Forsaken Wastes MTG Card
1996-10-08 - Number 125
1997-08-13 - Number js125sb
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | World Enchantment |
Text of card
Players cannot gain life. During each player's upkeep, that player loses 1 life. If Forsaken Wastes is the target of a successfully cast spell, that spell's caster loses 5 life.
Cards like Forsaken Wastes
The atmosphere grows darker within the strategic landscape of Magic: The Gathering with Forsaken Wastes joining the array of potent mono-black enchantments. With a passive ability offering a twist on life gain strategies, players might find parallels with Tainted Remedy. While Tainted Remedy presents an ironic turnabout for opponents seeking to pad their life totals, Forsaken Wastes ensures no one can benefit from life gain effects, setting an unyielding rule on the battlefield.
Leyline of the Void also emerges as a relative, commanding the battlefield from the get-go if in the starting hand. Though it specifically targets opponent’s graveyards, its existence shapes game dynamics much like Forsaken Wastes’ imposing presence. Another, Erebos, God of the Dead, underscores this card type’s character with a direct and continuous denial of life gain alongside a utility to draw cards, albeit with an associated life cost.
In essence, while evaluating these enchantments, Forsaken Wastes emerges as a card with a unique blend of denial and control, establishing a realm where traditional life gain strategies falter, and flipping expectations of healing into dust.
Cards similar to Forsaken Wastes by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Forsaken Wastes offers players a strategic edge by impacting opponents’ life gain capabilities. It passively denies opponents the benefit of life gain strategies, indirectly maintaining your card advantage by neutralizing specific opponent tactics.
Resource Acceleration: Although Forsaken Wastes isn’t a direct source of resource acceleration, its presence can indirectly influence the pace of the game. By inhibiting life gain, it can accelerate the game towards a conclusion, benefitting decks that capitalize on aggressive strategies.
Instant Speed: This enchantment operates as a persistent effect on the battlefield once played. While not an instant itself, the constant effect provides a form of instant speed interference with opponent’s plans, essentially serving as a deterrent that is always ‘on the clock’ throughout the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Forsaken Wastes compels you to forfeit another card from your hand, diminishing your strategic options and potentially putting you at a disadvantage in the game.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands an exclusive commitment to black mana, which could significantly restrict its integration into multi-color decks and diminish its versatility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: At three black mana, Forsaken Wastes may not be the most economical choice considering its effects, especially when other cards might provide similar benefits for less mana investment.
Reasons to Include Forsaken Wastes in Your Collection
Versatility: Forsaken Wastes offers a unique effect by prevent players from gaining life. This makes it an excellent sideboard option for various decks that struggle against life-gain strategies common in several MTG formats.
Combo Potential: This card has the capability to work with effects that damage players over time. Pairing it with cards that consistently lower your opponent’s life can create an effective lockdown combo and control the pace of the game.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where life-gain decks are prevalent, having Forsaken Wastes can give you a definitive edge. It’s particularly impactful in metas dominated by decks that capitalize on life gain for card advantage or creature buffs.
How to beat
Forsaken Wastes stands as a formidable enchantment in Magic: The Gathering, known particularly for its passive ability that nullifies life gain for all players. This can be exceptionally challenging for decks that rely heavily on life gain as a key strategy. Moreover, its secondary ability poses a potential threat by inflicting damage during each of your upkeep phases, if you choose to exercise it.
To successfully navigate around Forsaken Wastes, players can look to enchantment removal spells such as Disenchant or Naturalize, which are straightforward solutions to discard it directly from the battlefield. Cards with the capability to counter enchantments, like Negate, also serve as an effective preemptive shield if Forsaken Wastes threatens to come into play. Additionally, crafting a strategy that thrives without life gain or that can work around life-gain restrictions will reduce the card’s impact on your game plan.
When lining up Forsaken Wastes against other enchantments that hinder life gain, it’s important to consider its potential to become a game-closing force. However, by incorporating enchantment management in your deck and adapting your strategy, you can nullify the hindrance posed by Forsaken Wastes and maintain an edge in your matches.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Forsaken Wastes MTG card by a specific set like Mirage 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 Forsaken Wastes 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 Forsaken Wastes Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1996-10-08 and 1997-08-13. Illustrated by Kev Walker.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1996-10-08 | Mirage | MIR | 125 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Kev Walker | |
| 2 | 1997-08-13 | World Championship Decks 1997 | WC97 | js125sb | 1997 | Normal | Gold | Kev Walker |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Forsaken Wastes 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 Forsaken Wastes 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 loss of life from targeting this card does not work until after this card enters the battlefield, so you can counter it without losing life. |
| 2008-05-01 | Effects that replace an event with gaining life (like Words of Worship’s effect does) will end up replacing the event with nothing. |
| 2008-05-01 | Effects that would replace gaining life with some other effect won’t be able to do anything because it’s impossible for players to gain life. |
| 2008-05-01 | If a cost includes life gain (like Invigorate’s alternative cost does), that cost can’t be paid. |
| 2008-05-01 | If an effect says to set your life total to a certain number, and that number is higher than your current life total, that effect will normally cause you to gain life equal to the difference. With Forsaken Wastes on the battlefield, that part of the effect won’t do anything. (If the number is lower than your current life total, the effect will work as normal.) |
| 2008-10-01 | This has the supertype world. When a world permanent enters the battlefield, any world permanents that were already on the battlefield are put into their owners’ graveyards. This is a state-based action called the “world rule.” The new world permanent stays on the battlefield. If two world permanents enter the battlefield at the same time, they’re both put into their owners’ graveyards. |