Cruel Finality MTG Card

Offers tactical advantage by weakening creatures and arranging upcoming draws through scry. Enhances gameplay flexibility with instant speed, allowing for reactive and strategic depth. Its utility in meta and versatility in deck strategy makes it a worthy addition to collections.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Abilities	Scry
Released	2017-01-20
Set symbol
Set name	Aether Revolt
Set code	AER
Number	54
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Svetlin Velinov

Text of card

Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. Scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.)

Bitter the bite of a demon's steel, and deep the abyss it opens.

Cards like Cruel Finality

Cruel Finality stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a modestly costed spell with a dual purpose. At face value, its ability to give a creature -2/-2 until end of turn puts it in the same league as other removal spells such as Grasp of Darkness or Dead Weight. These cards are core components in decks focused on managing the battlefield by weakening or outright destroying opponent’s creatures. Cruel Finality, however, presents an additional strategic layer with its scry 1 feature, letting you sift through your deck and plan subsequent moves.

Ultimate Price is another card that shares the removal utility but specializes in targeting monochromatic creatures, providing a more restrictive yet potentially more powerful effect. On the more versatile front, there’s Murder, an uncomplicated solution to remove any creature regardless of its strength, at the cost of additional mana.

Whether it’s the fine-tuning of your next draw with scry, the utility of targeted removal, or a straightforward powerhouse elimination, Cruel Finality offers a balanced mix of removal and deck manipulation that can be pivotal in the flow of a game.

Cards similar to Cruel Finality by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cruel Finality offers the player a strategic advantage by forcing a -1/-1 on a target creature and allowing the controlling player to scry 1. This not only deals with a potential threat on the board but also provides added value by setting up the player’s next draw, thereby subtly increasing card quality and contributing to maintaining card advantage over the opponent.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly contributing to ramping up mana like other spells, the scry mechanic of Cruel Finality aids in resource acceleration by allowing players to filter their draws. This increases the likelihood of drawing into more impactful cards or the necessary lands, effectively accelerating the player’s game plan and resource deployment.

Instant Speed: Cruel Finality’s ability to be played at instant speed affords the player considerable flexibility. The timing of the spell is crucial as it can be deployed on an opponent’s turn, allowing the player to adapt to developing threats or use mana efficiently by casting it at the end of an opponent’s turn if mana was not required elsewhere, thereby maintaining reactive play and strategic depth in the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Cruel Finality often necessitates having another card in hand to discard. This could potentially leave players at a disadvantage if they’re already struggling with maintaining card advantage or need to preserve critical hand resources for future turns.

Specific Mana Cost: Cruel Finality demands a precise blend of mana, requiring one black mana in addition to two generic mana. This requirement can be restrictive, especially in multi-colored decks where mana flexibility is crucial for executing strategic plays efficiently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three total mana, this card’s expense for the provided effect could be considered steep. In competitive play where mana efficiency can determine the outcome of a game, players might find that other spells offer similar or superior effects at a lower cost, making them more appealing choices for deck-building.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Cruel Finality offers flexibility to black decks requiring spot removal. Its ability to thwart an opponent’s creature while scrying 1 proves useful across various game scenarios, enhancing both offensive and defensive strategies.

Combo Potential: Given its scry ability, this instant can smoothly integrate with strategies focused on deck manipulation or setting up the top of the library for cards that benefit from such arrangements, like Miracle cards or creature synergies.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-focused decks prevail, Cruel Finality gains traction as a valuable tool. Its capacity to disrupt early-game threats or eliminate key creatures can shift the momentum in your favor while maintaining card quality with the scry effect.

How to Beat Cruel Finality

Cruel Finality is a noteworthy spell in Magic: The Gathering, with a dual ability to disrupt an opponent’s creature and sculpt the top of your own library. This can pose a real challenge, especially if it disrupts your battlefield presence or sabotages your upcoming draws. To effectively combat this card, consider strategies that minimize the impact of targeted removal or provide redundancies in your play.

Utilize creatures with indestructible or those that leave behind tokens upon death to ensure that Cruel Finality’s -2/-2 effect isn’t a total loss. Cards with the “When this creature dies…” effect can provide an added layer of resilience. Moreover, integrating cards that allow library manipulation or drawing can mitigate the potential negative effects on your future draws that Cruel Finality threatens.

Maintaining a diverse and robust creature base while having ways to recoup card advantage will significantly diminish the efficacy of Cruel Finality. By carefully navigating around its mechanics, you can maintain control over the duel and make this seemingly ominous spell far less final.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cruel Finality MTG card by a specific set like Aether Revolt, 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 Cruel Finality and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cruel Finality has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2017-02-09	If the target creature becomes an illegal target, Cruel Finality doesn’t resolve and none of its effects happen. You won’t scry 1.