Curse of Death's Hold MTG Card


Creates lasting card advantage by reducing opponents’ creature effectiveness and preserving your hand. Demanding mana cost and color specificity may limit its inclusion in diverse decks. Provides a persistent board control tool, pivotal in creature-centric meta environments.
Curse of Death's Hold - Innistrad
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment — Aura Curse
Abilities Enchant
Released2011-09-30
Set symbol
Set nameInnistrad
Set codeISD
Number94
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byClint Cearley

Text of card

Enchant player Creatures enchanted player controls get -1/-1.

"May you and all your kin waste and wither until your clan is no more!"


Cards like Curse of Death's Hold

Curse of Death’s Hold offers a unique position in the realm of enchantment cards that weaken creatures. Like its MTG brethren, Shrivel, it affects the power of creatures across the board. Shrivel decreases each creature’s toughness by 1 until the end of the turn. While Shrivel is a one-time event, Curse of Death’s Hold has a prolonged presence, constantly diminishing the opponents’ creatures’ power and toughness.

Another card, Night of Souls’ Betrayal, echoes a similar persistent effect, imposing a -1/-1 on all creatures just as Curse of Death’s Hold does. However, Night of Souls’ Betrayal lacks the targeted curse mechanic, applying its effect universally instead. Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, also offers a similar perpetual debuff to your opponents’ creatures, but goes a step further by boosting your own creatures’ power and toughness. Unlike the specificity of Curse of Death’s Hold, Elesh Norn’s influence is far wider in scope.

To conclude, while there are a variety of cards that can debilitate your opponent’s forces, Curse of Death’s Hold stands out due to its continual target-specific curse, a strategic tool for controlling the battlefield over time in the ever-evolving landscape of Magic: The Gathering.

Shrivel - MTG Card versions
Night of Souls' Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite - MTG Card versions
Shrivel - MTG Card versions
Night of Souls' Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Curse of Death's Hold by color, type and mana cost

Horror of Horrors - MTG Card versions
Worms of the Earth - MTG Card versions
Forbidden Crypt - MTG Card versions
Death Pits of Rath - MTG Card versions
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Discordant Dirge - MTG Card versions
Subversion - MTG Card versions
Larceny - MTG Card versions
Conspiracy - MTG Card versions
Putrefaction - MTG Card versions
Spreading Plague - MTG Card versions
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Dawn of the Dead - MTG Card versions
Gravebreaker Lamia - MTG Card versions
Doomwake Giant - MTG Card versions
Clutch of Undeath - MTG Card versions
Sanguine Bond - MTG Card versions
Call to the Grave - MTG Card versions
Curse of Thirst - MTG Card versions
Homicidal Seclusion - MTG Card versions
Horror of Horrors - MTG Card versions
Worms of the Earth - MTG Card versions
Forbidden Crypt - MTG Card versions
Death Pits of Rath - MTG Card versions
Handcuffs - MTG Card versions
Discordant Dirge - MTG Card versions
Subversion - MTG Card versions
Larceny - MTG Card versions
Conspiracy - MTG Card versions
Putrefaction - MTG Card versions
Spreading Plague - MTG Card versions
Traveling Plague - MTG Card versions
Dawn of the Dead - MTG Card versions
Gravebreaker Lamia - MTG Card versions
Doomwake Giant - MTG Card versions
Clutch of Undeath - MTG Card versions
Sanguine Bond - MTG Card versions
Call to the Grave - MTG Card versions
Curse of Thirst - MTG Card versions
Homicidal Seclusion - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Curse of Death's Hold. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Mono-Black ComboMono-Black Combo Legacy96 / The 96th Legacy at Home
4-color Loam4-color Loam LegacyCurses2023 NA Legacy Champs
Mono-Black HelmMono-Black Helm Legacy2023 Asia Legacy Championship

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Curse of Death’s Hold can create persistent card advantage by weakening opponent’s creatures, potentially rendering their board ineffective and reducing the value of their future creature plays.

Resource Acceleration: Though not directly involved in mana acceleration, it allows for resource advantage by diminishing the need for further removal spells, thereby saving cards in hand for other strategic plays.

Instant Speed: While Curse of Death’s Hold is not an instant itself, its enduring effect on the battlefield can be comparable to having a constant, invisible force at instant speed, continuously hampering your opponent’s creatures without needing to spend additional resources on spot removal every turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Curse of Death’s Hold doesn’t force a discard, it’s important to note that playing such enchantments could potentially leave fewer cards in your hand, making you vulnerable to opposing strategies that target your hand size.

Specific Mana Cost: This enchantment demands a specific blend of mana, requiring two black and three other mana to cast. This dedicated color commitment can make it challenging to include in multicolored decks that might struggle with consistently attaining the necessary mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of five mana, Curse of Death’s Hold is a relatively expensive enchantment. There are alternative cards that might provide similar creature weakening effects at a lower mana investment, offering potentially quicker, more flexible responses in a game where timing can be everything.


Reasons to Include Curse of Death’s Hold in Your Collection

Versatility: Curse of Death’s Hold offers broad utility across various deck archetypes. Its ability to give all your opponent’s creatures -1/-1 can disrupt token strategies, weaken combat capabilities, and even nullify the effects of utility creatures, making it a valuable card for control decks or any strategy that needs to manage the board.

Combo Potential: This enchantment can become part of powerful combinations, particularly with cards that thrive on opponent’s creatures dying. Pair it with cards that benefit from or cause additional -1/-1 counters, and you’ll amplify both the curse’s impact and your synergistic potential. This can lead to wipeouts of entire creature boards, shifting the game heavily in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where creature-based strategies prevail, Curse of Death’s Hold carries significant relevance. It can act as a continuous hurdle for aggro decks that rely on a fast build-up of creatures, making it a strategic card to keep in any collection for its potential to tilt matches against creature-heavy opponents and maintain control of the game.


How to beat

Curse of Death’s Hold is a unique enchantment card that brings a persistent obstacle to the battlefield by giving opposing creatures a notable disadvantage. It’s akin to other detrimental auras in Magic: The Gathering, such as Night of Souls’ Betrayal, although the latter affects all creatures on the field, not just an opponent’s.

Dealing with Curse of Death’s Hold requires a strategic approach, focusing on removal spells like Disenchant, which can directly target and eliminate enchantments. Another tactic is employing hexproof or indestructible creatures that can shrug off the curse’s effect or cards like Sterling Grove, which can shield your other permanents from such detrimental enchantments. Additionally, playing a creature-light deck or a deck with powerful, high-toughness creatures can mitigate the impact of the curse’s ability.

Effectively countering Curse of Death’s Hold necessitates a flexible build and an awareness of enchantment removal options, ensuring that the curse doesn’t stifle the development of your board. Mastering these strategies will secure your creatures from such oppressive enchantments and maintain your advantage during the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

MTG players often face the challenge of enhancing their gameplay and strategically upgrading their decks. Curse of Death’s Hold is a card that boasts the potential to significantly alter the battlefield, proving especially effective against creature-heavy strategies. Understanding its strengths and how it interacts with the current metagame can be the key to dominating your next MTG match. If you’re keen to discover the intricate synergies and tactical plays this card can offer, delve deeper into our wealth of resources. Enhance your MTG knowledge and fortify your deck with Curse of Death’s Hold by learning more with us.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Curse of Death's Hold MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad, 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 Curse of Death's Hold and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Curse of Death's Hold has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal