Crime // Punishment MTG Card
2006-05-05 - Number 150
2024-04-19 - Number 75
2024-04-19 - Number 39
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 7 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Sorcery |
Text of card
Destroy each artifact, creature, and enchantment with converted mana cost X.
Cards like Crime // Punishment
Crime // Punishment offers a unique versatility in Magic: The Gathering as a split card that can operate as two distinct spells. It draws natural comparisons to other modal cards that provide flexible options, such as the Charms of various MTG sets. For example, Boros Charm provides different modes to choose from, yet it lacks Crime // Punishment’s adjustable cost for its Punishment side, which scales the spell’s destruction power based on mana investment.
Another comparative is the flexible nature of the modal double-faced cards like Valki, God of Lies // Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor. While Valki offers a low-cost early game play, and Tibalt a late-game value engine, they don’t provide the immediate board impact in removal or restitution that Crime // Punishment can. Lastly, Casualties of War stands out as a single spell with multiple optional effects, allowing for tailored removal at a fixed cost, unlike Crime // Punishment’s versatile mana scaling.
To sum up, Crime // Punishment’s unique duality firmly establishes its place in MTG as a card of adaptability and strategic depth, reflecting its exceptional ability to fit into multiple roles based on the situation at hand.
Cards similar to Crime // Punishment by color, type and mana cost
Key Takeaways
- Card advantage is pivotal—use Crime // Punishment to outmaneuver opponents by leveraging graveyard resources or clearing threats.
- Resource acceleration through Creature resurrection positions you to advance your board state, particularly with mana-generating abilities.
- Instant speed allows punishment to disrupt opponent strategies at the most opportune moments, thus conserving resources strategically.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The flexible nature of Crime // Punishment provides a dual benefit by offering you the choice to either return a creature from any graveyard to the battlefield under your control or to destroy each creature and enchantment with a converted mana cost equal to the number you choose. This grants you significant card advantage by either reusing powerful effects from creatures in graveyards or by efficiently clearing the board of multiple threats at once.
Resource Acceleration: Utilizing Crime // Punishment can lead to resource acceleration in a less direct way. By choosing to resurrect a creature with abilities that generate additional mana, draw cards, or produce tokens, you leverage those assets to propel your game state further ahead, paving the way for even more potent turns.
Instant Speed: Operating at instant speed, Punishment in particular allows you to wait until the most opportune moment to act, forcing opponents to commit resources before deciding the right number to choose for the sweeping effect. This strategic flexibility can hamper your opponents’ plans and make your moves more efficient by saving resources for exactly when you need them.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: When considering the Crime // Punishment card from the tactician’s perspective, its discard condition can present a strategic stumbling block. Players must relinquish another card from their hand to harness its powers, a trade-off that might deplete valuable hand assets, especially when card advantage is crucial in the later stages of the game.
Specific Mana Cost: Additionally, this card demands a precise mana investment—both white and black mana sources—for its dual-sided functionality. This can potentially restrict deck-building options, compelling players to navigate within the boundaries of a two-color deck archetype, which might not always align with a player’s strategic preference or the meta.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Moreover, the mana expenditure required to cast Crime // Punishment can be relatively hefty when sized up against other options within its category. As such, it is possible for players to be left at a disadvantage when they are matched against opponents wielding more mana-efficient alternatives for removal or attrition strategies.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Crime // Punishment offers a unique dual card option that caters to a wide array of strategies, fitting seamlessly into decks that capitalize on either pinpoint removal or mass reclamation.
Combo Potential: This card’s split nature allows it to enable combo plays, either by retrieving key pieces from the graveyard with Crime or by setting up board states conducive to punishment, effectively resetting the playing field.
Meta-Relevance: In metagames that are creature-heavy or where graveyards are rich with targets, Crime // Punishment remains highly relevant, suppressing opponents’ strategies or providing crucial asset recovery to maintain the upper hand.
How to beat Crime // Punishment
Crime // Punishment is a versatile split card in Magic: The Gathering that presents both an opportunity for reanimation and a scalable removal tool. Its ability to reanimate creatures from an opponent’s graveyard with Crime requires a careful approach. Key is maintaining graveyard control; consider cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void to prevent any reanimation attempts. Negating Crime not only requires strategic graveyard management but also timely counterspells to prevent it from resolving.
Punishment, on the other side, offers a scalable sweeper, destroying each artifact, creature, and enchantment with a converted mana cost equal to the amount of green mana paid. To hedge against Punishment, diversify the converted mana costs of your permanents or rely on indestructible or hexproof creatures to mitigate the damage. Similarly, abilities that regenerate or self-recurring creatures can provide resilience against this removal. It’s essential to anticipate the potential for Punishment and play accordingly, either by not overextending on the board or by keeping mana open for protective spells.
While Crime // Punishment can be disruptive, proper graveyard control and strategic planning can greatly reduce its impact, keeping the scales of the game tilted in your favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Crime // Punishment MTG card by a specific set like Dissension and Breaking News, 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 Crime // Punishment and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Crime // Punishment Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2006-05-05 and 2024-04-19. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2006-05-05 | Dissension | DIS | 150 | 2003 | Split | Black | Randy Gallegos | |
| 2 | 2024-04-19 | Breaking News | OTP | 75 | 2015 | Split | Borderless | William Tempest | |
| 3 | 2024-04-19 | Breaking News | OTP | 39 | 2015 | Split | Borderless | William Tempest |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Crime // Punishment has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |