Cursed Rack MTG Card

Cursed Rack controls opponents by limiting hand size, tilting card advantage in your favor. Its disruptive presence demands answers, indirectly slowing opponent’s resource progression. Best utilized in control decks, it complements strategies leaving mana open for responses.
Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact

Text of card

Opponent must discard down to four cards during his or her discard phase.

Ashnod invented several torture techniques that could make victims even miles away beg for mercy as if the End had come.

Cards like Cursed Rack

In the strategic world of MTG, Cursed Rack stands out for impacting an opponent’s hand size. When we evaluate cards like The Rack, a crucial part of the comparison becomes evident. Both cards aim to shrink the opponent’s hand, but The Rack deals damage based on the number of cards fewer than three, while Cursed Rack limits the hand to four cards without the damage component.

Looking at another analog, Black Vise offers a converse effect. Instead of focusing on a minimum hand size, it punishes opponents for a hand replete with cards, dealing damage for holdings over four. This shifts the battlefield tactics, providing a different angle on hand size control. Lastly, Anvil of Bogardan features comparable gameplay implications, forcing players to draw and discard, in turn regulating hand sizes but with added card flow for both players.

Although these artifacts all meddle in hand manipulation, Cursed Rack’s distinctive function of setting a maximum hand size caters to specific deck strategies and metagames where the exact control of opponent resources is paramount.

The Rack - MTG Card versions
Black Vise - MTG Card versions
Anvil of Bogardan - MTG Card versions
The Rack - MTG Card versions
Black Vise - MTG Card versions
Anvil of Bogardan - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cursed Rack can effectively reduce the number of options available to your opponent, indirectly contributing to your own card advantage. By limiting an opponent’s hand size, you ensure that your own cards in hand potentially carry more impact and significance during the game.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly influencing resource acceleration, Cursed Rack demands an immediate answer, potentially diverting resources your opponent would otherwise use for their own development. This can indirectly slow them down and provide you with a pace advantage.

Instant Speed: The ability to play other cards at instant speed while establishing control elements like Cursed Rack can be critically important. While Cursed Rack itself isn’t an instant, it compliments a strategy that leaves mana open for responses, fitting seamlessly into a control deck that operates largely on your opponent’s turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside of using Cursed Rack is that it forces a reduced hand size, which can inadvertently benefit opponents utilizing strategies that take advantage of discarding, such as reanimator or madness decks.

Specific Mana Cost: While Cursed Rack’s mana cost demands no specific colors—an asset for any deck—the requirement of four generic mana can still be cumbersome in the early game when establishing a board presence can be more impactful.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its potential to disrupt an opponent’s hand, the four mana investment to get Cursed Rack on the battlefield is significant. Players may find that other cards could provide more immediate or versatile disruption for the same or lower mana cost.

Reasons to Include Cursed Rack in Your Collection

Versatility: Cursed Rack adds utility to your arsenal by affecting the number of cards in your opponent’s hand. Its presence on the field can be a strategic asset regardless of your deck’s primary win condition, providing an edge in various matchups.

Combo Potential: This artifact synergizes with other hand disruption cards to put significant pressure on your opponents. Combine it with discard strategies to cripple your adversary’s ability to respond effectively to threats or maintain a strong defense.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where hand size matters, such as those dominated by decks aiming to maximize card advantage, Cursed Rack can act as a counterbalance. It can help level the playing field against players who rely on having multiple options at their fingertips.

How to beat

Cursed Rack is an artifact card known for its ability to force opponents into a restricted hand size, making it a challenging obstacle in MTG. When facing this card, it’s essential to prioritize actions to dismantle or circumvent its influence. One effective strategy is to target it directly with artifact removal spells or abilities. Cards like Disenchant or Naturalize can dispel the tormenting effect of Cursed Rack swiftly. Another approach would be to adopt a playstyle that diminishes the card’s impact, favoring strategies that rely less on hand size and more on board presence or graveyard utilization.

Deck building also plays a pivotal role in countering the Cursed Rack’s effect. Integrating a higher count of low-cost spells helps maintain a fluid hand-flow, so the restriction has minimal effect on your gameplan. Some players may consider including cards that benefit from discarding or allow drawing extra cards, leveraging potential synergies that Cursed Rack might inadvertently aid. Reflection and adaptation to its pressured scenarios can transform this hindrance into an unexpected catalyst for your strategies.

Ultimately, laughing in the face of Cursed Rack’s constraints requires forethought and strategic adaptability, ensuring your MTG gameplay remains as unruffled and efficient as possible even when faced with such tough artifacts.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cursed Rack MTG card by a specific set like Antiquities and Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border, 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 Cursed Rack and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Cursed Rack Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 1994-03-04 and 2007-09-10. Illustrated by Richard Thomas.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11994-03-04AntiquitiesATQ 481993NormalBlackRichard Thomas
21995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 3121993NormalBlackRichard Thomas
31995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 3121993NormalWhiteRichard Thomas
41995-08-01RinascimentoRIN 1141993NormalBlackRichard Thomas
51995-08-01RenaissanceREN 1261993NormalBlackRichard Thomas
62007-09-10Masters EditionME1 1551997NormalBlackRichard Thomas

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cursed Rack has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2004-10-04 The effect of lowering the maximum hand size makes it so the player discards down to 4 cards (instead of the usual 7) during the cleanup step.
2004-10-04 You choose one opposing player just as this card is entering the battlefield and it only affects that one player. This choice is not changed even if this card changes controllers. It becomes useless but stays on the battlefield if the chosen player leaves the game.
2009-10-01 If multiple effects modify your hand size, apply them in timestamp order. For example, if you put Null Profusion (an enchantment that says your maximum hand size is two) onto the battlefield and then a player puts Cursed Rack onto the battlefield choosing you, your maximum hand size will be four. However, if those permanents entered the battlefield in the opposite order, your maximum hand size would be two.