Discordant Spirit MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Spirit |
| Released | 1996-10-08 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Mirage |
| Set code | MIR |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 261 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Alan Rabinowitz |
Text of card
At end of target opponent's turn, put a +1/+1 counter on Discordant Spirit for each 1 damage dealt to you this turn. At end of your turn, remove all these counters from Discordant Spirit.
Cards like Discordant Spirit
Discordant Spirit presents a unique dynamic within MTG, where it shares similarities with other creatures that have power and toughness influenced by various game states. Comparable to the adaptable nature of Discordant Spirit, Molten Hydra stands out as another card that adjusts its stats, in this case relying on the accumulation of counters for its power boost. However, unlike Discordant Spirit, the Hydra is more passive, as its strength grows over turns rather than shifting each combat.
Looking at Wall of Resurgence, there’s another example of a card that reshapes the battlefield by turning lands into creatures. However, unlike Wall of Resurgence, Discordant Spirit directly interacts with combat phases, offering a distinctly different strategic value. Then, there’s Evernight Shade, which allows you to permanently increase its toughness and power through mana investment, giving it a more consistent and controllable presence compared to the fluctuating nature of Discordant Spirit.
In essence, while Discordant Spirit shares a common ground with cards that thrive on flexibility, it stands its own with its reactive power level during combat, making it an intriguing and unpredictable element in play.
Cards similar to Discordant Spirit by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Discordant Spirit offers nuanced card advantage by posing as both a threat and a defensive asset. This allows players to maintain board presence while leveraging its ability for strategic advantage.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly influencing your mana pool, Discordant Spirit can indirectly lead to resource acceleration by requiring your opponent to spend more resources to deal with it, effectively setting them back.
Instant Speed: Discordant Spirit shines with tricks and surprises. Its ability to modify its toughness at instant speed can disrupt your opponent’s combat calculations, turning it into a formidable blocker when most needed.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Discordant Spirit tasks players with a forced decision to discard another card, posing a challenge to maintain hand advantage, especially in longer games where resources become critical.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of this card is quite restrictive, demanding a precise combination of mana types which might not blend seamlessly into all deck builds, potentially causing consistency issues.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Looking at mana efficiency, Discordant Spirit may fall short. With a relatively high cost considering its abilities, players might find it competing for space with more impactful creatures or spells at similar mana values.
Reasons to Include Discordant Spirit in Your Collection
Versatility: Discordant Spirit offers unique flexibility in deck construction. Its ability to adjust its power based on the opponent’s life total makes it adaptable in different play scenarios, fitting into strategies aimed at life manipulation or as a surprise combatant in faster-paced decks.
Combo Potential: This card shines when paired with life-gain or life-loss mechanics. Its power increases as your opponent’s life total decreases, meaning it synergizes well with strategies that look to control or sway life totals regularly during gameplay.
Meta-Relevance: Given the fluctuating nature of the MTG meta, Discordant Spirit can emerge as a powerful asset. It complements decks that are designed to undermine the opponents’ life quickly or to take advantage of the end-game where life totals can deeply impact its efficacy as a threat on the board.
How to beat
The Discordant Spirit card presents an interesting challenge on the battlefield due to its fluctuating power level. Players may find that its strength can vary greatly depending on the life total of its controller, making it a formidable creature when life totals are high. A fascinating aspect of Discordant Spirit is the interplay between life management and offensive or defensive strategies. It can serve as both an impetus to stay aggressive, ensuring your life total is bolstered to maximize the Spirit’s potency, or conversely, as a reminder to prioritize life-gain mechanics to maintain its threat level.
Effective strategies against Discordant Spirit involve life manipulation, such as utilizing spells that cause the opponent to lose life or ones that prevent life gain. Direct removal spells are a reliable way to handle Discordant Spirit, bypassing the need to worry about the fluctuation of its power. Additionally, cards that can impose restrictions on creature abilities or block their activation can effectively neutralize the Spirit’s advantages. By understanding the relationship between life totals and creature abilities, players can devise strategies to maintain control over the Spirit’s influence on the game.
Ultimately, overcoming Discordant Spirit demands a combination of proactive life management and the employment of control tactics, ensuring the Spirit’s impact is minimized, and the creature’s volatility is used to the opponent’s disadvantage.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Discordant Spirit MTG card by a specific set like Mirage, 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 Discordant Spirit 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Discordant Spirit has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Discordant Spirit 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 | This will not count damage that was prevented. |
| 2006-05-01 | In Two-Headed Giant, triggers only once per end of turn, not once for each player. |