Dying Wish MTG Card

Enables card advantage by converting creature loss into life points or card draw potential. Strategically accelerates resources, granting life and dealing damage upon creature’s death. Complements instant-speed play by preparing future interactions and keeping mana open.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	2013-02-01
Set symbol
Set name	Gatecrash
Set code	GTC
Number	64
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Scott Chou

Text of card

Enchant creature you control When enchanted creature dies, target player loses X life and you gain X life, where X is its power.

"I wish I could rewrite my every deed and kill you with my first breath instead of my last."

Cards like Dying Wish

In the vast universe of Magic: The Gathering, cards with synergistic death abilities can significantly impact gameplay, much like Dying Wish. This specific enchantment stands out by converting a creature’s downfall into a strategic advantage, but let’s explore how it measures up to similar options. Take for instance, Abattoir Ghoul, a creature that shares the theme of benefitting from death by gaining you life equal to the damage it deals upon dying.

Cards like Vengeful Reaper offer flying and deathtouch but lack the direct life-gain or damage-to-player effects upon death that Dying Wish can provide. Still, it shares that subtext of turning demise into an offensive strategy. Another pertinent example is Rite of Consumption, a sorcery that sacrifices a creature to deal damage and gain life equal to the creature’s power. While the immediate impact is similar, Dying Wish has the advantage of deterrence, as it remains on the board, giving opponents pause before triggering its effect.

Comparing these cards showcases how Dying Wish enables players to tailor their deck’s strategy around creature demise, creating an environment where every loss can contribute to victory. It adds a layer of complexity that rewards creative play, solidifying its unique place in MTG.

Cards similar to Dying Wish by color, type and mana cost

Chains of Mephistopheles - MTG Card versions

Tribute to Horobi // Echo of Death's Wail - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dying Wish is an asset when it comes to card utility because it converts a probable creature loss into potential gain. By equipping this enchantment to a creature, you’re poised to draw from its eventual demise, ensuring that you’re compensated with valuable card draw or life points when that creature is destroyed.

Resource Acceleration: This enchantment can be a strategic resource accelerant. When the enchanted creature perishes, Dying Wish grants you life points equivalent to its power and deals damage equal to its toughness to any target. This sudden surge in life can be pivotal, potentially bolstering your position, while the inflicted damage can streamline your path to victory.

Instant Speed: Even though Dying Wish itself isn’t cast at instant speed, it complements a gameplay rich with instant-speed responses. By setting up a future interaction on your turn, you’re free to keep mana available for other spells and instant-speed tricks, reacting optimally to threats during your opponent’s turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Dying Wish demands you to sacrifice a creature, potentially depleting your board presence and leaving you vulnerable to your opponent’s attacks.

Specific Mana Cost: Dying Wish requires black mana, which might not seamlessly fit into multicolored decks that are not heavily black-based or might strain your mana curve in a varied mana pool.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its two mana cost (one of which is black), Dying Wish can be considered costly for an enchantment that only triggers upon the death of the enchanted creature, possibly delaying your early-game momentum or crowding your crucial turns with higher priority plays.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Dying Wish is a flexible enchantment that can easily be included in a variety of deck types. Its capability to make any creature a significant threat upon death means it’s useful in aggressive, midrange, and even some control strategies.

Combo Potential: The enchantment pairs exceptionally well with creatures that have powerful enter the battlefield or death effects. It opens up avenues for interesting combinations, turning sacrifices and removal spells into advantageous moves.

Meta-Relevance: With a meta that includes creature-heavy strategies or decks that rely on creature-based synergies, Dying Wish serves as a deterrent against opponent’s removal spells or as a surprise finisher, making it a useful and at times unexpected addition to your arsenal.

How to beat

Dying Wish is an intriguing enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that adds a strategic layer to creature control. When a creature enchanted with Dying Wish dies, its controller gains life and deals damage to any target equal to that creature’s power. This can create a liability for opponents who may inadvertently strengthen your position with removal spells or combat exchanges.

To effectively counteract Dying Wish, consider using removal spells on your turn to minimize the impact. Take advantage of spells like Path to Exile or exile effects that bypass the dying trigger. Alternatively, decreasing the creature’s power before removing it can significantly reduce the life gained and damage dealt, diminishing Dying Wish’s influence. Moreover, you can also utilize counterspells to prevent Dying Wish from hitting the battlefield in the first place. Be proactive and adaptive in your approach, and the potential downside of Dying Wish will become a manageable aspect of the game.

Navigating around this enchantment requires careful timing and selection of removal tools. In doing so, not only do you neutralize a potential threat, but you also maintain the pacing and control of the match, keeping Dying Wish’s effects to a minimum.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dying Wish MTG card by a specific set like Gatecrash, 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 Dying Wish and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dying Wish has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2013-01-24	If another player gains control of either Dying Wish or the enchanted creature (but not both), Dying Wish will be enchanting an illegal permanent. The Aura will be put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action.
2013-01-24	Use the creature’s power the last time it was on the battlefield to determine how much life the target player loses and how much life you gain.