Dark Favor MTG Card

Magic 2012 (M12)
2011-07-15 - Number 89

Magic 2013 (M13)
2012-07-13 - Number 86

Magic 2014 (M14)
2013-07-19 - Number 92

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant

Key Takeaways

Dark Favor transforms any creature into a formidable force, often requiring multiple cards to counter.
Enhances creatures significantly for minimal mana, rapidly advancing your offensive board presence.
Operates at sorcery speed, ideal for strategic players looking to maximize turn-based tactics.

Text of card

Enchant creature When Dark Favor enters the battlefield, you lose 1 life. Enchanted creature gets +3/+1.

When he began to curse what he held holy, his strength grew unrivaled.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Dark Favor does not directly allow you to draw cards, it does provide an indirect form of card advantage by potentially turning any creature into a significant threat. This increased threat level can force opponents to deal with your enhanced creature quickly, possibly using more than one card to do so.

Resource Acceleration: Although Dark Favor doesn’t offer traditional mana acceleration, it amplifies the power of a single creature substantially for a minimal mana investment, turning it into a more potent resource and accelerating your board presence and offensive capability.

Instant Speed: Dark Favor operates at sorcery speed, which emphasizes strategic planning when giving your creature a significant boost. This effect allows the enchanted creature to swing in as a larger threat, catching an opponent off-guard right after the aura’s enchantment, maximizing the card’s potential during your turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Dark Favor doesn’t demand a discard, it requires a creature sacrifice. This can be a significant downside when you’re attempting to maintain board presence and could leave you vulnerable to your opponent’s plays.

Specific Mana Cost: Dark Favor demands both a specific color and an additional generic mana, limiting its integration exclusively to black or black-inclusive decks, potentially straining your mana resources just to get an enchantment in play.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing a single black and one other mana, Dark Favor might seem economical. However, in a mana-curve sensitive game, investing two mana for an Aura that only boosts a creature’s power—with the additional cost of a creature sacrifice—may not offer the best returns, especially when compared to other enchantments in the same cost bracket.

Reasons to Include Dark Favor in Your Collection

Versatility: Dark Favor is a card that can be easily incorporated into various black-centric or multicolored decks. As an aura that boosts a creature’s power at a low cost, it can turn even the most unassuming creature into a significant threat.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combination with creatures that benefit from power increases or life payment mechanics. Its ability to instantly boost a creature makes it a handy tool for surprise attacks or amplified damage out of nowhere.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where aggressive strategies are prevalent, Dark Favor offers a cost-effective way to enhance your creatures and apply pressure on your opponents. It’s particularly useful in games where the tempo can decide the victor.

How to beat

Dark Favor is a card that, when entering the battlefield, bestows a significant power boost to your creature at the cost of some life. This enchantment exemplifies risk-reward dynamics in Magic: The Gathering, reminiscent of the aura cards like Unholy Strength, conferring an immediate advantage in combat power. Yet, unlike Unholy Strength, Dark Favor has a life point trade-off which can be strategically exploited by opponents.

Combatting Dark Favor requires a calculated approach. Focus on removal spells that target either the creature or the aura itself, thereby negating the invested mana and the initial life payment. Cards such as Naturalize or Disenchant offer swift and budget-friendly answers to auras, restoring the balance. Creature removal spells like Doom Blade or Path to Exile also serve to undo the aura’s effect by eliminating the buffed creature, often resulting in a two-for-one advantage for you.

The key to overcoming Dark Favor lies in timely response and maintaining card advantage. It’s essential to understand the tempo of the game and answer Dark Favor’s threats efficiently, ensuring that the opponent’s sacrifice of life points becomes a cost without benefit and one that propels you closer to victory.

Cards like Dark Favor

Dark Favor occupies a unique space in MTG as an enchantment that offers a significant power boost at a low cost. It aligns itself with cards like Unholy Strength, which also grants a power increase to creatures. The difference lies in the balance of power versus life – Dark Favor requires life sacrifice, providing a more substantial power boost in comparison to Unholy Strength’s more conservative addition.

Comparing Dark Favor to Diabolic Strength, one notices key similarities and differences. Both enchantments boost a creature’s power, but Diabolic Strength adds to toughness as well, potentially providing a sturdier advantage in combat. Yet, it lacks the immediate impact of life loss present in Dark Favor, which can be a strategic element in certain MTG gameplays favoring aggressive tactics.

Ultimately, Dark Favor finds its niche among MTG cards by coupling an immediate but manageable life loss with a potent power surge for creatures. This makes it not just a mere augment but also a calculated risk that can rapidly turn the tides of the game when deployed judiciously, distinguishing it amongst its peers in the enchantment category.

Cards similar to Dark Favor by color, type and mana cost

Chains of Mephistopheles - MTG Card versions

Tribute to Horobi // Echo of Death's Wail - MTG Card versions

Aphemia, the Cacophony - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dark Favor MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2012 and Magic 2013, 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 Dark Favor and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Dark Favor Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2011-07-15 and 2013-07-19. Illustrated by Allen Williams.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2011-07-15	Magic 2012	M12	89	2003	Normal	Black	Allen Williams
2	2012-07-13	Magic 2013	M13	86	2003	Normal	Black	Allen Williams
3	2013-07-19	Magic 2014	M14	92	2003	Normal	Black	Allen Williams

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dark Favor has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Dark Favor 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	If the creature targeted by Dark Favor is an illegal target when Dark Favor tries to resolve, Dark Favor won’t resolve. It won’t enter the battlefield and its enters-the-battlefield ability won’t trigger.