Crushing Pain MTG Card

Crushing Pain - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)

Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
2004-10-01 - Number 162

Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
2005-08-22 - Number C15

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

Key Takeaways

Targets multiple creatures, offering efficient removal and card advantage in a single move.
Instant speed allows for strategic flexibility and potential combat trickery.
Discarding a card and specific mana requirements may limit play options.

Text of card

Crushing Pain deals 6 damage to target creature that was dealt damage this turn.

It is said that the mere touch of a kami is like embracing the sun itself.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Crushing Pain differs from many red spells due to its ability to potentially dispatch two creatures at once, offering a form of card advantage by dealing with multiple threats using a single card.

Resource Acceleration: While the main purpose of Crushing Pain isn’t to accelerate resources, it can indirectly lead to resource acceleration by eliminating creatures that would have blocked or disrupted your ramp creatures, leaving the path clear for your mana dorks or artifact taps.

Instant Speed: The capability to cast Crushing Pain at instant speed grants you the flexibility to remove key creatures during your opponent’s turn, disrupting their strategies and preserving the element of surprise. This also permits more strategic plays, keeping your mana untapped for responses until the most opportune moment.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: This card mandates the player to discard another card which can be highly detrimental when your hand is already depleted. Conserving resources is key in MTG, and the need to discard could set you back, particularly if you’re discarding a card that’s crucial for your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Crushing Pain demands two red mana, which can be restrictive. For players not running a mono-red or heavily red-focused deck, this can cause the card to remain stuck in hand without the means to cast it, diminishing its tactical flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of four mana for its damage-dealing effect, this card’s efficiency can be called into question. In the realm of MTG, where each mana spent must yield maximum impact, there might be alternative cards that provide more favorable damage output or versatility for the same, or a lower, mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Crushing Pain offers a flexible damage solution against creatures with high toughness. This capability allows a player to tailor their removal strategy depending on the threats they face across various game situations.

Combo Potential: The card can be a key component in decks that exploit damage triggers and stack effects. By inflicting significant damage, it can act as a catalyst for various synergies within a deck’s structure.

Meta-Relevance: In a gameplay environment where players often rely on creatures with ample toughness to maintain board presence, Crushing Pain becomes an efficient tool to mitigate these potential roadblocks and maintain the upper hand.

How to beat

Crushing Pain, well-known in the MTG community, can be a formidable card due to its ability to inflict damage based on the converted mana cost of a card being targeted. This red instant shines against decks that leverage high-cost creatures, turning the tables quickly and efficiently. To counter this card, incorporating low-cost creatures into your deck can minimize the impact of Crushing Pain’s effect, maintaining a low-risk battlefield presence.

Additionally, strategies employing counter spells or leveraging the advantage of hexproof and indestructible creatures can be effective shields against this damaging spell. Shrewd players might even bait out Crushing Pain with less critical creatures, preserving their strong players for a more opportune moment. By understanding and anticipating this removal spell, one can maintain the upper hand even when faced with fiery destruction.

Mastering the dance of creature casting and spell timing is paramount in quelling the fiery onslaught that Crushing Pain promises. Keeping a cool head and a composed strategy ensures that this powerful spell doesn’t leave your game plans in ashes.

Cards like Crushing Pain

Crushing Pain is a unique damage-dealer among Magic: The Gathering spells, reminiscent in some ways to other burn cards. It closely mirrors the functionality of cards like Flames of the Blood Hand, which hinder life gain and deal damage to opponents. Though Flames of the Blood Hand deals 4 damage compared to Crushing Pain’s potential 6 to a creature with flying, it comes with the added benefit of preventing life gain for the opponent this turn.

Looking at another relative, we have Staggershock, which delivers a delayed double tap due to its rebound ability, albeit at a lower initial damage of 2. While it may deal less damage than Crushing Pain, the total potential damage output can equal or exceed that of our subject card over two turns. Volcanic Hammer also enters the fray as a single-shot burn spell casting for two mana to deliver 3 damage to any target, showcasing simpler execution but lacking the specialization against creatures with flying.

Ultimately, Crushing Pain offers a situational yet substantial punch against aerial threats that can significantly impact the board state. By specializing in flying creature removal, it competently carves out its niche in the MTG repertoire of red damage spells.

Flames of the Blood Hand - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Crushing Pain by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Crushing Pain MTG card by a specific set like Champions of Kamigawa and Salvat 2005, 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 Crushing Pain and other MTG cards: