Dread of Night MTG Card
1997-10-14 - Number 130
1998-08-12 - Number bs130sb
1999-04-21 - Number 122
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment |
Text of card
All white creatures get -1/-1.
"These moonless, foreign skies keep me in thrall. Dark whispers echo in the night, and I cannot resist." —Selenia, dark angel
Cards like Dread of Night
Dread of Night is a unique card within Magic: The Gathering, carving out a niche role in disrupting white creature strategies. Across the landscape of MTG, we encounter Karma, another enchantment that specifically targets white, but unlike Dread of Night, it focuses on penalizing players for their Plains. Dread of Night reduces the power of white creatures, ensuring a significant impact in games dominated by white creature swarms, such as those deploying multiple Weenie strategies.
Another card that can be discussed for its targeted effect is Perish, which outright destroys all green creatures. Perish offers a more terminal solution compared to the static power reduction by Dread of Night. There’s also the mass removal spell, Engineered Plague, which allows players to choose a creature type and weaken those creatures, irrespective of color, making it a versatile card in decks focusing on tribal warfare. While not as pinpointed as Dread of Night in affecting white creatures, it can adapt to various metagame conditions.
Comparing Dark Betrayal and Dread of Night reveals how targeted hate cards function; Dark Betrayal provides cheap and efficient removal of black creatures only, but lacks the broad passive suppression that Dread of Night ensures against white-heavy armies. Scalar efficacy and targeted hate make Dread of Night a specialized tool for MTG players facing dominance of white creature decks.
Cards similar to Dread of Night by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Dread of Night may not allow you to draw cards, but it can dismantle your opponent’s board state if they’re reliant on white creatures. In matchups against white decks, this card effectively reduces the number of threats you have to deal with, indirectly contributing to your card advantage.
Resource Acceleration: While Dread of Night doesn’t directly accelerate your resources, it can slow down your opponent’s development by decreasing the effectiveness of their white creatures. This slowdown gives you more time to mobilize your resources and establish your game plan without the pressure of a full-strength opposing force.
Instant Speed: As an enchantment, Dread of Night isn’t played at instant speed, but its enduring effect on the battlefield means it continues to work for you round after round. This long-term presence can hamper your opponent’s strategies and resource management, essentially providing the strategic upper-hand akin to the flexibility associated with instant speed interaction.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Although Dread of Night can be a game-changer in matches against white creature decks, it lacks an immediate board impact and doesn’t provide a discard outlet, thus missing opportunities to leverage graveyard strategies or madness triggers.
Specific Mana Cost: Being locked into a single black mana may seem minimal, but it can be restrictive. In multi-color decks, you’re pressed to have black mana available or it sits idle in your hand.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Especially in quicker formats where tempo is critical, having Dread of Night might slow you down. With faster, more aggressive decks in the meta, it could be a liability when facing off against non-white creature decks that don’t suffer from its effects.
Reasons to Include Dread of Night in Your Collection
Versatility: Dread of Night is a powerful choice for sideboards in decks that frequently face White creature-heavy opposition. This card can turn the tide in matchups by making it more difficult for those creatures to survive on the battlefield.
Combo Potential: In combination with other damage amplifiers or in a deck designed to weaken opponent creatures, Dread of Night can become a key piece in controlling the board and maintaining pressure on your opponent.
Meta-Relevance: As certain White creature decks become prominent in the game, having Dread of Night in your arsenal ensures you’re prepared to disrupt these strategies, maintaining your competitive edge.
How to beat
Dread of Night is a notorious card that poses a formidable challenge for MTG players who heavily rely on white creatures. This card can single-handedly diminish the power of those creatures, often leading to a one-sided game in favor of the controller. To effectively counteract the impact of Dread of Night, it’s essential to strategize around its limitations. One practical approach is to diversify the colors in your deck, ensuring not all your creatures are vulnerable to Dread of Night’s effect.
Artifact creatures could be a robust addition to your strategy, as they remain unaffected by this particular enchantment. Additionally, incorporating spells that can remove enchantments from the game can directly address Dread of Night, neutralizing its daunting presence. Look to cards like Disenchant or Return to Nature for these precise situations. Increasing the use of non-creature spells that still advance your board state can also reduce the disruption caused by Dread of Night on your gameplay.
Ultimately, while Dread of Night has the potential to warp the battlefield in favor of its controller, a well-prepared player can adapt their playstyle and card choice, effectively negating the threat this card can pose. Awareness and adaptability are key to overcoming the shadows cast by Dread of Night.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Dread of Night MTG card by a specific set like Tempest and World Championship Decks 1998, 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 Dread of Night 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 Dread of Night Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1997-10-14 and 1999-04-21. Illustrated by Richard Thomas.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1997-10-14 | Tempest | TMP | 130 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Richard Thomas | |
| 2 | 1998-08-12 | World Championship Decks 1998 | WC98 | bs130sb | 1997 | Normal | Gold | Richard Thomas | |
| 3 | 1999-04-21 | Classic Sixth Edition | 6ED | 122 | 1997 | Normal | White | Richard Thomas |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Dread of Night has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |