding your vital resources.

In essence, crafting a strategy that is resilient and not overly reliant on enchantments or artifacts is the best method to sidestep the disruption that Natural End imposes in MTG matches.

Cards like Natural End

Natural End is an intriguing option for players looking for artifact and enchantment removal in Magic: The Gathering. It stands shoulder to shoulder with cards such as Naturalize, which also allows players to destroy target artifact or enchantment. Where Natural End takes it a step further is its life-gain feature, providing an extra 3 life upon resolution. In contrast, Naturalize offers a more streamlined effect without the additional life boost.

Another related card is Return to Nature. This card provides more flexibility with the additional option to exile a card from a graveyard, making it a versatile choice in a meta with graveyard strategies. However, Return to Nature doesn’t offer the life gain that can be pivotal in certain matchups. Then we have a card like Creeping Corrosion which is designed to sweep away all artifacts—ideal for dealing with a board full of pesky mechanical threats, contrasting with the singular target removal of Natural End.

While each of these cards has a distinct role, Natural End does an excellent job offering both disruption and a slight buffer to a player’s life total, marking its unique place in the realm of green-based destruction spells within Magic: The Gathering.

Cards similar to Natural End by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Natural End MTG card by a specific set like Avacyn Restored and Core Set 2020, 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 Natural End and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Natural End Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2012-05-04 and 2019-07-12. Illustrated by Scott Chou.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2012-05-04	Avacyn Restored	AVR		185	2003	Normal	Black	Scott Chou
2	2019-07-12	Core Set 2020	M20		183	2015	Normal	Black	Scott Chou

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Natural End has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2019-07-12	If the target artifact or enchantment is an illegal target by the time Natural End tries to resolve, the spell doesn’t resolve. You don’t gain life. If the target is legal but not destroyed (most likely because it has indestructible), you do gain life.