Test of Endurance MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Test of Endurance provides an alternative win condition, helping players triumph when traditional strategies don’t suffice.
  2. The card encourages intentional deck building, as its higher mana cost compels a strategy focused on mana efficiency.
  3. Despite lacking instant speed, Test of Endurance’s static effect steadily edges players towards victory in the background.

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have 50 or more life, you win the game.

"If we have learned nothing else, we have learned to survive." —Mystic elder


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Test of Endurance stands as a potent instrument in your deck arsenal, allowing for an alternative winning condition. This means you can leverage it efficiently even when other strategies are falling short, thus enhancing your card advantage in the game.

Resource Acceleration: Test of Endurance primarily operates on a fairly heavy mana cost. Although it does not directly contribute to resource acceleration, it motivates players to adopt efficient mana curve strategies. This anticipation and deliberate deck construction for its accommodation can indirectly contribute towards mastered resource acceleration.

Instant Speed: While Test of Endurance doesn’t boast an instant speed, it compensates with a powerful static effect. This permanent enchantment, once activated, runs in the backdrop, potentially leading you to victory while you continue casting other spells and maneuvering game strategies. The strategic deployment of this card, though at sorcery speed, can tactically alter your game pace and direction.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Test of Endurance card doesn’t impose the need to discard any of your cards, but the essence of the game might require you to discard others in order to maintain this enchantment in play. Whilst this can preserve your life points above the necessary 50 to win, it could drastically deplete your hand as others might have to be discarded.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a white mana for its activation, so its use might be restricted to a deck centered around white cards. Although white is usually supportive, integrating it into your deck primarily for the purpose of Test of Endurance may cause a disruption in your game strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The Test of Endurance has a mana cost of 5 which includes three generic mana and two white mana. Amongst enchantments, this cost is on the high side. You may get more versatility or value from other cards that require less mana for similar or more lethal effects.


Reasons to Include Test of Endurance in Your Collection

Versatility: Test of Endurance is a powerhouse card that can fit seamlessly into life-gain decks or those who like to play the slow yet sure game. Its beneficial effect creates an alternate win condition that can catch opponents off guard.

Combo Potential: Test of Endurance has great synergy potential with cards that provide significant life boosts. The more life you accrue, the closer you get to victory, making it an exciting play during critical game moments.

Meta-Relevance: If the current meta revolves around aggro decks or fast plays, Test of Endurance can change the game’s pace, forcing opponents to reconsider their tactics. It provides a significant advantage in long-standing matches, favoring those who endure rather than rush.


How to beat

Test of Endurance is a unique card in Magic: The Gathering that draws its strength from a player’s life total. To overcome this enchantment, it’s crucial to disrupt the opponent’s life gain strategies early in the game. Similar to cards like Felidar Sovereign, Test of Endurance builds up a win condition based on life totals. Coincidentally, the card’s scaling potency makes it a challenge to beat if not dealt with promptly.

There are few MTG cards that can directly counter Test of Endurance, with many of them focused on destroying enchantments before they can take effect. Aura Flux, Back to Nature, and Cleansing Meditation can be crucial in this regard. Keeping an aggressive approach with a balance of damage-dealing and control strategies can prevent Test of Endurance from becoming a game-winning factor.

Understanding the dynamics, plotting the necessary tactics, and learning to play swiftly under the shadow of Test of Endurance can definitely improve your game. But remember, in Magic: The Gathering, every round can be a new Test of Endurance in itself.


BurnMana Recommendations

Diving deeper into MTG’s varied strategies can be as thrilling as it is rewarding. Test of Endurance exemplifies this with its unique win condition, altering the ebb and flow of gameplay and bolstering your deck’s potential. By understanding its strengths, you’ll reinforce your plays and challenge opponents with a well-timed strategy. If your MTG sessions are about patience and incremental advantages, this card is an excellent fit for your deck. Expand your horizons and learn how cards like Test of Endurance can turn the tide of battle in your favor. Join the BurnMana community and discover more strategies that will see your endurance rewarded with victory.


Cards like Test of Endurance

The card Test of Endurance plays an intriguing role amidst the treasure trove of enchantment spells available in Magic: The Gathering. You’d find it fitting for comparison with the likes of Celestial Convergence, another card that plays around the concept of life points. Both cards offer victory based on life total, but Test of Endurance sets itself apart with its lower life threshold and absence of the countdown found in Celestial Convergence.

On another note, we find Felidar Sovereign, which too enforces a life-based victory condition. The sovereign, being a creature card, adds a body on the battlefield, something Test of Endurance lacks. However, the enchantment is quieter and much harder to remove. Then there’s Approach to the Second Sun, a unique card spell that grants win scenarios, but must be drawn and cast twice.

Conclusively, Test of Endurance holds its own in the collection of victory-conceding cards in Magic: The Gathering. Its defining attributes along with strategic advantages make it highly valued within the game, especially for strategies revolving around life sustainment and gain.

Celestial Convergence - MTG Card versions
Felidar Sovereign - MTG Card versions
Celestial Convergence - Prophecy (PCY)
Felidar Sovereign - Resale Promos (PRES)

Cards similar to Test of Endurance by color, type and mana cost

Castle - MTG Card versions
Karma - MTG Card versions
Conversion - MTG Card versions
Angelic Voices - MTG Card versions
Seeker - MTG Card versions
Drought - MTG Card versions
Justice - MTG Card versions
Divine Transformation - MTG Card versions
Field of Souls - MTG Card versions
Light of Day - MTG Card versions
Opal Titan - MTG Card versions
Ivory Mask - MTG Card versions
Parallax Wave - MTG Card versions
Worship - MTG Card versions
Diversionary Tactics - MTG Card versions
Moat - MTG Card versions
Teleportation Circle - MTG Card versions
Hallowed Haunting - MTG Card versions
Proper Burial - MTG Card versions
Armored Ascension - MTG Card versions
Castle - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Karma - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Conversion - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Angelic Voices - Legends (LEG)
Seeker - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Drought - Ice Age (ICE)
Justice - Ice Age (ICE)
Divine Transformation - Renaissance (REN)
Field of Souls - Eternal Masters (EMA)
Light of Day - The List (PLST)
Opal Titan - Urza's Saga (USG)
Ivory Mask - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Parallax Wave - The List (PLST)
Worship - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Diversionary Tactics - Apocalypse (APC)
Moat - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Teleportation Circle - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos (PAFR)
Hallowed Haunting - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
Proper Burial - Dissension (DIS)
Armored Ascension - Shadowmoor (SHM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Test of Endurance MTG card by a specific set like Judgment and Dominaria Remastered, 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 Test of Endurance and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Test of Endurance Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2002-05-27 and 2023-01-13. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-05-27JudgmentJUD 291997normalblackMike Ploog
22023-01-13Dominaria RemasteredDMR 322015normalblackDenman Rooke
32023-01-13Dominaria RemasteredDMR 4142015normalborderlessCarl Critchlow
42023-01-13Dominaria RemasteredDMR 2761997normalblackDenman Rooke

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Test of Endurance has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2022-12-08 Test of Endurance’s ability will check your life total as your upkeep begins, before any player has the opportunity to take any actions. If you don’t have 50 or more life at that time, the ability won’t trigger at all. If the ability does trigger, it will check again as it tries to resolve. If your life total has fallen below 50 at that point, the ability won’t have any effect.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks