Eternal of Harsh Truths MTG Card
2017-07-14 - Number 34
2020-08-13 - Number 61
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Zombie Cleric |
| Abilities | Afflict |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
Afflict 2 (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player loses 2 life.) Whenever Eternal of Harsh Truths attacks and isn't blocked, draw a card.
"If creating the Eternals was Bolas's plan here, what is his plan for the Eternals?" —Jace Beleren
Cards like Eternal of Harsh Truths
Eternal of Harsh Truths stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a unique creature armed with the ability to draw cards, much like Shadowmage Infiltrator. While both creatures enable you to draw a card when they deal combat damage to a player, Eternal of Harsh Truths has the Afflict 2 ability, ensuring you get some value even if it is blocked. This aspect can pressure an opponent’s decision-making during combat phases.
Another card of note is Looter il-Kor, which shares the card advantage through combat damage strategy. However, Looter il-Kor leans on its shadow ability to often avoid blockers altogether, differing from Eternal of Harsh Truths’ approach to encourage faint attacks with the possibility of card draw on blockage. Finally, there’s Wharf Infiltrator, which also presents a way to draw cards and create tokens. Unlike Eternal of Harsh Truths, it offers a skulk ability, providing a different angle of evasion and a pathway to card advantage.
While each alternative offers various advantages, the Eternal of Harsh Truths presents a unique blend of guaranteed value through afflict and potential card draw that appeals to players who favor aggressive decks with built-in contingencies against blockers.
Cards similar to Eternal of Harsh Truths by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Eternal of Harsh Truths provides consistent card draw when dealing combat damage to an opponent, ensuring you won’t be short on options throughout the duel. It’s an efficient way to keep your hand replenished and maintain the pressure on your adversary.
Resource Acceleration: Though it doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, the card draw from Eternal of Harsh Truths can effectively accelerate your resources by consistently providing you with more options, allowing you to find the lands or spells you need to gain an advantage more quickly. It’s valuable for decks that capitalize on higher hand counts.
Instant Speed: While Eternal of Harsh Truths itself isn’t an instant, it synergizes well with instant-speed spells. It puts opponents in the tough spot of deciding whether to block it, potentially enabling your other instant-speed interactions during the combat phase. This can lead to favorable trades or unexpected combat wins.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Engaging with the Eternal of Harsh Truths requires your strategic finesse, as having to discard a card is part and parcel of activating its prowess. Players must weigh this cost carefully against the potential benefits, particularly when their hand is running thin on options.
Specific Mana Cost: Summoning this card demands a precise composition of mana—one blue and two others. This can be troublesome for decks that are not tailored around blue mana or those with a less stable mana base, possibly restricting the card’s inclusion to blue-centric or multicolor decks prepared for this cost.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, including a blue, Eternal of Harsh Truths sits at a higher spectrum considering its ability to potentially draw cards. Players often look for lower cost creatures or those that provide immediate card draw without the need for combat, which could make this card a less attractive option in a fast-paced game where every mana point counts.
Reasons to Include Eternal of Harsh Truths in Your Collection
Versatility: Eternal of Harsh Truths is a flexible card that can slot into a variety of blue-based decks. Its ability to enable card draw while still applying pressure to your opponent makes it a useful tool in both aggressive and control strategies.
Combo Potential: This card lends itself to synergies with mechanics that trigger on drawing cards or that benefit from having a creature that consistently deals damage to an opponent, thereby enhancing strategies that focus on incremental advantage or card flow.
Meta-Relevance: As matches often revolve around card advantage, having Eternal of Harsh Truths can provide a steady stream of cards, thus maintaining hand superiority. In games where drawing into answers or threats is key, this card can be a mainstay against various decks in the current meta.
How to beat
Eternal of Harsh Truths is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering that rewards players with a draw when it attacks and isn’t blocked. Understanding and navigating around this ability is key for maintaining card advantage. To mitigate the effects of Eternal of Harsh Truths, consider using low-cost removal spells to efficiently deal with the creature before your opponent can reap the benefits of its attack trigger. Spells with ‘deathtouch’ or those that can deal damage directly work well, as they ensure the creature doesn’t linger on the battlefield.
Another successful strategy is to fortify your defense with creatures that have high toughness, making it unappealing for your opponent to attack with the Eternal of Harsh Truths, since it will likely be blocked and destroyed. Additionally, providing ways to tap or otherwise incapacitate this creature without it declaring an attack will nullify its card-drawing advantage. Focus on maintaining a board presence that discourages or nullifies the attacks of the Eternal of Harsh Truths, and you’ll effectively neutralize its strength in the game.
Infinity affords us an assortment of tools to handle such threats, and with strategic planning and the right responses, you can keep the Eternal of Harish Truths from tipping the scales in your adversary’s favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Eternal of Harsh Truths MTG card by a specific set like Hour of Devastation and Amonkhet Remastered, 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 Eternal of Harsh Truths and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
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- MTG Mint Card
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- ABU Games
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Printings
The Eternal of Harsh Truths Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-07-14 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Izzy.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-07-14 | Hour of Devastation | HOU | 34 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Izzy | |
| 2 | 2020-08-13 | Amonkhet Remastered | AKR | 61 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Izzy |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Eternal of Harsh Truths has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Eternal of Harsh Truths card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-07-14 | Afflict causes the defending player to lose life; it’s not damage or combat damage. |
| 2017-07-14 | Afflict resolves before combat damage is dealt. If this loss of life brings a player to 0 life or less, that player loses the game immediately. A blocking creature with lifelink won’t deal combat damage in time to save that player. |
| 2017-07-14 | An ability that triggers when something “attacks and isn’t blocked” triggers in the declare blockers step after blockers are declared if (1) that creature is attacking and (2) no creatures are declared to block it. It will trigger even if that creature was put onto the battlefield attacking rather than having been declared as an attacker in the declare attackers step. |
| 2017-07-14 | If a creature is attacking a planeswalker, that planeswalker’s controller is the defending player. |
| 2017-07-14 | If multiple creatures block a creature with afflict, afflict triggers only once. |