Maddening Hex MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment — Aura Curse
Abilities Enchant

Key Takeaways

  1. Maddening Hex generates a persistent in-game threat, forcing opponents to alter strategies and manage resources.
  2. The card is challenging to include in multicolor decks due to specific mana costs and potential hand depletion.
  3. Maddening Hex’s flexibility and combo potential make it a valuable tool in controlling opponent’s spellcasting in MTG.

Text of card

Enchant player Whenever enchanted player casts a noncreature spell, roll a d6. Maddening Hex deals damage to that player equal to the result. Then attach Maddening Hex to another one of your opponents chosen at random.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Maddening Hex provides a persistent threat on the board, offering ongoing damage to opponents and forcing them to carefully consider their plays. This can lead to indirect card advantage as opponents may have to deal with Hex, potentially diverting resources from developing their own strategy.

Resource Acceleration: While Maddening Hex does not directly accelerate resources like creating Treasure tokens, its ability to pressure your opponent’s life total and board state can accelerate the game to your advantage, effectively reducing the resources the opponent has to fight back.

Instant Speed: Although Maddening Hex itself is not an instant, the curse triggers during each upkeep, giving you damage output on both your turn and your opponent’s. This persistent damage is akin to having a threat that activates at instant speed, consistently impacting the game even when you’re not casting spells.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For players looking to cast Maddening Hex, one stumbling block could be the prerequisite to discard a card. This condition might force you to deplete your hand earlier than desired, leaving you with fewer strategic options as the game progresses.

Specific Mana Cost: Maddening Hex presents the challenge of a stringent mana requirement, necessitating both red and black mana. This makes it a less versatile pick for decks that are not specifically tailored around these colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Maddening Hex packs a punch with its unique ability to torment opponents, its cost of three mana, including one red and black mana, is notable. In a format where speed and efficiency are paramount, there are alternative spells that might achieve an impact on the board at a lower mana investment.


Reasons to Include Maddening Hex in Your Collection

Versatility: Maddening Hex shows flexibility in a variety of deck builds, rebounding to many situations thanks to its curse enchantment nature. It fits neatly into red-centric strategies or multicolor decks, providing subtle yet continuous damage.

Combo Potential: As an enchantment with an ability that triggers upon the cursed player casting a noncreature spell, Maddening Hex works well in combos where you aim to control opponent’s actions and profit from these restrictions.

Meta-Relevance: In game environments where spell slinging is common, Maddening Hex can deter opponents from casting noncreature spells, potentially swaying the game in your favor and making it a relevant sideboard option for decks facing spell-heavy opponents.


How to beat

Maddening Hex is an intriguing red enchantment that can weave chaos into a game of Magic: The Gathering. It stands out as a threat that deals damage every time its cursed player casts a noncreature spell, and it replicates itself if that player would dare to rid themselves of it. Facing this card across the battlefield demands strategic play and careful consideration of the spells one casts.

To effectively deal with Maddening Hex, players should prioritize using creature spells that avoid the Hex’s damage trigger. Alternatively, employing removal options like Disenchant or Return to Nature can clear the enchantment without replicating it, as these do not specifically target the Hex but rather remove it as a state-based action. Furthermore, utilizing instants that can be cast in response to the Hex’s damage-triggering ability grants the flexibility to minimize the overall impact it can have on the game.

Ultimately, overcoming Maddening Hex requires a blend of smart play, removal spells, and timing. By mitigating its replication and strategically choosing when and what spells to cast, one can dismantle the control Maddening Hex attempts to exert over the game flow.


BurnMana Recommendations

Unlocking the potential of Maddening Hex requires finesse and understanding of the nuanced MTG gameplay. This card’s ability to exert pressure and control the flow of the game makes it a formidable inclusion in any deck that thrives on disruption and incremental advantage. Considering its pros and cons, Maddening Hex can be a game-changer in the right circumstances. Whether you’re tweaking your current deck or building a new strategy from the ground up, assessing the value of Maddening Hex’s unique effect is essential. Optimize your plays and elevate your MTG experience by exploring the strategic depth of Maddening Hex. Learn more about maximizing this card’s effectiveness and refining your deck-building skills with us.


Cards like Maddening Hex

Maddening Hex distinguishes itself in the realm of Magic: The Gathering cursed enchantments. Like the notorious Curse of Opulence, Maddening Hex applies pressure on an opponent by providing detriments when triggered. However, Maddening Hex adds a layer of unpredictability with its random discard effect whenever the cursed player casts a noncreature spell. Curse of Opulence, in contrast, incentivizes attacking the cursed player, rewarding attackers with Treasure tokens.

Examining another kin, Curse of Disturbance functions similarly by encouraging conflict, but rather than creating a drawback for spellcasting, it rewards attackers with Zombie tokens. Maddening Hex, uniquely, leverages both harm to the opponent and potential gain from the spells they cast, balancing punishment with opportunity. Lastly, Trespasser’s Curse stands out as a passive option that drains life for each creature entering under the cursed player’s control, providing consistent but less interactive control.

While each curse card supports different strategies, Maddening Hex shines in chaos-driven decks that force opponents to weigh the significant risks of casting spells, blending both psychological and in-game tactics for players of Magic: The Gathering.

Curse of Opulence - MTG Card versions
Curse of Disturbance - MTG Card versions
Trespasser's Curse - MTG Card versions
Curse of Opulence - Treasure Chest (PZ2)
Curse of Disturbance - Treasure Chest (PZ2)
Trespasser's Curse - Amonkhet (AKH)

Cards similar to Maddening Hex by color, type and mana cost

Mana Flare - MTG Card versions
Gravity Sphere - MTG Card versions
Goblin War Drums - MTG Card versions
Aggression - MTG Card versions
Heat Stroke - MTG Card versions
Seismic Assault - MTG Card versions
Torch Song - MTG Card versions
Ghitu War Cry - MTG Card versions
Goblin Warrens - MTG Card versions
Fervor - MTG Card versions
Spellshock - MTG Card versions
Mana Cache - MTG Card versions
Insolence - MTG Card versions
Steam Vines - MTG Card versions
Curse of Hospitality - MTG Card versions
Anax, Hardened in the Forge - MTG Card versions
Draconic Destiny - MTG Card versions
Mechanized Warfare - MTG Card versions
Blood Moon - MTG Card versions
Pyromancer's Swath - MTG Card versions
Mana Flare - Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales (WOT)
Gravity Sphere - Legends (LEG)
Goblin War Drums - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Aggression - Ice Age (ICE)
Heat Stroke - Weatherlight (WTH)
Seismic Assault - Tenth Edition (10E)
Torch Song - Urza's Saga (USG)
Ghitu War Cry - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Goblin Warrens - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Fervor - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Spellshock - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Mana Cache - Nemesis (NEM)
Insolence - Planeshift (PLS)
Steam Vines - Odyssey (ODY)
Curse of Hospitality - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Anax, Hardened in the Forge - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Draconic Destiny - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Mechanized Warfare - The Brothers' War Promos (PBRO)
Blood Moon - The List (PLST)
Pyromancer's Swath - Future Sight (FUT)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Maddening Hex MTG card by a specific set like Forgotten Realms Commander and Forgotten Realms Commander, 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 Maddening Hex and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Maddening Hex Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2021-07-23 and 2021-07-23. Illustrated by Bryan Sola.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 3012015normalblackBryan Sola
22021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 322015normalblackBryan Sola

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Maddening Hex has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelBanned

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-07-23 An ability that tells you to roll a die will also specify what to do with the result of that roll. Most often, this is in the form of a “results table” in the card text.
2021-07-23 An effect that says “choose a target, then roll a d20” or similar still uses the normal process of putting an ability on the stack and resolving it. Choosing targets is part of putting the ability on the stack and rolling the d20 happens later, as the ability resolves.
2021-07-23 Dice are identified by the number of faces each one has. For example, a d20 is a twenty-sided die.
2021-07-23 Dice used must have equally likely outcomes and the roll must be fair. Although physical dice are recommended, digital substitutes are allowed, provided they have the same number of equally likely outcomes as specified in the original roll instruction.
2021-07-23 If Maddening Hex is attached to your only opponent, it stays attached to that player as the ability resolves.
2021-07-23 Some abilities, like that of Pixie Guide and Barbarian Class, replace rolling a die with rolling extra dice and ignoring the lowest roll. The ignored rolls are not considered for the effect that instructed you to roll a die, and do not cause abilities to trigger. For all intents and purposes, once you determine which dice count, any extra dice were never rolled.
2021-07-23 Some effects instruct you to roll again. This uses the same number and type of dice as the original roll, and that roll will use the same set of possible outcomes.
2021-07-23 Some effects may modify the result of a die roll. This may be part of the instruction to roll a die or it may come from other cards. Anything that references the “result” of a die roll is looking for the result after these modifications. Anything that is looking for the “natural result” is looking for the number shown on the face of the die before these modifications.
2021-07-23 The instruction to roll a die and the effect that occurs because of the result are all part of the same ability. Players do not get the chance to respond to the ability after knowing the result of the roll.
2021-07-23 Tournament events have more specific rules regarding dice and die-rolling. For more information, please see the most recent version of the Magic Tournament Rules at https://wpn.wizards.com/en/document/magic-gathering-tournament-rules.
2021-07-23 While playing Planechase, rolling the planar die will cause any ability that triggers whenever a player rolls one or more dice to trigger. However, any effect that refers to a numerical result will ignore the rolling of the planar die.

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