Death Match MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment
Released	2002-10-07
Set symbol
Set name	Onslaught
Set code	ONS
Number	136
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	rk post

Key Takeaways

Death Match disrupts opponents and can tip the scales through strategic creature elimination and card advantage.
While powerful, Death Match challenges players with careful hand and mana management, demanding sacrifice.
This card’s ability to adjust tactics mid-game offers a versatile tool against creature-heavy decks.

Text of card

Whenever a creature comes into play, that creature's controller may have target creature of his or her choice get -3/-3 until end of turn.

The Cabal breeds many things for the pit fights, but it never breeds compassion.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When Death Match allows you to remove creatures from the board, it not only disrupts your opponent’s strategy but can also lead to gaining card advantage. By effectively dealing with multiple threats with a single card, you streamline your path to victory while diminishing the resources available to your rival.

Resource Acceleration: As you pave the way by removing potential blockers or threats with Death Match, you open up the board for your other creatures to attack unhindered. This acceleration in resource dominance can lead to faster wins as you press the advantage in board state, potentially leading to unanswerable threats against your opponent.

Instant Speed: The capability to play Death Match at instant speed offers incredible flexibility, allowing you to react to your opponent’s moves during their own turn. This timing advantage can be the difference between a stunning win and a sudden loss, especially when leveraged to disrupt combo pieces or to simply provide the element of surprise during combat or in response to an opponent’s spell.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Death Match card necessitates a player to discard a card, which might deplete an already taxed hand. Especially in fast-paced games, losing an additional card can hinder your game plan and cripple your options, leaving you vulnerable to counterattacks.

Specific Mana Cost: Death Match demands a specific combination of mana, which can be a challenge in multicolor decks that may not always have the right colors available when needed. It often forces players to adjust their land base or mana generation strategy, which can complicate deck-building and in-game dynamics.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Death Match comes with a relatively steep mana cost. For some decks, this translates to a delayed play, as the card can occupy your turn without affecting the board immediately. In matches where tempo is crucial, its high cost might be a setback compared to other low-cost removal or creature options that offer immediate impact.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Death Match is a unique enchantment that can integrate seamlessly into a wide variety of black-themed decks. Its ability to weaken opposing creatures whenever a player plays a creature card makes it useful in constantly evolving board states.

Combo Potential: This card excels when combined with effects that generate creature tokens or strategies that involve frequent creature cast. It enables the player to systematically dismantle their opponents’ forces by creating a chain-reaction of creature power reduction.

Meta-Relevance: With decks that focus on creature-heavy strategies, Death Match proves to be an apt inclusion. It’s especially effective when the meta leans towards aggro or creature-based combos, where its presence can significantly hinder an opponent’s momentum.

How to beat

Death Match from Magic: The Gathering is a potent enchantment that can dramatically alter the course of play by providing a consistent means to weaken and ultimately destroy opponent creatures. This card thrives in decks that can easily churn out creatures, turning each new arrival into a potential threat against sturdier adversaries.

To gain an advantage over Death Match, players must be strategic. Consider cards with Hexproof to protect your creatures from being targeted. Additionally, employing cards that benefit from creatures entering the graveyard can turn the tables on a Death Match user. Think along the lines of abilities like Morbid or effects that trigger upon death, such as Afterlife. Notable is shifting to a less creature-dependent deck or using spells and abilities that bolster the resilience of your creatures to survive the -3/-3 conditions created by Death Match.

Equally effective is the savvy use of enchantment removal. Cleaning the battlefield of the Death Match card can often swing momentum back in your favor. By fully understanding Death Match and preparing your deck to counter such threats, you place yourself in a strong position to outplay your opponent and emerge victorious.

Cards like Death Match

The pivotal nature of Death Match in Magic: The Gathering comes from its unique trait of weakening creatures. Similar to cards such as Massacre Wurm or Night of Souls’ Betrayal, Death Match triggers upon any creature entering the battlefield, presenting a continual threat to opponent’s creatures. Massacre Wurm impacts the board immediately, punishing opponents with life loss per creature killed, whereas Night of Souls’ Betrayal has a static effect that continually suppresses the power of all creatures.

Nevertheless, Death Match’s distinctive capability to impose -3/-3 to creatures steers the game in a direction where it demands strategy adjustments. Unlike Toxic Deluge, which offers a one-time mass creature debuff effect in exchange for life, Death Match alters the dynamics over the course of multiple turns. Its tactical aspect requires players to carefully consider creature plays, paralleling the conditional strength of a card like Lethal Vapors, which deters creature deployment while it’s on the field.

To sum it up, within the pantheon of creature control spells in Magic: The Gathering, Death Match positions itself as a dynamic and strategic card, constantly influencing the board-state and challenging conventionally aggressive strategies in a way few cards can.

Night of Souls' Betrayal - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Death Match by color, type and mana cost

Feast of the Unicorn - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Death Match MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught, 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 Death Match and other MTG cards: