Condemn MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 14 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Condemn provides card advantage by removing threats without expending hand resources.
  2. It offers cost-efficient resource management and combat phase control with instant speed.
  3. Restrictive mana cost and life gain for the opponent are notable drawbacks.

Text of card

Put target attacking creature on the bottom of its owner's library. Its controller gains life equal to its toughness.

"No doubt the arbiters would put you away, after all the documents are signed. But I will have justice *now*!" —Alovnek, Boros guildmage


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Condemn does not directly draw you cards, it presents a unique form of card advantage. It effectively removes a threatening creature from combat without costing you a card from your hand, as the card is moved to the bottom of its owner’s library rather than destroyed.

Resource Acceleration: Condemn does not accelerate resources in the traditional sense of providing mana or increasing your resource pool. However, by dealing with a potential threat for only one white mana, you are able to save your resources for other spells and strategies, which can indirectly contribute to your overall resource acceleration.

Instant Speed: The power of Condemn lies in its instant speed, allowing you to respond to attackers on the fly. This flexibility gives you control during the combat phase and makes it easier to navigate around your opponent’s strategies, preserving both your life total and board position by dealing with major threats immediately.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Condemn does not require discarding as an additional cost, providing a tactical edge when preserving hand resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Condemn calls for white mana, potentially restricting its integration in multi-colored or colorless decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an array of removal options available, Condemn’s mana cost may be considered high when compared to other low-cost alternatives that might execute a similar function without the owner’s life gain.


Reasons to Include Condemn in Your Collection

Versatility: Condemn serves as a flexible answer in decks that require early interaction, capable of dealing with attackers without permanently removing them, making it a versatile tool against aggressive strategies.

Combo Potential: This card can be a part of control strategies focusing on life total manipulation or as a setup for cards that benefit from opponents gaining life, like in a deck with Tainted Remedy.

Meta-Relevance: With a metagame often dominated by creature-based decks, Condemn maintains its relevance by providing an efficient and inexpensive solution to problematic attackers without giving your opponents a card advantage.


How to beat

Condemn is a unique tool in the MTG arsenal, known for its ability to disrupt opponents by sending attacking creatures to the bottom of the library instead of dealing with them through traditional destruction. To sidestep the restrictions of Condemn, smart play and strategic deck building are essential. Including creatures that don’t rely on attacking such as those with tap abilities or static effects can minimize the impact of Condemn in a game.

Alternatively, utilizing spells that grant hexproof or shroud can also protect your most valuable creatures from being targeted by Condemn. If the game format allows it, consider cards that can return your important creatures from your library back into your hand or directly onto the battlefield. This way, even if Condemn is used, you won’t lose access to your key creatures for long. Understanding the nuances of card interactions and playing around Condemn’s limitations is the key to maintaining an edge in your matches.

While Condemn poses a serious threat by removing an attacker without sending it to the graveyard, it’s a conditional spell that requires a creature to be on the offensive. Thus, playing conservatively, with a focus on non-combat strategies or having recursion mechanisms in place, can significantly reduce the effectiveness of this spell in competitive play.


BurnMana Recommendations

As you dive deeper into the MTG realm, the nuances of every card, including Condemn, become crucial to your success. Identifying when to use Condemn, understand its strategic placement in your deck, and how to counterplay it can make all the difference in tight matches. For dedicated players aiming to fine-tune their deck and strategy, we provide insights and in-depth looks into card selection and metagame analysis. Enhance your knowledge and outplay your opponents—immerse yourself in our comprehensive guides. Elevate your game and stay one step ahead with BurnMana. Dive in to discover more insights and strategies now.


Cards like Condemn

Condemn is a unique tool for white decks in Magic: The Gathering, offering a low-cost solution for dealing with attacking creatures. It shares the battlefield manipulation aspect with Swords to Plowshares, arguably one of the most efficient removal spells. While Swords to Plowshares exiles any creature at an instant speed for one white mana, it grants the creature’s controller life points equal to its power. Condemn, conversely, tucks the attacking creature away into its owner’s library but only grants them life points if the creature is actually put into the library, a nuanced but critical distinction for tactical plays.

