Visara the Dreadful MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Gorgon
Abilities Flying
Power 5
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Visara offers consistent creature elimination at no card cost, fortifying card advantage.
  2. Her instant speed ability disrupts opponents, bolstering strategic gameplay flexibility.
  3. The activation of Visara’s ability requires careful hand management for optimal use.

Text of card

Flying oc T: Destroy target creature. It can't be regenerated.

"My eyes are my strongest feature."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Visara the Dreadful provides continuous creature removal potential without depleting cards from your hand, effectively diminishing your opponent’s board presence while preserving your own resources.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing acceleration, the ability to deter opponents from playing valuable creatures for fear of being destroyed by Visara allows for a type of indirect resource advantage, potentially leading to a more favorable pacing of the game.

Instant Speed: Visara’s activated ability can be used at instant speed, offering flexibility to respond to threats during your opponent’s turn and disrupting their strategies at critical moments.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: An integral aspect of Visara the Dreadful’s gameplay is the necessity to manage your hand effectively. While she doesn’t require a discard to cast or use her abilities directly, the need to ensure card advantage makes her less ideal in scenarios where your hand is depleted, and top-decking becomes your primary source of card acquisition.

Specific Mana Cost: Visara the Dreadful demands a specific mana alignment composed of three black mana symbols. This steep requirement can restrict her to mono-black or heavily black-weighted decks, potentially limiting her versatility in multi-color deck formats where mana flexibility is key.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of six mana, Visara the Dreadful enters the arena alongside other powerful creatures and spells. However, her cost may be deemed excessive when compared to other creatures with similar destructive abilities or lower-cost removal spells. This can make her a less appealing option in fast-paced metagames where lower mana curves dominate.


Reasons to Include Visara the Dreadful in Your Collection

Versatility: Visara the Dreadful offers great flexibility for decks needing robust removal options. As a flying creature, it can also serve as a reliable blocker or a formidable threat to opponents.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with strategies that capitalize on creature destruction for gain. It can work in tandem with other cards that benefit from creatures dying or being put into graveyards, thus enhancing complex interactions within the game.

Meta-Relevance: Given her ability to destroy target creature at no mana cost, Visara remains relevant in diverse MTG metas where creature-based strategies prevail. By preemptively dealing with key threats on the battlefield, she can significantly sway the game in your favor.


How to beat

Visara the Dreadful emerges as a formidable force on the MTG battlefield with her flying ability and talent for destroying target creatures without regenerating. Standing tall with a 5/5 body, she demands an immediate answer from opponents lest she takes over the game. Strategic use of removal spells that bypass her regeneration shield, like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, can efficiently handle the threat she poses.

Counterplay also comes in the form of enchantments that neutralize creatures without triggering destruction, such as Pacifism, or by deploying creatures with protection from black, which Visara cannot target. Utilizing board sweepers like Supreme Verdict or Damnation can clear Visara along with other creatures on the board, thus leveling the playing field. Another approach is taking the offensive, racing to lower the opponent’s life total before Visara can make a significant impact. In the end, while Visara the Dreadful presents a challenge, a well-prepared player with the right strategies can navigate through the dread and claim victory.


Cards like Visara the Dreadful

Visara the Dreadful is a formidable card that has etched its place in Magic: The Gathering lore, mainly for its ability to destroy other creatures without a sweat. In the realm of MTG, there are a few noteworthy comparisons to consider. Royal Assassin, for example, shares a similar destructive capability, offering players the power to destroy tapped creatures at a lower cost. However, Visara holds the advantage of flying, making it a more elusive and robust defensive option.

Sheoldred, Whispering One presents itself as another creature with a penchant for the dramatic, offering both reanimation of your creatures and a forced sacrifice from your opponent during each of their turns. While Sheoldred does not provide the on-demand destruction that Visara offers, the combination of these abilities cultivates a different kind of table presence.

Assessing Visara against these similar cards, it’s evident that while there are other creatures with parallel abilities, Visara the Dreadful still stands tall with its immediate impact on the board and the relentless fear it instils in opponents as they consider every creature’s vulnerability to her gaze.

Royal Assassin - MTG Card versions
Sheoldred, Whispering One - MTG Card versions
Royal Assassin - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Sheoldred, Whispering One - New Phyrexia Promos (PNPH)

Cards similar to Visara the Dreadful by color, type and mana cost

Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Demonic Hordes - MTG Card versions
Ihsan's Shade - MTG Card versions
Necrosavant - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Lancer - MTG Card versions
Face of Fear - MTG Card versions
Wire Surgeons - MTG Card versions
Grave Titan - MTG Card versions
Chittering Harvester - MTG Card versions
Crossway Troublemakers - MTG Card versions
Anurid Murkdiver - MTG Card versions
Gempalm Polluter - MTG Card versions
Nefashu - MTG Card versions
Twisted Abomination - MTG Card versions
Iname, Death Aspect - MTG Card versions
Deathcurse Ogre - MTG Card versions
Yawgmoth Demon - MTG Card versions
Ascendant Evincar - MTG Card versions
Bog Hoodlums - MTG Card versions
Helldozer - MTG Card versions
Nightmare - Arena Beginner Set (ANB)
Demonic Hordes - Limited Edition Beta (LEB)
Ihsan's Shade - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Necrosavant - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Dakmor Lancer - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Face of Fear - Odyssey (ODY)
Wire Surgeons - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Grave Titan - Fallout (PIP)
Chittering Harvester - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Crossway Troublemakers - Crimson Vow Commander (VOC)
Anurid Murkdiver - Onslaught (ONS)
Gempalm Polluter - Legions (LGN)
Nefashu - Scourge (SCG)
Twisted Abomination - Scourge (SCG)
Iname, Death Aspect - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Deathcurse Ogre - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Yawgmoth Demon - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Ascendant Evincar - Tenth Edition (10E)
Bog Hoodlums - Lorwyn (LRW)
Helldozer - Planechase (HOP)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Visara the Dreadful MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught and World Championship Decks 2003, 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 Visara the Dreadful and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Visara the Dreadful Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2002-10-07 and 2016-06-10. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-10-07OnslaughtONS 1791997normalblackKev Walker
22003-08-07World Championship Decks 2003WC03 pk1792003normalgoldKev Walker
32011-08-26From the Vault: LegendsV11 152003normalblackBrad Rigney
42014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 1462015normalblackKev Walker
52016-06-10Eternal MastersEMA 1142015normalblackKev Walker

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Visara the Dreadful has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks