Cursed Scroll MTG Card
1997-10-14 - Number 281
1998-08-12 - Number bh281sb
1998-08-12 - Number br281
1999-08-04 - Number ml281
1999-08-04 - Number mlp281
1999-08-04 - Number js281
1999-08-04 - Number kb281
2014-06-16 - Number 267
2015-05-06 - Number 220
| Card sets | Released in 9 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Artifact |
Text of card
o3, oc T: Name a card. Target opponent chooses a card at random from your hand. If he or she chooses the named card, Cursed Scroll deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Cards like Cursed Scroll
The Cursed Scroll is a revered piece in Magic: The Gathering, often likened to cards that offer players direct control over game dynamics. Cards such as Grafted Skullcap provide a draw power but at a high cost – the requirement to discard your hand at each end step. While the Skullcap boosts card advantage, Cursed Scroll provides a more surgical approach allowing the player to target creatures or opponents directly, albeit relying on a bit of bluffing to maximize its potential.
Another similar artifact, Isochron Scepter, lets you imprint an instant spell costing two or less and then use it repeatedly. While the Scepter gives you a consistent spell every turn, the Cursed Scroll only requires the player to reveal a card with a matching name, which might be easier to maintain in a game with fewer cards in hand. The former offers a myriad of options depending on the deck while the latter hones in on a more focused strategy.
In a landscape where precise damage and efficient strategies are paramount, Cursed Scroll stands out amongst Magic: The Gathering artifacts, offering unique control over the board state and making it an enduring favorite among players who enjoy the subtler tactics of the game.
Cards similar to Cursed Scroll by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Cursed Scroll. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Madness | Premodern | $1K - Pre-Modern - SCG CON Atlanta - Saturday - 9:30 am | |
 | Mono-Black Control | Premodern | Eternal Weekend Europe 2023 Premodern Mainevent | |
 | Painter | Legacy | Painter | Legacy Preliminary 2024-03-04 (1) |
 | Mono-Black Pox | Legacy | Mono-Black Pox | Legacy Preliminary 2024-02-05 (1) |
 | Sligh | Premodern | Eternal Weekend Europe 2023 Premodern Mainevent | |
 | Rakdos Midrange | Premodern | $1K - Pre-Modern - SCG CON Hartford - Sunday - 9:30 am | |
| Mono-Red Burn | Premodern | Eternal Weekend Europe 2023 Premodern Mainevent | |
 | Decklist | Free form | Middle School World Championships | |
 | Burning Oath | Free form | Middle School World Championships | |
| Patchwork Stompy | Legacy | Patchwork Stompy | Legacy League 2023-12-02 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Cursed Scroll offers a repeatable way to deal with opponents’ creatures or pressure their life total, effectively thinning their resources while maintaining your own.
Resource Acceleration: This artifact doesn’t directly accelerate mana, but it’s a one-time investment that can be activated multiple turns, making it a mana-efficient tool over the course of a match.
Instant Speed: Cursed Scroll’s ability operates at instant speed, allowing for strategic plays by forcing opponents to second-guess their actions during their turn and enabling you to optimize your mana use.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The effectiveness of Cursed Scroll hinges on having a single card in hand to reveal, which can become a strategic vulnerability against hand disruption tactics.
Specific Mana Cost: While Cursed Scroll requires generic mana and fits in any deck, its activation cost demands consistent mana availability, potentially conflicting with your plan to cast other spells.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: To repeatedly use Cursed Scroll’s damage ability, a substantial investment of mana is needed throughout the game, which might be less efficient compared to alternatives that provide immediate or more versatile board impact.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Cursed Scroll offers flexibility to a wide array of decks, allowing players to utilize its repeatable damage feature to whittle down an opponent’s life total or target key creatures on the battlefield.
Combo Potential: This card can synergize with discard mechanics or strategies that manipulate the top of the deck, ensuring its activated ability hits consistently, thus becoming a relentless force in any game.
Meta-Relevance: As games progress and hands deplete, Cursed Scroll remains a constant threat. In a meta where holding onto cards can be a strategy, this artifact thrives by turning a low hand count into a powerful advantage.
How to Beat Cursed Scroll
Cursed Scroll has carved its niche in the vast panorama of artifact cards available to players. Renowned for its targeted damage ability, it becomes a thorn in the side of many opponents, particularly in drawn-out matches where topdecking is common. Unlike other artifacts, Cursed Scroll requires a strategic approach to nullify its impact effectively. Cards with abilities to shroud or hexproof your creatures, such as Lightning Greaves or Asceticism, can provide an essential safeguard against Cursed Scroll’s pinpoint removal.
Disenchant and Naturalize are two cost-efficient choices, directly addressing artifacts and enchantments, ensuring that Cursed Scroll’s reign is short-lived. Considering the random reveal mechanic of Cursed Scroll, reducing your hand size can also diminish its efficiency, making it less reliable for your adversary. Similarly, hand disruption tactics can disrupt the opponent’s ability to guess correctly, consequently mitigating the damage dealt by the Scroll’s ability.
Ultimately, understanding Cursed Scroll’s operational mechanics allows you to craft a well-informed strategy, bolstering your arsenal with protective measures or removal spells, and turning the tides of control in your favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Cursed Scroll MTG card by a specific set like Tempest and World Championship Decks 1998, 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 Scroll and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Cursed Scroll Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 1997-10-14 and 2015-05-06. Illustrated by D. Alexander Gregory.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1997-10-14 | Tempest | TMP | 281 | 1997 | Normal | Black | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 2 | 1998-08-12 | World Championship Decks 1998 | WC98 | bh281sb | 1997 | Normal | Gold | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 3 | 1998-08-12 | World Championship Decks 1998 | WC98 | br281 | 1997 | Normal | Gold | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 4 | 1999-08-04 | World Championship Decks 1999 | WC99 | ml281 | 1997 | Normal | Gold | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 5 | 1999-08-04 | World Championship Decks 1999 | WC99 | mlp281 | 1997 | Normal | Gold | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 6 | 1999-08-04 | World Championship Decks 1999 | WC99 | js281 | 1997 | Normal | Gold | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 7 | 1999-08-04 | World Championship Decks 1999 | WC99 | kb281 | 1997 | Normal | Gold | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 8 | 2014-06-16 | Vintage Masters | VMA | 267 | 2015 | Normal | Black | D. Alexander Gregory | |
| 9 | 2015-05-06 | Tempest Remastered | TPR | 220 | 2015 | Normal | Black | D. Alexander Gregory |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Cursed Scroll has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Cursed Scroll card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-08-01 | If you have no cards in hand, you still have to name a card. Then you fail to reveal one (since there aren’t any). Since the named card wasn’t revealed, no damage is dealt. |