Gaze of Pain MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gaze of Pain enables you to potentially remove several creatures from the board, which can swing the board state in your favor while also potentially drawing you cards should those creatures die. This effect gives you an edge in maintaining superior card equity against opponents.

Resource Acceleration: Clearing out multiple blockers or attackers can give you an indirect form of resource acceleration by preserving your life total or making way for your creatures to deal damage. Although not a direct form of mana acceleration, the impact on the game’s tempo can be significant.

Instant Speed: Its instant speed allows for surprise interactions on the battlefield. You have the flexibility to wait and see what your opponent does, and respond accordingly at the end of their turn, or during crucial combat phases. This can lead to highly advantageous plays that disrupt your opponent’s strategy at key moments.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Gaze of Pain demands discarding a card as part of its casting process. This can severely impact your hand, especially when your options are already dwindling or when holding onto key pieces in your strategy is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: This card has a requirement for black mana, which could potentially restrict its inclusion in decks that don’t support or focus on black mana sources. Players with multicolor decks might find it challenging to meet the mana requirement when needed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana cost sitting at two mana, one of which is specifically black, players may find the card somewhat costly, particularly when considering other cards in the same mana range that could offer more immediate or impactful effects on the game state.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Gaze of Pain shines in multiple settings, effortlessly sliding into black-based decks that capitalize on pain strategies. Its ability to damage and potentially draw cards makes it a shrewd addition to your arsenal.

Combo Potential: This card’s capacity for interaction is high, synergizing well with effects that benefit from creatures being dealt damage or with setups that want to hit multiple targets simultaneously.

Meta-Relevance: Given a meta frequented by swarms of small creatures or token strategies, Gaze of Pain can serve as a powerful deterrent, clearing the way for your own tactics to take center stage.

How to beat Gaze of Pain

Gaze of Pain is a unique card that can seem daunting to counter in a game of Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to deal with multiple creatures in a single stroke while potentially drawing cards for your opponent makes it both a removal and an advantage card. Yet, every card has its weaknesses, and Gaze of Pain is no exception.

To mitigate the impact of Gaze of Pain, focus on deck construction strategies that either limit the number of creatures you play with or ensure your creatures’ toughness will withstand Gaze of Pain’s effect. Additionally, include spells that can counter or redirect damage. This disrupts your opponent’s attempt to gain control of the board and maintain card advantage. Cards such as Shunt can effectively redirect the damage Gaze of Pain aims to inflict, turning a potential deficit into an opportunity.

Another method is employing instant-speed removal or protection spells when Gaze of Pain is cast. This flexibility allows you to save key creatures or preemptively thin out your own board to reduce the card draw benefit for your opponent. The presence of counter spells also serves as a strong deterrent, making Gaze of Pain a risky play for your opponent.

In essence, knowing the strengths and limitations of Gaze of Pain allows for strategic play that mitigates its impact on the game. Careful deck building and timely reactions during gameplay are keys to mastering how to beat this intriguing card.