Hysterical Blindness MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2011-09-30
Set symbol
Set name	Innistrad
Set code	ISD
Number	59
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Wayne England

Key Takeaways

Instant cast for Hysterical Blindness means unexpected combat control, tipping scales in your favor.
Flexibility in mana and deck themes may be limited due to specific blue mana requirements.
Card’s effectiveness shines against aggressive decks, stalling opponents and securing turns.

Text of card

Creatures your opponents control get -4/-0 until end of turn.

"The panic is amusing, but the real fun comes when the spell passes and the villagers start looking for a scapegoat." —Ludevic, necro-alchemist

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When cast, Hysterical Blindness diminishes the combat effectiveness of multiple creatures your opponent controls. This can lead to advantageous blocks or even deter attackers, effectively preserving your board state and, by extension, your hand as you’re less likely to need to replace lost creatures.

Resource Acceleration: Although Hysterical Blindness isn’t a direct source of resource acceleration, the cost and effect balance can save resources you would otherwise spend on managing opponent threats. This can result in an indirect economy allowing you to allocate mana more effectively elsewhere.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Hysterical Blindness at instant speed provides strategic flexibility. You can wait until the most opportune moment during the combat phase to surprise an opponent, potentially leading to unfavorable trades for them or enabling you to avoid damage entirely.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Hysterical Blindness may require players to discard cards, which could be strategically detrimental if your hand is already sparse. This can put players at a disadvantage, especially in late-game scenarios when every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s necessity for blue mana makes it less versatile, confining it to blue-centric or blue-inclusive decks. Players who prefer a more varied mana base or who run decks without blue may find it incompatible with their strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that might be deemed steep for its temporary effect, Hysterical Blindness often competes with other cards that provide a more permanent solution to on-board threats. Players may lean towards these alternatives when building their decks to ensure a more efficient use of their mana resources.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Hysterical Blindness is a unique card that can be slipped into any deck that aims to temporarily cripple an opponent’s offensive capabilities. Its ability to blanket-reduce the power of your enemies’ creatures during a turn can be critical in maintaining board control.

Combo Potential: This card excels when combined with strategies that take advantage of opponents’ weakened creatures. For example, it works well in tandem with mechanics that allow players to pick off lower power creatures or secure favorable combat outcomes while the effect is active.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta dominated by aggressive creature-based decks, Hysterical Blindness can effectively thwart an adversary’s assault, buying you the valuable time needed to stabilize the board and swing the game in your favor.

How to beat Hysterical Blindness

Hysterical Blindness is a unique blue instant from the Innistrad set that offers a temporary but significant decrease in opposing creatures’ power, affecting the dynamics on the battlefield. While the card can swing combat phases in your favor, there are strategies to mitigate its impact when you’re facing it. As a universal tactic, maintaining a diversified board presence with creatures that possess varying abilities, such as hexproof or indestructible, can blunt the effect of power-reducing spells like Hysterical Blindness.

Further, make sure to hold onto removal spells or plan for alternative combat tricks to counter this disruption during critical turns. Instant-speed boosts can quickly turn the tables, nullifying the -4 power blanket applied by Hysterical Blindness. You might also consider investing in spells or abilities that can grant your creatures protection from blue, outright removing them from the reach of blue’s debuff spells. Be proactive with these resources, and remember that an informed prediction of your opponent’s hand can be just as potent as any card you play.

Overall, while Hysterical Blindness can create a sudden shift in combat, being prepared with versatile, resilient creatures and the right countermeasures can ensure your forces survive the temporary scare unscathed.

Cards like Hysterical Blindness

Hysterical Blindness is an intriguing instant in Magic: The Gathering that affects the dynamics of combat. This card shares similarities with other spells like Deluge, which also temporarily reduces the power of creatures your opponents control. Deluge, however, allows for a customizable effect with its X casting cost, affording more control over the extent of the power reduction at the cost of potentially higher mana investment.

Another card in this area is Darkness, which doesn’t alter power or toughness but instead prevents all combat damage for a turn, serving as a blanket of protection regardless of creatures’ sizes. This significant difference makes Darkness a more defensive option compared to the power-reducing Hysterical Blindness. Lastly, there’s Sandstorm, a card that deals damage to each attacking creature. Unlike Hysterical Blindness, Sandstorm can outright eliminate weaker creatures caught in the storm, making it a potent choice against swarm strategies.

Overall, Hysterical Blindness finds its niche within Magic: The Gathering as a combat phase disruptor that can turn the tide of an overwhelming assault by depleting enemy forces, maintaining playability for its strategic influence during crucial turns.

Cards similar to Hysterical Blindness by color, type and mana cost

Thirst for Knowledge - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hysterical Blindness MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad, 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 Hysterical Blindness and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hysterical Blindness has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2011-09-22	Hysterical Blindness’s effect will continue to apply to a creature even if you (or a teammate) gains control of that creature later in the turn.
2011-09-22	Only creatures controlled by your opponent when Hysterical Blindness resolves will get -4/-0. Creatures that enter the battlefield or that an opponent gains control of later in the turn will be unaffected.