Dystopia MTG Card
1996-06-10 - Number 47
1997-08-13 - Number js47sb
2008-09-22 - Number 88
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment |
| Abilities | Cumulative upkeep |
Text of card
Cumulative Upkeep: 1 life During each player's upkeep, if that player controls any green or white permanents, he or she sacrifices a green or white permanent.
Cards like Dystopia
Dystopia stands as a unique enchantment in Magic: The Gathering with a distinctive effect on gameplay. It shares conceptual space with cards like Invoke Prejudice or Contamination, which restrict or punish certain player actions. Dystopia, with its ability to purge the board of green and white permanents, offers a specialized form of control.
Examining other control enchantments, we see Tainted AEther, which stifles creature plays by forcing sacrifices upon creature entrance. While this affects all players equally, unlike the selective culling Dystopia provides against green and white permanents. If you’re targeting specific colors, Tsabo’s Decree is another parallel, capable of decimating your opponent’s hand and creatures if they are committed to a single creature type. However, it lacks the persistent, upkeep-based attrition Dystopia applies round after round.
Ultimately, in a meta with heavy green and white influences, Dystopia can become a game changer, nullifying key threats turn after turn. Its inclusion in a deck requires strategic deck-building to mitigate its collateral damage, making it a risk-reward card that can be incredibly potent with the right setup.
Cards similar to Dystopia by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Dystopia offers strategic depth by giving you the upper hand in card interactions. Remove multiple opponent’s threats while maintaining your board presence to secure a commanding position in the game.
Resource Acceleration: By potentially disrupting your opponent’s setup, Dystopia can create indirect resource acceleration, giving you the tempo advantage. This can lead to gaining the upper hand as the game progresses, allowing for more powerful plays sooner.
Instant Speed: The flexibility of Dystopia being cast at instant speed provides you with significant tactical advantage. You can adapt to the changing game state and surprise your opponent with a well-timed response, which could shift the game’s momentum in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Dystopia comes with a discard condition, constraining your hand by forcing you to sacrifice card advantage. This trade-off can be particularly taxing when you’re attempting to maintain a card advantage over your opponent, as losing a potentially pivotal card could hinder your gameplay strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: Dystopia’s mana cost is quite exacting, demanding a precise combination of mana types that may not always be readily available, especially in the early game or in multicolor decks that stretch the mana base. This could delay its casting or worse, leave it stranded in your hand.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Dystopia comes with an impactful ability, its mana cost is on the high side compared to other options available. This means that it competes for a spot in your deck with other high-impact cards, and you must weigh its cost against its potential benefit, especially in a fast-paced game where efficiency is key.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Dystopia offers flexibility in sideboards or main decks dealing with multicolored heavy metas. It’s a perfect fit for mono or two-color decks seeking an edge against multicolored strategies.
Combo Potential: With its ability to systematically remove multicolored permanents, it can be part of a control combo, especially when paired with ways to mitigate its upkeep cost for a significant board control advantage.
Meta-Relevance: In environments dominated by multicolored creatures, enchantments, and other permanents, Dystopia acts as a recurring threat to your opponent’s board state, making it a smart meta call.
How to beat
Dystopia is a compelling enchantment in the Magic: The Gathering universe that poses a unique challenge on the battlefield. Its strength lies in its ability to purge the board of creatures of a specific color every upkeep, demanding a strategic response. To effectively counteract Dystopia’s impact, players should consider diversifying the colors in their creature base, thereby reducing the susceptibility to Dystopia’s selective culling. Alternately, deploying colorless creatures or artifacts can provide a reliable foundation immune to Dystopia’s prejudicial effects.
Another strategy includes utilizing enchantment removal cards which can directly target and eliminate Dystopia from play. Many decks include naturalize effects that can handle a wide range of troublesome enchantments and artifacts. Spells like Disenchant or the more recent Return to Nature can be slotted into a sideboard as an answer to enchantment-based threats. Prioritizing such removal spells when building your deck ensures that Dystopia’s reign is short-lived.
Ultimately, understanding the meta and preparing your deck with answers to popular strategies is crucial. Dystopia demands respect, but with a well-constructed deck and a solid game plan, this formidable enchantment can be overcome, and victory can still be within your grasp.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Dystopia MTG card by a specific set like Alliances and World Championship Decks 1997, 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 Dystopia 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
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Printings
The Dystopia Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1996-06-10 and 2008-09-22. Illustrated by Ruth Thompson.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1996-06-10 | Alliances | ALL | 47 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Ruth Thompson | |
| 2 | 1997-08-13 | World Championship Decks 1997 | WC97 | js47sb | 1997 | Normal | Gold | Ruth Thompson | |
| 3 | 2008-09-22 | Masters Edition II | ME2 | 88 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Ruth Thompson |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Dystopia has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Dystopia 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 | The permanent is chosen and sacrificed during resolution. |