Bog Down MTG Card

Disrupting opponents with Bog Down can tilt the game, making them lose crucial resources early. Bog Down’s versatility shines in graveyard synergy decks or land interaction strategies. Despite its power, the card can strain your own resources and limit deck options.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery
Abilities	Kicker
Released	2001-02-05
Set symbol
Set name	Planeshift
Set code	PLS
Number	39
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Andrew Goldhawk

Text of card

Kicker— Sacrifice two lands. (You may sacrifice two lands in addition to any other costs as you play this spell.) Target player discards two cards from his or her hand. If you paid the kicker cost, that player discards three cards from his or her hand instead.

Cards like Bog Down

Bog Down in MTG offers an intriguing dynamic by forcing opponents to make tough decisions. This sorcery is akin to the disruptive power of cards such as Mind Rot, where the key objective is to deplete the opponent’s hand. Mind Rot, like Bog Down, compels an opponent to discard two cards, yet Bog Down allows the caster to potentially waive the mana cost through its kicker ability granting an escalation in the number of discarded cards if additional mana is paid.

Delving deeper into alternatives, we encounter Distress, which also targets an opponent’s hand. While Distress allows you to choose and discard any one card, it doesn’t impact the opponent’s hand as significantly as Bog Down can when kicked. On the other side, Blightning comes to the fore with both hand disruption and direct damage. Although it delivers a lesser discard of just two cards regardless of any extra payment, it comes with the added bonus of dealing damage to an opponent, thereby diversifying its utility.

Ultimately, Bog Down holds its ground as a potent hand disruption card, owing to its flexibility and potential to heavily influence the opponent’s strategy by affecting their hand size significantly when fully utilized.

Cards similar to Bog Down by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Bog Down works to disrupt your opponent whilst simultaneously giving you leverage by making them discard two cards. This shift in card balance can be a significant tipping point, especially if you’re aiming to deplete an opponent’s options.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating your resources, using the kicker cost associated with Bog Down can represent a calculated move. Sacrificing lands early on to set your opponent back can pave the way for a more controlling stance on the game, allowing you to potentially outpace them in the later stages.

Instant Speed: Though Bog Down operates at sorcery speed, its strategic application in the early to mid-game forces opponents to make difficult choices at a stage where instant-speed could have been devastating. The mental game and the pressure applied can be as advantageous as the flexibility offered by an instant-speed spell.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Bog Down demands that you discard a card from your hand to utilize its kicker cost. This can deplete your hand, leaving you with fewer options later in the game. Such a requirement can be particularly detrimental when you’re trying to maintain card advantage against your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost requires both black and generic mana. The necessity for black mana means that Bog Down can’t easily slot into decks that aren’t already running this color, which can limit its versatility across various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The initial investment of three mana might be steep considering that there are alternative ways to disrupt an opponent’s hand for less. The additional cost to kick, while potentially powerful, only adds to the strain on your mana resources, making it a difficult play in the early game where tempo is crucial.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Bog Down offers a flexible inclusion for decks leveraging land interaction strategies or graveyard synergies. Its potential to disrupt an opponent’s game plan by forcing the discard of multiple cards makes it highly adaptable in various situations.

Combo Potential: For combo-centric players, Bog Down can be a crucial piece to clear the way for victory. It pairs well with cards that benefit from having a stocked graveyard or with effects that capitalize on an opponent’s reduced hand size.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where players rely heavily on their hand to execute their strategies, Bog Down can shift the balance in your favor. Its ability to significantly impact hand resources can make it a tactical asset against control decks and combo opponents.

How to beat

Bog Down presents a unique challenge in Magic: The Gathering, acting as a forceful disruption tool in a player’s arsenal. The card joins the ranks of impactful discard spells that pressure opponents by stripping away resources from their hand. Its kicker cost offers an intensified version, compelling the rival to part with additional cards. To navigate this tricky spell, savvy players look towards cards that generate card advantage or recur resources from the graveyard.

Consider seasoned performers such as Eternal Witness or Tarmogoyf. Eternal Witness shines with its ability to recover key cards Bog Down has sent to the graveyard, while Tarmogoyf grows in power with each card type residing in the bin. Players might also employ strategies that nullify the impact of discard, either by holding cards with flash to play them at opportune times or by maximizing the value of each card through redundancy within the deck. Ensuring a rapid development of board presence can also mitigate the setback of a resolved Bog Down.

In direct combat against Bog Down, adaptability and swift recovery are crucial. By prioritizing these mechanisms, players can better insulate their game plan against the draining swamp that Bog Down represents, maintaining a strong hand despite the forceful extraction by this powerful interruption spell.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bog Down MTG card by a specific set like Planeshift, 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 Bog Down and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bog Down has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2004-10-04	The player discards 2 cards or 3 cards, not 5 cards.