Patriarch's Desire MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant,Threshold
Released	2001-10-01
Set symbol
Set name	Odyssey
Set code	ODY
Number	156
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Eric Peterson

Key Takeaways

Enhances your hand while disrupting the opponent, creating a significant shift in resource balance.
Instant speed allows for reactive play, giving you a strategic edge during opponent’s turns.
Demands careful mana management and can be less efficient than other lower-cost alternatives.

Text of card

Enchanted creature gets +2/-2. Threshold Enchanted creature gets an additional +2/-2. (You have threshold as long as seven or more cards are in your graveyard.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Patriarch’s Desire enhances your hand by permitting you to draw cards while simultaneously forcing an opponent to discard, effectively swinging the game in your favor from a resource standpoint.

Resource Acceleration: With its moderate casting cost, this spell paves the way for future plays, potentially unlocking game-changing combos earlier than normal by smoothing out your mana curve.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Patriarch’s Desire at instant speed offers strategic flexibility, allowing you to react to your opponent’s actions during their turn or end step, keeping you one step ahead.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Patriarch’s Desire carries an additional cost which compels you to discard a card. While this can synergize well with graveyard strategies, it could also be detrimental when your hand is nearly empty, forcing you to lose a potentially vital card.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise blend of mana, including both black and another color. This specificity can pose deck-building challenges, especially if you’re trying to integrate it into a multi-color deck that might already be strained for mana consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Considering its utility, the cost for Patriarch’s Desire is on the higher end. There are alternate cards available which offer similar, or even better advantages at a lower mana investment, giving players more flexibility and efficiency during gameplay.

Reasons to Include Patriarch’s Desire in Your Collection

Versatility: Patriarch’s Desire is a multifaceted card that can be a key player in any deck looking to control the board. Its ability to both deal with creatures and offer late-game card advantage makes it a valuable inclusion for various strategies.

Combo Potential: This card’s capability to recur from the graveyard when the conditions are met makes it an excellent piece for combo interactions. It synergizes well with decks that manipulate the number of card types in graveyards to maximize its potential.

Meta-Relevance: Keeping up with the evolving metagame requires adaptable cards. Patriarch’s Desire fits into this ever-changing puzzle, particularly in environments where managing creatures and incremental advantage is crucial for maintaining control.

How to Beat Patriarch’s Desire

Patriarch’s Desire is an intriguing enchantment card that presents unique challenges and strategies within the game. To gain the upper hand against this card, players need to adopt a carefully tailored approach. Managing graveyard populations can be crucial, as Patriarch’s Desire becomes more potent with a populated graveyard on either side of the battlefield. Cards that exile or shuffle graveyards into libraries can minimize the impact of this enchantment’s abilities. Creatures with hexproof or shroud can also be beneficial, rendering them immune to the targeted effects.

Disenchant effects are another reliable method to address the threat of Patriarch’s Desire directly. Playing enchantment removal cards can sweep away the problem before it becomes overwhelming. It’s worth noting that the timing of such removal is key, as pre-emptive action can preserve crucial board state advantages. More broadly, maintaining a robust, aggressive stance can pressure an opponent relying on Patriarch’s Desire, reducing its impact as you focus on closing the game swiftly.

Magic: The Gathering has a wide array of tactics to confront various challenges, and Patriarch’s Desire is no exception. From regulating graveyard size to employing targeted removal or pressing for a quick win, players can navigate around this card’s influence and steer the game toward victory.

Cards like Patriarch's Desire

Patriarch’s Desire is an intriguing enchantment aura in Magic: The Gathering, reminiscent of cards like Dead Weight or Mire’s Grasp. These cards similarly decrease a creature’s power and toughness. Yet, Patriarch’s Desire offers a potential upside with its threshold ability, granting the enchanted creature -2/-2 as opposed to the consistent -1/-1 offered by Dead Weight and the more potent -3/-3 of Mire’s Grasp without threshold.

Even though some players favor the predictability of Dead Weight and Mire’s Grasp, Patriarch’s Desire can be more impactful in a deck that’s built to reach threshold quickly. This can transform it from a simple nuisance into a deadly spell for your opponent’s creatures. However, it is important to consider the setup required to maximize its effect. The time taken to reach threshold could be seen as a downside compared to the immediacy of the other enchantments’ effects.

Outlining unique strengths and strategic uses, Patriarch’s Desire holds its ground in the realm of creature debuffs, shining particularly well in decks tailored to exploit its full potential swiftly.

Cards similar to Patriarch's Desire by color, type and mana cost

Feast of the Unicorn - MTG Card versions

Erebos, Bleak-Hearted - MTG Card versions

Night of Souls' Betrayal - MTG Card versions

Measure of Wickedness - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Patriarch's Desire MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey, 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 Patriarch's Desire and other MTG cards: