Black Sun's Zenith MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Black Sun’s Zenith excels in card advantage by resetting the board and tipping the scales in your favor.
  2. Indirectly saves resources, allowing for game acceleration through economical spell usage.
  3. Flexibility in mana usage enhances strategic play, mimicking instant speed qualities.

Text of card

Put X -1/-1 counters on each creature. Shuffle Black Sun's Zenith into its owner's library.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Black Sun’s Zenith provides a significant boost by potentially clearing the board of smaller creatures, leaving you with card superiority. It’s an ideal way to reset the board, especially if you are facing multiple threats that are difficult to deal with one by one.

Resource Acceleration: While this card itself doesn’t accelerate resources in the traditional sense, it is a versatile tool that can dramatically change the state of the game. By removing a multitude of creatures, you save resources that would otherwise be spent on multiple removal spells. This economic use of resources can indirectly accelerate your control over the game.

Instant Speed: Although Black Sun’s Zenith operates at sorcery speed, the flexibility it offers in terms of mana investment can impact the game as if it had instant speed qualities. You can strategize your mana usage throughout your turn, leaving just enough to cast this wipe effect, without signaling to your opponent your intention to clear the board.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Black Sun’s Zenith demands an investment of black mana, potentially restricting its integration into multicolored decks where mana flexibility is key.

Discard Requirement: Although this attribute isn’t applicable to Black Sun’s Zenith itself, when discussing drawbacks, cards requiring discard as a cost can strain hand advantage. Black Sun’s Zenith avoids this but comes with its own limitations.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Black Sun’s Zenith has a scalable mana cost, which means while it can be impactful, it often requires a significant mana investment to clear out larger threats, making it less efficient in fast-paced games.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Black Sun’s Zenith offers a unique flexibility with its scalable board wipe effect, allowing players to adjust the power of the card according to the situation at hand, and it does so without being limited to once-off use since it shuffles back into the library.

Combo Potential: This card has distinct synergy with decks that capitalize on -1/-1 counters, enhancing its impact beyond mere creature removal to potentially bolster your own strategic plays on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: Black Sun’s Zenith remains relevant in various metas, excelling in games with creature-heavy boards. It can be a game-changer, clearing the board of indestructible units and bypassing effects that prevent damage-based destruction.


How to beat

Black Sun’s Zenith is a potent card known for its versatility in wiping out creatures on the battlefield. Its ability to place -1/-1 counters on all creatures is a challenge that requires a strategic approach to counter. One way to deal with Black Sun’s Zenith is by utilizing creatures that have the indestructible trait or those that benefit from counters, such as Hydras which often grow stronger through +1/+1 counters.

In addition, having counter spells ready can prevent Black Sun’s Zenith from resolving in the first place, securing the safety of your creatures. Lastly, creatures with regenerate capabilities or self-bouncing mechanics to return to the owner’s hand can evade the Zenith’s detrimental effect, preserving your board state and allowing you to rebuild quickly after the wrath has been dealt.

Overall, countering Black Sun’s Zenith calls for a deck equipped with resilience to -1/-1 counters, robust counter-actions, and alternative creature preservation strategies to maintain a dominant presence on the field.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG’s complex battlegrounds is akin to mastering chess; it requires foresight, adaptability, and understanding the unique strengths of your pieces. Black Sun’s Zenith is a testament to that, providing players with a tool that adapts to the ebb and flow of the game. Whether you’re looking to secure an advantage against a swarm of creatures or seeking the perfect addition to a -1/-1 counter strategy, this card is a noteworthy inclusion in any collection. If you’re intrigued by the strategic depth that Black Sun’s Zenith adds, delve deeper with us and discover ways to optimize your deck’s potential and outmaneuver your opponents in the vast realm of MTG.


Cards like Black Sun's Zenith

Black Sun’s Zenith is a powerful card in the world of MTG, offering a unique twist to the conventional board wipe. A clear parallel can be drawn with the iconic Damnation, which also clears the board of creatures. However, Black Sun’s Zenith allows for scalability through its X cost, enabling players to fine-tune the extent of destruction based on the game’s state and available mana.

In a similar category, we find Languish which can be particularly devastating to small to mid-sized creatures by giving them -4/-4 until end of turn. Although it lacks the persistent -1/-1 counters that Black Sun’s Zenith confers, it does offer immediate and potentially widespread impact at a fixed cheaper rate. Meanwhile, Toxic Deluge asks players to pay life alongside its mana cost to determine the extent of its creature-clearing wave, granting another method to control the tide of play.

Considering these comparisons, one can appreciate the uniqueness of Black Sun’s Zenith. Its reusability due to the shuffle back into the library mechanic and the enduring counters it places on survivors make it a versatile and formidable spell in MTG’s card pool.

Damnation - MTG Card versions
Languish - MTG Card versions
Toxic Deluge - MTG Card versions
Damnation - Planar Chaos (PLC)
Languish - Magic Origins Promos (PORI)
Toxic Deluge - Commander 2013 (C13)

Cards similar to Black Sun's Zenith by color, type and mana cost

Drain Life - MTG Card versions
Demonic Tutor - MTG Card versions
Sinkhole - MTG Card versions
Word of Binding - MTG Card versions
Soul Exchange - MTG Card versions
Dry Spell - MTG Card versions
Hymn to Tourach - MTG Card versions
Mind Knives - MTG Card versions
Shattered Crypt - MTG Card versions
Disturbed Burial - MTG Card versions
Death Stroke - MTG Card versions
Exhume - MTG Card versions
Imperial Edict - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Intent - MTG Card versions
Decompose - MTG Card versions
Chainer's Edict - MTG Card versions
Walk the Plank - MTG Card versions
Predators' Hour - MTG Card versions
Nausea - MTG Card versions
Distress - MTG Card versions
Drain Life - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Demonic Tutor - Commander Masters (CMM)
Sinkhole - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Word of Binding - Renaissance (REN)
Soul Exchange - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Dry Spell - Portal (POR)
Hymn to Tourach - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Mind Knives - Portal (POR)
Shattered Crypt - Weatherlight (WTH)
Disturbed Burial - Tempest (TMP)
Death Stroke - Stronghold (STH)
Exhume - Jumpstart (JMP)
Imperial Edict - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Diabolic Intent - Planeshift (PLS)
Decompose - Odyssey (ODY)
Chainer's Edict - Ultimate Masters (UMA)
Walk the Plank - The List (PLST)
Predators' Hour - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Nausea - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Distress - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Black Sun's Zenith MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and DCI 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 Black Sun's Zenith and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Black Sun's Zenith Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2006-01-02 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 396342003normalblackJames Paick
22006-01-02DCI PromosPDCI 682003normalblackJames Paick
32011-02-04Mirrodin BesiegedMBS 392003normalblackDaniel Ljunggren
42011-05-14Duel Decks: Mirrodin Pure vs. New PhyrexiaTD2 812003normalblackDaniel Ljunggren
52014-11-07Commander 2014C14 1362015normalblackDaniel Ljunggren
62024-02-09Murders at Karlov Manor CommanderMKC 1262015normalblackDaniel Ljunggren

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Black Sun's Zenith has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2011-06-01 If this spell doesn't resolve, none of its effects occur. In particular, it will go to the graveyard rather than to its owner's library.

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