Desert's Hold MTG Card

Desert’s Hold offers control and a life gain combo, key for white control decks and meta play. It can limit deck-building flexibility due to its specific white mana cost and higher expense. Enchantment removal or counter spells are essential when playing against Desert’s Hold in MTG.

Desert's Hold - Hour of Devastation (HOU)

Hour of Devastation (HOU)
2017-07-14 - Number 8

Desert's Hold - Amonkhet Remastered (AKR)

Amonkhet Remastered (AKR)
2020-08-13 - Number 13

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant

Text of card

Enchant creature When Desert's Hold enters the battlefield, if you control a Desert or there is a Desert card in your graveyard, you gain 3 life. Enchanted creature can't attack or block, and its activated abilities can't be activated.

Cards like Desert's Hold

Desert’s Hold is not an unfamiliar sight for those who dabble in white control decks in Magic: The Gathering, drawing parallels to other commonly used enchantments. One such example is Pacifism, which similarly neutralizes a creature without destroying it, yet it falls short in comparison, lacking Desert’s Hold life-gaining aspect. It is this integration of control and life gain that places Desert’s Hold in a unique position within white enchantment strategies.

Compulsory Rest is another enchantment that comes to mind, sharing the feature of incapacitating a creature and it also presents a method for the creature’s controller to gain life. However, Desert’s Hold offers the life-gain directly to you, thus fostering your life total while controlling the field. Then, we have Arrest, which completely locks down the creature’s abilities, a feature that Desert’s Hold doesn’t offer, but again, without the self-gain life boon.

Overall, in the realm of creature lockdown, Desert’s Hold finds its strength in the duality of disabling a creature while bolstering your own defenses through life gain, setting it apart from the commonly used alternatives and enhancing its utility in defensive white strategies.

Cards similar to Desert's Hold by color, type and mana cost

The Restoration of Eiganjo // Architect of Restoration - MTG Card versions

Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant // Rune-Tail's Essence - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Desert’s Hold adds strategic depth to control decks by neutralizing a key threat which might otherwise require multiple cards to deal with. Its additional effect of gaining life can deter aggressive strategies and provide a subtle buffer, effectively giving you more resources to draw into your late-game win conditions.

Resource Acceleration: Although Desert’s Hold isn’t a direct source of mana acceleration, it helps maintain your current resources by stalling an opponent’s creature without expending multiple spells. This can indirectly accelerate your game plan by giving you more time to draw into the lands and spells you need to execute your strategy.

Instant Speed: As an enchantment with a robust control effect, Desert’s Hold operates at sorcery speed, which compels strategic foresight when timing its cast. This tempers the pace of the match to your advantage, allowing you to navigate the game more deliberately and decide the most opportune moment to halt an opposing threat.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While no actual discard is needed for Desert’s Hold, the control this card provides can lead to a disadvantageous exchange. For instance, in a dynamic game, Desert’s Hold might temporarily stall an opponent’s creature, but savvy opponents can recover, leaving you down one card.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring two white mana and one colorless, Desert’s Hold demands a significant commitment to white mana sources in your deck. This can restrict deck-building options, particularly for those aiming to craft a multicolored deck with flexible mana requirements.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing a total of three mana for a single-target lockdown, Desert’s Hold might come off as costly especially when you consider other removal or control options in the game. More efficient spells could achieve a similar or even better outcome, making Desert’s Hold a less appealing choice for fast-paced or mana-efficient decks.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Desert’s Hold has the flexibility to be a key component in controlling decks, effectively neutralizing major threats on the board, which can be crucial in both casual and competitive play.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize with life-gain strategies, as it provides a life buffer while also dealing with opposing creatures. Pairing it with cards that benefit from life gain or enchantments can further its impact.

Meta-Relevance: Considering a gaming environment where aggressive creatures dominate, Desert’s Hold offers a timely answer to slow down your opponent and stabilize your position, increasing your chances of countering popular strategies effectively.

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How to beat

Desert’s Hold is a control magic card that can turn the tide of the game by neutralizing a key creature your opponent controls. Its strength lies in its ability to not only incapacitate an opposing creature but also to grant you a bit of life, bolstering your defense. Overcoming Desert’s Hold requires strategic planning and the right removal spells. Cards like Disenchant or Naturalize easily dispatch it by targeting the enchantment directly. Creature abilities that grant hexproof or protection from white can also effectively nullify Desert’s Hold’s grip on your creatures. In addition, countering it with spells like Negate as it’s cast ensures your critical creatures remain free to sway the game in your favor.

Assessing your options in deck building or during gameplay is crucial when facing enchantment-based control cards like Desert’s Hold. Ensuring you have a way to deal with such hindrances can mean the difference between victory and defeat. By incorporating enchantment removal or counter spells, you maintain the fluidity of your strategy and keep your most valuable creatures in play to secure your win.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Desert's Hold MTG card by a specific set like Hour of Devastation and Amonkhet Remastered, 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 Desert's Hold and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Desert's Hold Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-07-14 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Sara Winters.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2017-07-14	Hour of Devastation	HOU		8	2015	Normal	Black	Sara Winters
2	2020-08-13	Amonkhet Remastered	AKR		13	2015	Normal	Black	Sara Winters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Desert's Hold has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2017-07-14	Activated abilities contain a colon. They’re generally written “ -ost: -ffect].” Some keyword abilities are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text. Triggered abilities (starting with “when,” “whenever,” or “at”) are unaffected by the last ability of Desert’s Hold.
2017-07-14	For abilities that trigger only if you control a Desert or there is a Desert card in your graveyard, one condition must be true as the ability triggers and one must be true as the ability resolves. They don’t have to be the same condition, though. For example, you could sacrifice your only Desert after the ability triggers but before it has resolved.
2017-07-14	If an ability checks whether you control a Desert or there is a Desert card in your graveyard, having more than one doesn’t matter. Controlling one is the same as controlling five. There is also no extra bonus for both controlling one and having one in your graveyard.