Night of Souls' Betrayal MTG Card
2004-10-01 - Number 133
2017-11-17 - Number 99
2022-07-28 - Number 4
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Enchantment |
Text of card
All creatures get -1/-1.
"How can we wage war against ourselves? What happens when the kami of our very souls rise against us? I answer simply: We cannot. We die. There can be no victory in this war." —Sensei Hisoka, letter to Lord Konda
Cards like Night of Souls' Betrayal
Night of Souls’ Betrayal is a unique enchantment in the deck-building landscape of Magic: The Gathering, bringing a relentless debuff to all creatures on the battlefield. Its similarities can be seen with cards like Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, which also hands out a negative counter to your opponent’s creatures while buffing your own. These global effects can dramatically shift the game in favor of the controller. However, Night of Souls’ Betrayal doesn’t discriminate, affecting all creatures uniformly, a stark contrast to Elesh Norn’s selective weakening.
Comparably, Curse of Death’s Hold offers a similar weakening effect, but targets only a single opponent. This can be beneficial in multiplayer formats where strategic alliances and focus fire can dictate the flow of the game. In contrast, Night of Souls’ Betrayal impacts all opponents equally, making it a more symmetrical approach to board control.
Analyzing these cards side by side, Night of Souls’ Betrayal stands out for its universal impact and ability to fit into strategies that do not rely on creatures, thus allowing it to shape the battlefield in ways that selective or one-sided cards do not. It’s an asset for those looking to level the playing field or capitalize on a creature-light strategy.
Cards similar to Night of Souls' Betrayal by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Night of Souls’ Betrayal provides ongoing advantage by handicapping opponent’s creatures and potentially clearing away tokens or smaller threats automatically. It doesn’t draw cards, but it effectively reduces the power of the cards in your opponent’s hand and on the field, keeping you ahead.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating resources, Night of Souls’ Betrayal can indirectly benefit your mana usage by making your removal spells more effective. You may not need to expend additional cards or mana to deal with weakened creatures, allowing you to allocate resources elsewhere.
Instant Speed: As an enchantment with a lasting board presence, Night of Souls’ Betrayal operates beyond instant speed. Once played, it continuously affects the battlefield without requiring further mana investment, providing an ever-present threat to your opponent’s strategies, especially for decks heavily reliant on creatures.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Night of Souls’ Betrayal doesn’t directly require you to discard cards, its specific inclusion in a deck may force you to make tough choices about what other cards to exclude, potentially discarding useful combos or strategies.
Specific Mana Cost: Night of Souls’ Betrayal demands a precise mana cost of two black and two generic mana, which can be restrictive and difficult to accumulate early in the game, especially for multicolor decks that may not prioritize black mana generation.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The enchantment’s four total mana cost is substantial, considering that it provides a static effect rather than an immediate impact on the board. Players may find alternatives that affect the board right away or offer a greater swing in game state for a similar investment.
Reasons to Include Night of Souls’ Betrayal in Your Collection
Versatility: Night of Souls’ Betrayal offers a unique effect by giving all creatures -1/-1. This static ability is flexible, working well in multiple deck archetypes, from controlling the board in a control deck to weakening opponent’s creatures in a more aggressive strategy.
Combo Potential: This card shines in situations where you can capitalize on the diminished power and toughness of creatures. It works exceptionally well with damage-dealing effects or cards that punish opponents for having low-toughness creatures, setting up powerful synergies and game-swinging plays.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta brimming with token strategies or reliant on x/1 creatures, Night of Souls’ Betrayal can be a game changer. Deploying this enchantment can consistently disrupt your opponents’ board presence, making it a valuable sideboard card, if not a mainboard staple in the right environment.
How to beat
Navigating through the relentless de-buffs of Night of Souls’ Betrayal in Magic: The Gathering can be a real challenge. This lauded enchantment creates a disadvantageous environment for creatures with lower toughness by giving them -1/-1. Overcoming this requires strategic adjustments to your deck and playstyle. Adapting to this landscape often means focusing on creatures that are outside the range of its influence, such as those with higher toughness to withstand the reduction.
In addition, spells that can remove enchantments become invaluable in this situation. Incorporating ones that can efficiently dispatch enchantments like Disenchant or Naturalize offers a direct solution to the Night of Souls’ Betrayal predicament. Another effective strategy involves utilizing creature abilities which can bolster their toughness, ensuring they survive the detrimental aura of this powerful enchantment. Creatures with indestructible or those who have the benefit of entering the battlefield with +1/+1 counters could also tip the scales back into your favor.
Implementing these strategies could pivot the game away from the detrimental effects of Night of Souls’ Betrayal. When properly prepared, confronting and conquering this Magic: The Gathering challenge becomes a manageable task, allowing players to continue on the path to victory unimpeded by such the sweeping force of this daunting card.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Night of Souls' Betrayal MTG card by a specific set like Champions of Kamigawa and Iconic Masters, 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 Night of Souls' Betrayal and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Night of Souls' Betrayal Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2004-10-01 and 2022-07-28. Illustrated by Greg Staples.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2004-10-01 | Champions of Kamigawa | CHK | 133 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Greg Staples | |
| 2 | 2017-11-17 | Iconic Masters | IMA | 99 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Greg Staples | |
| 3 | 2022-07-28 | Historic Anthology 6 | HA6 | 4 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Greg Staples |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Night of Souls' Betrayal has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Night of Souls' Betrayal card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-11-17 | If a second Night of Souls’ Betrayal comes under your control, you’ll put one into its owner’s graveyard due to the “legend rule” at the same time that any creatures getting -2/-2 are put into their owner’s graveyard for having 0 or less toughness. |