Invoke Despair MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Invoke Despair shines in generating card advantage by potentially forcing an opponent to lose multiple resources, including creatures, enchantments, and hand cards in a single play. This effect not only diminishes their board presence but also applies pressure on their strategic options.

Resource Acceleration: While Invoke Despair itself does not directly accelerate resources, the impact of reducing your opponent’s resources can indirectly lead to a situation where your resources are effectively accelerated in comparison. This can lead to a significant tempo swing, giving you the upper hand to deploy threats unhindered.

Instant Speed: Although not castable at instant speed, the sheer potency of Invoke Despair’s effect at sorcery speed compensates for this. The card’s ability to dismantle an opponent’s game state can be a decisive move that sets up victory, making timing of the play crucial despite its speed restriction.

Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Invoke Despair demands a precise blend of mana, including two black. This requirement could limit its inclusion only to decks that can reliably produce the necessary black mana symbols, potentially straining the mana base in multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of five mana, including three generic and two black, the card could be deemed expensive for its effect. Players may find that by the time they gather enough mana to cast it, the game’s dynamic could have shifted, making it less impactful.

Discard Requirement: Although Invoke Despair doesn’t require discarding as a cost, its effectiveness is partially dependent on opponents having cards in hand to discard. This can make it considerably less potent later in the game when opponents might already be running low on resources, making it less disruptive than other discard spells.

Reasons to Include Invoke Despair in Your Collection

Versatility: Invoke Despair offers a dynamic play across numerous deck archetypes. It’s particularly effective in black-centric or multicolor schemes that can leverage both the life drain and card disadvantage it inflicts on opponents.

Combo Potential: This card works well with strategies focused on sacrificing creatures for benefit or utilizing death triggers. It can be a game-changer when combined with cards that capitalize on opponent’s loss of life or creatures.

Meta-Relevance: Given the landscape of competitive play, where resource attrition can be key, Invoke Despair could play a critical role. It disrupts opponent’s plans while bolstering your own board state, making it a strategic inclusion in decks aiming to dominate in the current meta.

How to beat Invoke Despair

Invoke Despair is a powerful addition to the roster of MTG multicolor cards, known for its potential to upset the balance on the battlefield. The key to countering this card lies in managing your resources and board presence carefully. Unlike a straightforward removal card, Invoke Despair applies pressure by forcing sacrifices from multiple angles—creatures, life, and cards from your hand. To mitigate its impact, maintaining a diverse board with expendable creatures can be crucial. This preserves your more valuable creatures while still obeying the sacrifice requirement. Cards that generate token creatures become invaluable in this context. Additionally, life gain strategies can help cushion the blow from the life loss aspect of Invoke Despair. Playing around this card means you’ll have to anticipate when it could be cast and prepare accordingly, keeping an extra creature or two on the board or holding onto a card in your hand that you can afford to discard. Finally, consider using counter spells to directly negate Invoke Despair’s effects. A well-timed counterspell can completely neutralize the threat, keeping your resources intact and preserving your strategy.

BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG is a journey of discovery, and Invoke Despair is a card that presents fascinating strategic depth. Understanding how to leverage its strengths and counteract its weaknesses can be the difference between a stalled board and a sweeping win. Dive deeper into MTG strategies and refine your gameplay. We encourage you to learn more about Invoke Despair and integrate it creatively into your decks to seize control of the game. Knowledge is power in MTG, and we’re here to help you harness it, ensuring every match leaves your opponents in awe of your tactical prowess. Step up your game and join us on this captivating quest.