Self-Inflicted Wound MTG Card


Self-Inflicted Wound - Dragons of Tarkir
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Released2015-03-27
Set symbol
Set nameDragons of Tarkir
Set codeDTK
Number117
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byMathias Kollros

Key Takeaways

  1. Self-Inflicted Wound offers card advantage and tactical edge in games by forcing opponents to sacrifice important creatures.
  2. It’s playable at instant speed, allowing for flexible and strategic responses to an opponent’s actions.
  3. However, it targets only nonblack creatures, which may limit its effectiveness in certain meta environments.

Text of card

Target opponent sacrifices a green or white creature. If that player does, he or she loses 2 life.

"Worse than watching the cruelest deed is watching it done by your own hand." —Baihir, Dromoka mage


Card Pros

Card Advantage: One of the key benefits of playing Self-Inflicted Wound is its ability to provide card advantage in specific matchups. This spell targets an opponent, forcing them to sacrifice a creature with specific attributes. This targeted removal often translates into card advantage, especially if the sacrificed creature was a key component of your opponent’s strategy, reducing their battlefield presence.

Resource Acceleration: Self-Inflicted Wound can act as a form of resource acceleration by effectively removing threats for just two mana. In many situations, the card allows for efficient use of mana resources while handling an opponent’s more costly creatures. This can lead to a surplus of mana available for further development of your gameplay on the same turn or for holding up defensive spells.

Instant Speed: The immediacy of Self-Inflicted Wound, being an instant, gives it significant versatility in gameplay. It allows players to wait until the last possible moment to decide whether to use it, keeping mana open to respond dynamically to an opponent’s actions during their turn. This quality ensures that you can maintain pressure without sacrificing the element of surprise and flexibility in your plays.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Self-Inflicted Wound can be a valuable tool in stripping opponents of their creatures, it comes with the caveat that it targets only nonblack creatures. This limitation places a constraint on its utility, particularly in metas heavily populated with black creature decks.

Specific Mana Cost: Self-Inflicted Wound requires both black and generic mana which can restrict its inclusion to decks that support black mana sources. This requirement may hamper deck builders who wish to maintain a flexible mana base for a multicolored deck.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing two mana may seem reasonable, but in a fast-paced game where efficiency is paramount, the mana investment for the outcome provided by Self-Inflicted Wound might be deemed too steep, especially when compared to other one-mana removal spells in the environment.


Reasons to Include Self-Inflicted Wound in Your Collection

Versatility: Self-Inflicted Wound offers a dual benefit by not only dealing damage but also forcing your opponent to sacrifice a creature. Its low mana cost makes it an easy fit for decks focusing on disruption and resource denial.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks that capitalize on opponent penalties. It can work in tandem with other sacrifice triggers or cards that benefit from opponents losing creatures, strengthening your tactical advantage.

Meta-Relevance: In environments populated by creature-heavy decks, particularly those featuring multicolored creatures, Self-Inflicted Wound can serve as a targeted removal option, upsetting your opponent’s board presence while inflicting direct damage.


How to beat

Self-Inflicted Wound presents a unique challenge in Magic: The Gathering, particularly for players who favor green or white creatures in their decks. It’s a card that can disrupt early game plans by forcing the sacrifice of those specific creature types and dealing damage in the process. To navigate around this spell, it’s central to have a varied creature base that includes colors outside of green and white. Diversifying creature colors or employing colorless creatures can drastically reduce the effectiveness of Self-Inflicted Wound.

Flexibility in your play style is also key. Holding back on playing key green or white creatures until you have a read on your opponent’s hand or waiting until Self-Inflicted Wound has been played ensures your most valuable creatures don’t fall prey to this targeted removal. Consider incorporating instant-speed hexproof or indestructible effects to protect your creatures, as well. In essence, careful deck construction and strategic play are your best tools to counteract the impact of Self-Inflicted Wound in your MTG matches.


Cards like Self-Inflicted Wound

Self-Inflicted Wound presents an intriguing dynamic to removal spells within Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with cards like Doom Blade or Go for the Throat, which also target creatures. Self-Inflicted Wound adds a unique twist with its specificity, affecting only green or white creatures, and also causes the opponent to lose 2 life. This can be particularly disruptive against decks that heavily rely on those colors.

In the realm of conditional removal, Ultimate Price stands out by targeting monocolored creatures. It’s cost-effective, needing only two mana, but doesn’t carry the life-loss effect that makes Self-Inflicted Wound a double-edged sword. There’s also Dark Betrayal, a card with a narrower focus, targeting only black creatures with the benefit of a singular black mana requirement. This makes it highly efficient in mono-black mirrors.

Evaluating these removal options, Self-Inflicted Wound secures a strategic position in a player’s deckhile facing green or white builds. Its ability to remove creatures from the battlefield and simultaneously chip away at an opponent’s life total showcases its multifaceted role in Magic: The Gathering, providing both direct and indirect tactical advantages.

Doom Blade - MTG Card versions
Go for the Throat - MTG Card versions
Ultimate Price - MTG Card versions
Dark Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Doom Blade - Magic 2010 (M10)
Go for the Throat - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Ultimate Price - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Dark Betrayal - Theros (THS)

Cards similar to Self-Inflicted Wound by color, type and mana cost

Drain Life - MTG Card versions
Demonic Tutor - MTG Card versions
Sinkhole - MTG Card versions
Word of Binding - MTG Card versions
Soul Exchange - MTG Card versions
Dry Spell - MTG Card versions
Hymn to Tourach - MTG Card versions
Mind Knives - MTG Card versions
Shattered Crypt - MTG Card versions
Disturbed Burial - MTG Card versions
Death Stroke - MTG Card versions
Exhume - MTG Card versions
Imperial Edict - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Intent - MTG Card versions
Decompose - MTG Card versions
Chainer's Edict - MTG Card versions
Walk the Plank - MTG Card versions
Predators' Hour - MTG Card versions
Nausea - MTG Card versions
Hunger of the Nim - MTG Card versions
Drain Life - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Demonic Tutor - Commander Masters (CMM)
Sinkhole - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Word of Binding - Renaissance (REN)
Soul Exchange - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Dry Spell - Portal (POR)
Hymn to Tourach - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Mind Knives - Portal (POR)
Shattered Crypt - Weatherlight (WTH)
Disturbed Burial - Tempest (TMP)
Death Stroke - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Exhume - Jumpstart (JMP)
Imperial Edict - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Diabolic Intent - Planeshift (PLS)
Decompose - Odyssey (ODY)
Chainer's Edict - Ultimate Masters (UMA)
Walk the Plank - The List (PLST)
Predators' Hour - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Nausea - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Hunger of the Nim - Darksteel (DST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Self-Inflicted Wound MTG card by a specific set like Dragons of Tarkir, 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 Self-Inflicted Wound and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Self-Inflicted Wound has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

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