Dismember MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 10 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Dismember provides card advantage by efficiently removing threats without depleting your hand.
  2. Its Phyrexian mana cost grants flexible casting, allowing for strategic resource management.
  3. Instant speed plays give Dismember users a crucial edge in disrupting opponents’ strategies.

Text of card

({PB} can be paid with either or 2 life.) Target creature gets -5/-5 until end of turn.

"You serve Phyrexia. Your pieces would better serve Phyrexia elsewhere." —Azax-Azog, the Demon Thane


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dismember stands out in MTG as an effective removal option that often leaves you ahead on the battlefield. It allows you to deal with a myriad of threats without sacrificing your own creatures or using up multiple cards, helping preserve your hand while you destabilize your opponent’s board presence.

Resource Acceleration: Although Dismember does not directly accelerate your resources, its Phyrexian mana cost offers flexibility in how you pay for it. You can opt to use life points instead of mana, preserving your resources for other spells and strategic plays within the same turn, effectively keeping your mana pool responsive and adaptable.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Dismember at instant speed cannot be overstated. This versatility means you can disrupt your adversaries at the most opportune moments, whether that’s during their attack phase or in response to an ability on the stack. Being able to adapt on the fly gives you a significant tactical edge in the heat of play.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Dismember allows you to pay 4 life instead of a portion of its mana cost, it does not necessitate an actual discard from your hand. This can still set you back in a race against more aggressive decks, as life totals are a critical resource.

Specific Mana Cost: Dismember’s mana cost can also present limitations. It requires one black mana, which might not always be readily available in decks not primarily black, despite its Phyrexian mana alternative cost providing some flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Even though Dismember can be a powerful removal tool, there is a trade-off with its effective mana cost. Should you choose to avoid the life payment, three mana for a non-conditional removal can compete with other options in your deck that might offer additional benefits beyond mere destruction of a creature.


Reasons to Include Dismember in Your Collection

Versatility: Dismember is a staple removal card that can fit into virtually any deck, color notwithstanding, due to its Phyrexian mana cost. This allows you to handle threats across a wide array of matchups.

Combo Potential: As a highly efficient instant, Dismember works in tandem with other cards that capitalize on creature destruction, bolstering your strategic plays without compromising your mana base.

Meta-Relevance: With creatures being a central part of many MTG archetypes, Dismember’s ability to remove key creatures for a minimal cost keeps it perpetually relevant in various competitive formats.


How to beat

Dismember is a potent removal spell within the Magic: The Gathering repertoire, providing players with the capability to eliminate key creatures from the battlefield. Its flexibility lies not only in its colorless casting cost but also in the option to pay life points to reduce its mana expense. This dynamic allows it to be splashed into virtually any deck, rendering it a formidable tool against many creature strategies.

To effectively counteract Dismember’s impact, it’s essential to adopt a strategy that minimizes the chances of a crucial creature being a viable target. This can be accomplished by favoring creatures with indestructible or by utilizing hexproof to shield your creatures from targeted removal. Another efficient method is including creatures that can benefit from entering or leaving the battlefield, reducing the adverse effects of removal spells. Additionally, having counterspells at your disposal to intervene when Dismember is cast allows you to safeguard your most valuable creatures from being dispatched. By anticipating and preparing for such interactions, you can ensure that Dismember does not significantly disrupt your board presence and gameplay strategy.

Understanding Dismember’s strengths and weaknesses is key to mitigating its potential influence on the game. Adapting your deck to either absorb its effects or prevent it from resolving at all is a nuanced approach that can turn the tide of matches in your favor.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dismember is more than just a simple removal card in MTG—it’s a strategic game-changer. With abilities that allow you to adapt to diverse gameplay situations and maintain momentum, it’s a must-have for any player looking to refine their deck. Understanding both the pros and cons of this remarkable card is the first step in leveraging its full potential. Ready to deepen your knowledge and optimize your play with Dismember? Dive into the complexities of MTG card dynamics with us, and enrich your collection with cards that could flip the script on your next duel.


