Certain Death MTG Card

Certain Death provides both a creature removal and life advantage, important for maintaining board control. High mana cost and color specificity limit its flexibility compared to other removal spells. Versatile in control decks, it can turn late-game situations to the player’s favor.

Eldritch Moon (EMN)
2016-07-22 - Number 84

Welcome Deck 2017 (W17)
2017-04-15 - Number 16

Mystery Booster (MB1)
2019-11-07 - Number 597

Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
2022-12-02 - Number 386

Certain Death - Shadows over Innistrad Remastered (SIR)

Shadows over Innistrad Remastered (SIR)
2023-03-21 - Number 102

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number EMN-84

Card sets	Released in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery

Text of card

Destroy target creature. Its controller loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.

Some spirits cling to one person, feasting on the growing fear until a final moment of all-consuming terror.

Cards like Certain Death

Certain Death has its place in the spectrum of removal options available to Magic: The Gathering players. It, akin to Murder, allows you to destroy a creature, regardless of its size or abilities. Where it shifts from the norm is its bonus effect; Certain Death not only gets rid of the threat but also drains life from your opponent, enhancing its utility beyond mere removal.

In comparison, there’s Walk the Plank, another targeted removal, yet it is restricted to non-Merfolk creatures and costs less mana. Certain Death doesn’t have such limitations but is more mana-intensive. Then, look at Languish: it offers a sweep of the board affecting all creatures, which can be a double-edged sword unlike the precision strike of Certain Death.

Certain Death’s stand-out feature is direct life loss coupled with its unconditional kill, which ensures it occupies a niche of its own. While it may not be the first option for fast-paced decks, in slower, control-oriented strategies it does double duty, making it a valuable inclusion in late-game scenarios.

Cards similar to Certain Death by color, type and mana cost

Choice of Damnations - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Certain Death ensures a direct pathway to disturbing your opponent’s board state while also granting you a Scry 1, subtly nudging your strategy forward by setting up your next draw.

Resource Acceleration: This card perfectly embodies the strategic dismantling of your adversary’s forces, providing an essential tempo swing by eliminating a key creature and smoothing out your future plays.

Instant Speed: Albeit a sorcery, the power of Certain Death lies in its ability to dramatically shift the board in your favor during your turn, establishing a strong position before passing the baton to your opponent.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Certain Death doesn’t require an actual discard from your hand to play, being a single-use removal spell means you are essentially discarding a card from your deck to handle a threat. This trade-off becomes particularly noticeable if the opponent uses smaller, less significant creatures or if they have means to recover their creature from the graveyard.

Specific Mana Cost: Certain Death demands both black mana and a relatively high total mana cost for its effect. Requiring two black mana restricts its playability mainly to black-focused or dual-colored decks, potentially leaving out a variety of mono or multi-color decks that can’t afford the stringent mana requirements.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At six mana, Certain Death competes with other removal spells that may be more cost-effective. Many options in a player’s toolkit might remove creatures for less mana and possibly offer additional benefits, impacting the strategic reason to choose Certain Death in a deck when alternatives are considered.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Certain Death adds value to decks that capitalize on controlling the battlefield. Its ability to eliminate threats and alter life totals makes it a flexible choice for multiple deck archetypes.

Combo Potential: This card can work well in synergy with strategies that benefit from targeted removal to pave the way for game-ending combos, or in decks that trigger effects whenever a creature dies.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta weighted towards creature-heavy decks, Certain Death serves as an efficient tool to manage the board and maintain late-game dominance by clearing the path for your win conditions.

How to beat

Certain Death is an intriguing removal card in Magic: The Gathering and operates as a solid late-game option to dismantle your opponent’s creature threats. This removal spell not only destroys an opposing creature but also gives you a slight life advantage. The six-mana cost does make it a more expensive option compared to other removal spells, but there are still effective strategies to counter it.

To effectively circumvent Certain Death, it’s essential to maintain a versatile and dynamic board presence. Using creatures with the ability to regenerate or with indestructible attributes can frustrate attempts at removal. Countermeasures like Negate or Cancel can intercept removal spells, basically negating their effects before they take hold. Moreover, low-cost, high-impact alternatives like Doom Blade or Murder can provide similar elimination capabilities at a fraction of the resource commitment. By considering mana efficiency and having a resilient lineup of creatures or protective spells, you can safeguard your board and ensure your creatures survive beyond their potential Certain Death.

By keeping these strategies in mind, players can maintain control of the battlefield and possibly exploit the six-mana investment their opponent makes in casting Certain Death, thereby swinging the momentum in their favor.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Certain Death MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Welcome Deck 2017, 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 Certain Death and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Certain Death Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Kev Walker.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2016-07-22	Eldritch Moon	EMN	84	2015	Normal	Black	Kev Walker
2	2017-04-15	Welcome Deck 2017	W17	16	2015	Normal	Black	Kev Walker
3	2019-11-07	Mystery Booster	MB1	597	2015	Normal	Black	Kev Walker
4	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST	EMN-84	2015	Normal	Black	Kev Walker
5	2022-12-02	Jumpstart 2022	J22	386	2015	Normal	Black	Kev Walker
6	2023-03-21	Shadows over Innistrad Remastered	SIR	102	2015	Normal	Black	Kev Walker

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Certain Death 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
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2016-07-13	If the creature becomes an illegal target for Certain Death, no player gains or loses life. If it’s a legal target but isn’t destroyed, most likely due to having indestructible, its controller still loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
2016-07-13	The targeted creature will have already left the battlefield before its controller loses 2 life and you gain 2 life. If it has any abilities that care about gaining or losing life, they won’t apply.