Crush Dissent MTG Card

War of the Spark (WAR)
2019-05-03 - Number 47

Mystery Booster (MB1)
2019-11-07 - Number 339

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number WAR-47

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Abilities	Amass

Key Takeaways

Advantage through instant speed countering and token generation enables strategic flexibility and board control.
Limited by specific mana requirements and discard costs, creating potential constraints in deck building and gameplay.
Remains relevant in various metas, synergizing with token and counter strategies, despite comparative cons.

Text of card

Counter target spell unless its controller pays . Amass Zombies 2. (Put two +1/+1 counters on an Army you control. It's also a Zombie. If you don't control an Army, create a 0/0 black Zombie Army creature token first.)

"All I ask is complete obedience." —Nicol Bolas

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Crush Dissent in MTG can provide a surprise edge by enabling you to counter your opponent’s spells. When it does, it creates a creature token, effectively replacing itself in your hand and keeping your card resources flowing.

Resource Acceleration: While Crush Dissent itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, countering a pivotal spell can slow down your opponent’s resource development. This relative acceleration allows you to maintain or boost your position on the board.

Instant Speed: The strength of Crush Dissent lies in its ability to be played at instant speed. This provides the flexibility to disrupt the opponent’s strategy during their turn, preserving your maneuverability and maintaining the element of surprise.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Crush Dissent often necessitates having a card to discard, which can be challenging when your hand has been depleted. This cost can hinder your overall strategy, especially in turns where maintaining card advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: Crush Dissent’s casting cost requires both blue mana. This specificity impacts deck flexibility, often limiting it to blue-centric or two-color decks able to produce the required mana consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With alternative forms of counterplay available, the four-mana investment into Crush Dissent can be considered steep. Players might find other spells that provide more value for the same or lower mana cost, potentially making the card a less attractive option during deck building.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Crush Dissent is a flexible counter spell that can be included in a variety of blue-centric decks. Its ability to not only counter an opponent’s spell but also to amass an army with the Amass mechanic makes it a unique asset in control strategies.

Combo Potential: The Amass mechanic provided by Crush Dissent could synergize with decks that capitalize on creature tokens or strategies that bolster +1/+1 counters, offering creative ways to build up your board while disrupting your opponent.

Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-changing landscape of MTG, the ability to counter key spells is always relevant. Adaptability to strategies that focus on instant-speed interaction can be a game-changer, making Crush Dissent a suitable choice in a meta that favors spell-heavy decks or where gaining incremental advantage is pivotal.

How to beat

Crush Dissent is an intriguing countermeasure card in the world of MTG. It carries the strategic potential of either countering an opponent’s spell or weakening their forces through the creation of a blocker with its Amass 2 effect. Players may find themselves wondering how to navigate against such a versatile card.

The key to overcoming Crush Dissent lies in baiting it out. Just as you would with a traditional counter spell, playing a less critical card first can coax your opponent into using Crush Dissent prematurely, thus clearing a path for your more vital spells. Moreover, instant-speed spells that cannot be countered or cards with abilities that trigger upon casting can slip past Crush Dissent’s grasp, granting you an edge.

Furthermore, maintaining a strategic reserve of mana can be pivotal. This not only allows for the casting of multiple spells in one turn, potentially outpacing your opponent’s ability to counter, but it also means you can pay the additional cost of four mana that Crush Dissent demands if you wish your spell to resolve. By staying one step ahead, you can mitigate the impact of Crush Dissent and assert control over the match.

Cards like Crush Dissent

Crush Dissent offers players an intriguing strategic tool in their blue control decks. As a counter spell, it lives in a category alongside staples like Negate, which also denies an opponent’s spell but lacks the additional muscle that Crush Dissent provides. When activated, it creates a 1/1 blue Bird creature token with flying if its secondary condition is met, adding board presence while disrupting your opponent’s plans.

Another card worth noting is Essence Scatter, a straight-up creature counter, offering a focused solution at a lower mana cost but without Crush Dissent’s capacity to affect noncreature spells or to further your board state. There’s also Quench, which counters any type of spell but requires an additional mana unless the caster pays two. Unlike Crush Dissent, Quench doesn’t generate a creature token, which can serve as a blocker or an extra attacker.

When weighing the potentials a counter spell might bring to a deck, Crush Dissent stands out in its hybrid role. It doesn’t just simply cancel out a threat but simultaneously offers the caster a tangible asset to increase their influence on the game, highlighting the dual-functionality that makes the card a nuanced option in the world of control spells.

Cards similar to Crush Dissent by color, type and mana cost

Careful Consideration - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Crush Dissent MTG card by a specific set like War of the Spark and Mystery Booster, 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 Crush Dissent and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Crush Dissent Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2019-05-03 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Mike Bierek.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2019-05-03	War of the Spark	WAR	47	2015	Normal	Black	Mike Bierek
2	2019-11-07	Mystery Booster	MB1	339	2015	Normal	Black	Mike Bierek
3	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST	WAR-47	2015	Normal	Black	Mike Bierek

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Crush Dissent has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2019-05-03	Army is a new creature type. It’s possible to control a nontoken Army (perhaps a creature with the changeling ability) and, through combinations of other cards, it’s possible to control multiple Army tokens. When instructed to amass, you may put +1/+1 counters on any of your Army creatures, and you may choose a different one each time.
2019-05-03	If you don’t control an Army, the Zombie Army token that you create enters the battlefield as a 0/0 creature. Any abilities that trigger when a creature with a certain power enters the battlefield, such as that of Mentor of the Meek, will see the token enter as a 0/0 creature before it gets +1/+1 counters.
2019-05-03	Some spells that amass may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell tries to resolve, it doesn’t resolve. You won’t amass.
2019-05-03	You amass 2 even if the controller of the spell pays .