Cards like Dismember

Dismember is a powerhouse in Magic: The Gathering, offering a removal option that outshines many others. It is often compared to other efficient removal spells like Fatal Push, which also allows players to destroy creatures for a single black mana. However, Dismember excels by imposing a staggering -5/-5, handling creatures Fatal Push cannot reach unless a permanent you control left the battlefield this turn.

Another relative is Go for the Throat, a spell that destroys any nonartifact creature at the same cost. Although it has no life penalty, Dismember’s flexibility to be cast for colorless mana makes it a universal choice in decks not centered around black mana. Then there’s Abrupt Decay, which cannot be countered and deals with permanents with converted mana cost 3 or less, but Dismember’s capability to target larger threats sometimes makes it the preferred tool for players.

The versatility of paying life instead of mana for Dismember allows for immediate impact and makes it a formidable spell across various MTG formats. Within the context of creature removal, this card offers a blend of power and flexibility that ensures it remains a go-to choice for players needing robust solutions.

Fatal Push - MTG Card versions
Go for the Throat - MTG Card versions
Abrupt Decay - MTG Card versions
Fatal Push - Aether Revolt (AER)
Go for the Throat - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Abrupt Decay - Return to Ravnica (RTR)

Cards similar to Dismember by color, type and mana cost

Spoils of Evil - MTG Card versions
Dark Banishing - MTG Card versions
Carrion - MTG Card versions
Sick and Tired - MTG Card versions
Corpse Dance - MTG Card versions
Bone Harvest - MTG Card versions
Slay - MTG Card versions
Hapato's Might - MTG Card versions
Afflict - MTG Card versions
Body Count - MTG Card versions
Reaping the Graves - MTG Card versions
Execute - MTG Card versions
Kill! Destroy! - MTG Card versions
Sudden Death - MTG Card versions
Footbottom Feast - MTG Card versions
Fevered Strength - MTG Card versions
Hideous End - MTG Card versions
Corpse Lunge - MTG Card versions
Necrobite - MTG Card versions
Murder - MTG Card versions
Spoils of Evil - Ice Age (ICE)
Dark Banishing - Duel Decks Anthology: Divine vs. Demonic (DVD)
Carrion - Mirage (MIR)
Sick and Tired - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Corpse Dance - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Bone Harvest - Beatdown Box Set (BTD)
Slay - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Hapato's Might - Sega Dreamcast Cards (PSDG)
Afflict - Odyssey (ODY)
Body Count - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Reaping the Graves - Magic Online Theme Decks (TD0)
Execute - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Kill! Destroy! - Unhinged (UNH)
Sudden Death - Time Spiral (TSP)
Footbottom Feast - Commander 2011 (CMD)
Fevered Strength - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Hideous End - The List (PLST)
Corpse Lunge - Innistrad (ISD)
Necrobite - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Murder - Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dismember MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and New Phyrexia, 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 Dismember and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Dismember Magic the Gathering card was released in 10 different sets between 2011-05-13 and 2022-03-05. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 435882003normalblackJason Felix
22011-05-13New PhyrexiaNPH 572003normalblackTerese Nielsen
32012-01-01Friday Night Magic 2012F12 42003normalblackJason Felix
42014-05-30Modern Event Deck 2014MD1 252003normalblackTerese Nielsen
52015-05-22Modern Masters 2015MM2 792015normalblackTerese Nielsen
62019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 6292015normalblackTerese Nielsen
72019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 3212015normalborderlessMartin Ansin
82020-09-26The ListPLST MM2-792015normalblackTerese Nielsen
92021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 3221997normalblackJason Felix
102022-03-05Wizards Play Network 2022PW22 52015normalblackAlix Branwyn

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dismember has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2011-06-01 A card with Phyrexian mana symbols in its mana cost is each color that appears in that mana cost, regardless of how that cost may have been paid.
2011-06-01 As you cast a spell or activate an activated ability with one or more Phyrexian mana symbols in its cost, you choose how to pay for each Phyrexian mana symbol at the same time you would choose modes or choose a value for X.
2011-06-01 If you’re at 1 life or less, you can’t pay 2 life.
2011-06-01 Phyrexian mana is not a new color. Players can’t add Phyrexian mana to their mana pools.
2011-06-01 To calculate the mana value of a card with Phyrexian mana symbols in its cost, count each Phyrexian mana symbol as 1.

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