Dehydration MTG Card
Card sets | Released in 9 setsSee all |
Mana cost | |
Converted mana cost | 4 |
Rarity | Common |
Type | Enchantment — Aura |
Abilities | Enchant |
Text of card
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.
"You say Saprazzo is a city built on water? I hope they have enough to wash the dust from my throat." —Sisay
Cards like Dehydration
Dehydration is a control card in Magic: The Gathering that sees some play in blue decks geared towards disabling opponents’ creatures. It’s often compared to other blue control enchantments like Claustrophobia or Ice Over. When we examine Dehydration, its ability to tap a creature without the potential for untapping is a straightforward way to neutralize threats. Oppositely, Claustrophobia does the same but with a different flavor, as it automatically taps a creature upon entering the battlefield, remaining consistent with blue’s theme of interfering with your opponent’s plans.
Ice Over shares similarities with Dehydration, effectively making a creature unable to untap. Although Ice Over also reaches out to Artifacts, giving it slight versatility, Dehydration has the advantage with its all-encompassing ability that affects any untapped creature. Encasing a threat in ice or in a state of perpetual exhaustion, these cards represent the quintessential blue-strategy: stall and control.
Evaluating these options, Dehydration hangs on as a solid choice for players looking to maintain momentum in their control strategy. The flexibility of responding to creatures of any size means that even in the sea of alternative blue enchantments, Dehydration stands out for its simplicity and effectiveness in the right deck composition.
Cards similar to Dehydration by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Dehydration is a singular enchantment that can shut down an opponent’s creature, potentially turning the tide by negating their built-up board presence without expending multiple resources.
Resource Acceleration: While Dehydration doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its low casting cost allows for efficient mana usage, keeping your pool open for further plays that can accelerate your resources or develop your board.
Instant Speed: Although Dehydration is not an instant, its effect on the battlefield can be likened to one. It can be deployed during your turn, immediately negating a recently summoned creature’s potential, or during the end of your opponent’s turn to set up for strategic plays without alerting them prematurely.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Dehydration’s mechanics do not explicitly require a discard. However, maintaining card advantage is crucial in MTG, and the lack of immediate impact upon casting Dehydration may mimic a temporary discard situation, as the card takes up a slot without affecting the board state instantly.
Specific Mana Cost: Dehydration requires a specific blue mana commitment. This can make it less flexible compared to more color-fluid control options, potentially restricting it to strictly blue or blue-heavy decks that can consistently meet the blue mana requirement.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost involving three generic and one blue mana, Dehydration may seem inefficient when compared to other control spells. In a game where tempo is vital, the investment of four mana to tap a single creature without destroying it can put a player at a disadvantage against decks with lower-cost removal options.
Reasons to Include Dehydration in Your Collection
Versatility: Dehydration is a flexible control card that can neutralize a wide range of threats by tapping down creatures indefinitely. It’s a strong addition to decks that seek to stall the board and set up their own win conditions.
Combo Potential: In decks that capitalize on tapping and untapping mechanics, Dehydration can be used to consistent effect, ensuring key creatures on the opposing side remain out of action while you execute your strategy.
Meta-Relevance: Against creature-heavy decks or formats where creature strategies dominate, Dehydration serves as a cost-effective tool to control the tempo of the game, making it a practical sideboard card or even a main deck consideration depending on the current meta.
How to beat
Dehydration is a control card in Magic: The Gathering which can immobilize your opponent’s creatures by tapping them down indefinitely and preventing them from untapping during their controller’s untap step. Overcoming this blue enchantment requires strategic planning and clever play. Similar to enchantment removal spells across various colors like Disenchant or Naturalize, which directly remove the Dehydration from play, cards like Krosan Grip with split second give even less room for your opponent to react.
In the realm of blue spells, cards such as Negate or Counterspell act preemptively to deny Dehydration from ever hitting the battlefield. Red offers direct solutions with spells like Chaos Warp to turn the tide by shuffling Dehydration back into its owner’s deck. Green’s natural enchantment hate is also invaluable; cards like Back to Nature can clear Dehydration and any other pesky enchantments in one swoop.
Assessment of MTG strategies shows that while Dehydration can be a formidable obstacle, a deck equipped with the right removal or countermeasures can render it a mere hiccup in the flow of the game, maintaining the tempo and pressure on the opponent.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Dehydration MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques and Eighth Edition, 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 Dehydration 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Dehydration Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 1999-10-04 and 2007-07-13. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
# | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1999-10-04 | Mercadian Masques | MMQ | 73 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Val Mayerik | |
2 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 75 | 2003 | Normal | White | Arnie Swekel | |
3 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 75★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Arnie Swekel | |
4 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 73 | 2003 | Normal | White | Arnie Swekel | |
5 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 73★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Arnie Swekel | |
6 | 2005-08-22 | Salvat 2005 | PSAL | H42 | 2003 | Normal | White | Arnie Swekel | |
7 | 2005-08-22 | Salvat 2005 | PSAL | H41 | 2003 | Normal | White | Arnie Swekel | |
8 | 2007-07-13 | Tenth Edition | 10E | 78 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Arnie Swekel | |
9 | 2007-07-13 | Tenth Edition | 10E | 78★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Arnie Swekel |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Dehydration has restrictions
Format | Legality |
---|---|
Commander | Legal |
Legacy | Legal |
Paupercommander | Legal |
Modern | Legal |
Oathbreaker | Legal |
Pauper | Legal |
Premodern | Legal |
Vintage | Legal |
Duel | Legal |
Predh | Legal |
Penny | Legal |