Distress MTG Card
2004-10-01 - Number 111
2007-07-13 - Number 136
2011-07-15 - Number 94
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
Text of card
Target player reveals his or her hand. You choose a nonland card from it. That player discards that card.
"Today I asked Master Dosan what the ogre mages did with the humans they sacrificed. He gave me a hard look and said to think no more on the matter." —Meditation journal of young budoka
Cards like Distress
The spell Distress has its own niche in the world of Magic: The Gathering as a hand disruption tool that offers strategic depth. Like Thoughtseize, another iconic card in this realm, Distress allows players to pluck a nonland card from an opponent’s hand, gaining valuable information and disrupting their game plan. However, unlike Thoughtseize, Distress does not cost any life, making it a safer choice for your own life total, although it’s less flexible due to its black mana cost requirement.
Considering other cards in the comparison, Duress is a less costly alternative, targeting only noncreature cards but missing the more broad impact that Distress brings by being able to target any nonland card. Then there is Inquisition of Kozilek, which strikes a balance between the two, offering the ability to pick over an opponent’s hand for a wide range of cards whilst maintaining a lower casting cost but with a restriction on the converted mana cost of the cards it can hit.
Thus, when weighing out the effects and tactical advantages of various discard spells in Magic: The Gathering, Distress shows its worth by providing a no-life-cost solution to peek and disrupt an opponent’s hand across all nonland card types.
Cards similar to Distress by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Distress. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | BG | Pauper | Pauper League 2023-12-15 | |
| BlackGardens | Pauper | Golgari Gardens | Top 8 "Mulligans Championship 2.0" 9a Tappa (Lecce) |
 | Rakdos Midrange | Modern | Rakdos Midrange | Eternal Weekend Europe 2023 Modern Mainevent |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Distress shines in stripping key cards from your opponent’s hand, disrupting their strategy and indirectly acting as a form of card advantage. By removing their answers or threats, you improve the quality of your own hand and position in the game.
Resource Acceleration: While Distress doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it disrupts your opponent’s resource planning. Denying your opponent of crucial spells can slow them down, allowing you to take the lead in resource development and board presence.
Instant Speed: Although Distress operates at sorcery speed, this aspect plays into its strategic depth. Playing it at the start of your main phase gives you information about your opponent’s hand, allowing you to make informed decisions and plan your turns effectively. This preemptive information can be as critical as the instant speed interaction, setting you up for success in subsequent turns.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Distress requires you to have a precise understanding of your opponent’s hand, and if your prediction is off, it could lead to suboptimal card choices, diminishing your strategic edge.
Specific Mana Cost: Distress commands a black mana, necessitating a firm presence of black mana sources in your deck, making it less flexible for multi-colored deck strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Distress’ mana cost sits at two, there are other discard spells in the game that are more mana-efficient, giving opponents less time to establish their hand before you disrupt it.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Distress holds the ability to be slotted into various deck types that aim to disrupt opponents early in the game. Its role in removing key pieces from an opponent’s hand makes it a flexible choice for both aggro and control strategies.
Combo Potential: This card can be instrumental in setting up or protecting combos by clearing the way of potential counterspells or disruption from your opponent’s hand, fostering a safer environment for your combo pieces to thrive without interference.
Meta-Relevance: As metas often fluctuate toward synergistic deck builds, Distress’s capacity to target and eliminate specific threats can be critical. It adapts well in an environment filled with complex strategies because it provides valuable information about your opponent’s plan while simultaneously disrupting it.
How to beat
Distress, a potent black sorcery card in MTG, can disrupt opponents by forcing them to reveal their hand and discard a nonland card of your choice. To overcome this tactical hurdle, consider playing with a lower curve, utilizing cheaper spells more frequently to minimize the impact of hand disruption. Conserving key cards by not overextending and having redundant pieces for your strategy can also mitigate the loss from a Distress play.
Instant-speed spells and abilities that allow you to utilize cards or create card advantage on your opponent’s turn can help you dodge the disruptive power of Distress. For example, cards with flash or cycling effectively replace themselves, diminishing Distress’s ability to deplete your resources. Additionally, cards with graveyard synergy can turn a disadvantageous discard into a strategic asset, utilizing the graveyard as an extension of your hand.
Ultimately, being aware of the potential threat of hand disruption in your matches and crafting your strategy and deck composition to be resilient against such tactics can ensure that the impact of Distress is limited, allowing you to maintain control over the game’s flow.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Distress MTG card by a specific set like Champions of Kamigawa and Tenth 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 Distress 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 Distress Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2004-10-01 and 2011-07-15. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2004-10-01 | Champions of Kamigawa | CHK | 111 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Michael Sutfin | |
| 2 | 2007-07-13 | Tenth Edition | 10E | 136 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Michael Sutfin | |
| 3 | 2011-07-15 | Magic 2012 | M12 | 94 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Michael C. Hayes |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Distress has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Distress card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2014-02-01 | If you target yourself with this spell, you must reveal your entire hand to the other players just as any other player would. |