Path to Exile is another comparable card, providing a more permanent solution by exiling the creature and leaving the opponent with basic land as compensation. This change in board state can sometimes be advantageous for the opponent, a factor not present with Condemn’s unique approach to handling creatures. Then there’s Declaration in Stone, which can clear multiple creatures of the same name but provides Clue tokens to the opponent, potentially offering them a future card advantage.

Condemn stands out in scenarios that favor subtlety and precision. It ensures that the creatures are neither in the hand nor on the battlefield and places the life gain contingency on the success of the tuck effect, which can be more beneficial during tight matches where resource denial is key.

Swords to Plowshares - MTG Card versions
Path to Exile - MTG Card versions
Declaration in Stone - MTG Card versions
Swords to Plowshares - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Path to Exile - Wizards Play Network 2009 (PWP09)
Declaration in Stone - Shadows over Innistrad Promos (PSOI)

Cards similar to Condemn by color, type and mana cost

Death Ward - MTG Card versions
Blaze of Glory - MTG Card versions
Healing Salve - MTG Card versions
Purelace - MTG Card versions
Swords to Plowshares - MTG Card versions
Guardian Angel - MTG Card versions
Righteousness - MTG Card versions
Indestructible Aura - MTG Card versions
Glyph of Life - MTG Card versions
Warning - MTG Card versions
Heal - MTG Card versions
Anoint - MTG Card versions
Reaping the Rewards - MTG Card versions
Rally the Troops - MTG Card versions
Enlightened Tutor - MTG Card versions
Orim's Touch - MTG Card versions
Pollen Remedy - MTG Card versions
Sacred Rites - MTG Card versions
Pay No Heed - MTG Card versions
Path to Exile - MTG Card versions
Death Ward - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Blaze of Glory - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Healing Salve - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Purelace - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Swords to Plowshares - Fallout (PIP)
Guardian Angel - Limited Edition Beta (LEB)
Righteousness - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Indestructible Aura - Chronicles (CHR)
Glyph of Life - Legends (LEG)
Warning - Ice Age (ICE)
Heal - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Anoint - Tempest (TMP)
Reaping the Rewards - Exodus (EXO)
Rally the Troops - Portal Second Age (P02)
Enlightened Tutor - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Orim's Touch - Invasion (INV)
Pollen Remedy - Planeshift (PLS)
Sacred Rites - The List (PLST)
Pay No Heed - Torment (TOR)
Path to Exile - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)

Where to buy

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

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Printings

The Condemn Magic the Gathering card was released in 13 different sets between 2006-05-05 and 2024-01-12. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 313852003normalblackKev Walker
22006-05-05DissensionDIS 82003normalblackDaren Bader
32007-01-01Magic Player Rewards 2007P07 22003normalblackKev Walker
42007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 132003normalblackDaren Bader
52010-07-16Magic 2011M11 112003normalblackDaren Bader
62010-11-08Magic Online Theme DecksTD0 A22003normalblackDaren Bader
72011-05-14Duel Decks: Mirrodin Pure vs. New PhyrexiaTD2 222003normalblackDaren Bader
82013-09-06Duel Decks: Heroes vs. MonstersDDL 172003normalblackDaren Bader
92014-11-07Commander 2014C14 692015normalblackDaren Bader
102017-08-25Commander 2017C17 582015normalblackDaren Bader
112020-09-25Zendikar Rising CommanderZNC 122015normalblackDaren Bader
122020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 3692015normalblackDaren Bader
132024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 142015normalblackDaren Bader
142024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 3041997normalblackDaren Bader

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Condemn has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2010-08-15 The affected creature's last known existence on the battlefield is checked to determine its toughness.

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