Dirge of Dread MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Cycling

Key Takeaways

  1. Cycling Dirge of Dread offers deck agility and strategic draw opportunities during play.
  2. Instant speed use provides tactical advantage, keeping opponent’s plays uncertain.
  3. Card’s flexibility is offset by potential resource loss and specific mana requirements.

Text of card

All creatures gain fear until end of turn. (They can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or black creatures.) Cycling o1o B (o1o B, Discard this card from your hand: Draw a card.) When you cycle Dirge of Dread, you may have target creature gain fear until end of turn.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dirge of Dread provides you with the ability to cycle, allowing for card replacement and potential deck thinning, which are key for gaining momentum and increased chances of drawing into your strategy’s important pieces.

Resource Acceleration: While the card itself doesn’t directly produce additional resources, it can effectively reduce mana costs by being cycled for a single black mana, permitting a more efficient allocation of resources towards impactful plays.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of cycling Dirge of Dread at instant speed gives you the ability to adapt reactively to your opponent’s actions, providing a tactical edge by not committing resources until necessary and thereby keeping your opponent in the dark about your hand.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Dirge of Dread forces a card discard to activate its cycling ability. This can set back players who are already struggling with a limited hand, making them sacrifice valuable resources just to draw a new card.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Dirge of Dread is tailored for black mana decks. This specificity can be restrictive because it’s not always easily slot into multicolored deck variations, potentially reducing its versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Needing three mana—one of which must be black—to cast Dirge of Dread could be seen as steep, particularly when other cards provide similar or better effects for less mana, impacting the card’s cost efficiency within a game.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Dirge of Dread’s ability to be cycled makes it a flexible option for many deck builds. By discarding it for a new card, you can adapt to numerous gameplay situations without sacrificing deck space.

Combo Potential: Its cycling ability also allows you to potentially unleash powerful graveyard interactions. The card is adept at enabling combos with cards that benefit from cycling or when specific cards need to be retrieved from the graveyard.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where control decks are prevalent, Dirge of Dread can slip through countermagic via cycling. Its ability to grant fear can also be key in allowing creatures to bypass opposing defenses in creature-dense metas.


How to beat

Overcoming the Dirge of Dread in MTG games requires a strategic approach. This card is known for its cycling ability, which not only filters through your deck but also grants all of your creatures fear until the end of the turn, making them virtually unblockable except by black or artifact creatures. The key to beating Dirge of Dread lies in either preventing the activation of its cycling ability or neutralizing the fear effect.

One strategy is to use counter spells that specifically target the cycling ability, like Nimble Obstructionist, or to apply board control techniques like sweepers to eliminate the creatures before the fear ability can be a factor. Disruption tactics such as Thoughtseize can also play a role in discarding Dirge of Dread from your opponent’s hand before they have the opportunity to use it. Moreover, employing creatures that can block regardless of fear, for example, artifacts or those with protection from black, can mitigate the advantage this card gives. Recognizing the potency of Dirge of Dread’s tactical benefit is paramount, as nullifying its impact can be pivotal in swinging the game in your favor.


Cards like Dirge of Dread

Dirge of Dread has carved its niche within the aura and sorcery card types in Magic: The Gathering. This spell draws close comparison to other fear-inducing auras, such as Fear itself. While both enchantments grant creatures the ability to become nearly unblockable, Dirge of Dread also brings the flexibility of cycling to the table, providing players with alternative options to draw cards if it isn’t immediately applicable.

Cycling cards are a unique bunch, and amongst them, Choking Tethers stands out as a fellow cycling card. It not only allows card drawing but also taps up to four target creatures. This control aspect is different from Dirge of Dread’s aggressive unblockability focus. Additionally, there’s the classic, Drake Haven, which turns cycling into a creature-generating engine, offering a direction that can either complement or diverge from Dirge of Dread’s straightforward offensive strategy.

In the larger context of MTG, while each card with cycling has its strategic applications, Dirge of Dread’s specific contribution to both an aggressive playstyle and cycling synergy ensures it holds a valuable position especially when considering deck-building for evasion tactics and cycling benefits.

Fear - MTG Card versions
Choking Tethers - MTG Card versions
Drake Haven - MTG Card versions
Fear - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Choking Tethers - Onslaught (ONS)
Drake Haven - Amonkhet (AKH)

Cards similar to Dirge of Dread by color, type and mana cost

Darkpact - MTG Card versions
Demonic Attorney - MTG Card versions
Jovial Evil - MTG Card versions
Infernal Contract - MTG Card versions
Touch of Death - MTG Card versions
Wicked Pact - MTG Card versions
Nature's Ruin - MTG Card versions
Buried Alive - MTG Card versions
Choking Sands - MTG Card versions
Brush with Death - MTG Card versions
Perish - MTG Card versions
Coercion - MTG Card versions
Hand of Death - MTG Card versions
Grim Tutor - MTG Card versions
Forced March - MTG Card versions
Stupor - MTG Card versions
Soul Burn - MTG Card versions
Noxious Vapors - MTG Card versions
Mind Rot - MTG Card versions
Crippling Fatigue - MTG Card versions
Darkpact - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Demonic Attorney - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Jovial Evil - Legends (LEG)
Infernal Contract - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Touch of Death - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Wicked Pact - Portal (POR)
Nature's Ruin - Portal (POR)
Buried Alive - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Choking Sands - World Championship Decks 1997 (WC97)
Brush with Death - Stronghold (STH)
Perish - The List (PLST)
Coercion - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Hand of Death - Starter 1999 (S99)
Grim Tutor - Starter 1999 (S99)
Forced March - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Stupor - Arena League 2000 (PAL00)
Soul Burn - Invasion (INV)
Noxious Vapors - Planeshift (PLS)
Mind Rot - Kaladesh Remastered (KLR)
Crippling Fatigue - Hachette UK (PHUK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dirge of Dread MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught and Salvat 2005, 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 Dirge of Dread and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Dirge of Dread Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2002-10-07 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-10-07OnslaughtONS 1381997normalblackHeather Hudson
22005-08-22Salvat 2005PSAL A182003normalwhiteHeather Hudson
32006-01-01Hachette UKPHUK 182003normalwhiteHeather Hudson
42013-11-01Commander 2013C13 732003normalblackHeather Hudson
52018-03-16Masters 25A25 862015normalblackSeb McKinnon
62019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 6282015normalblackSeb McKinnon
72020-09-26The ListPLST A25-862015normalblackSeb McKinnon

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dirge of Dread has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2008-10-01 Cycling is an activated ability. Effects that interact with activated abilities (such as Stifle or Rings of Brighthearth) will interact with cycling. Effects that interact with spells (such as Remove Soul or Faerie Tauntings) will not.
2008-10-01 The cycling ability and the triggered ability are separate. If the triggered ability doesn't resolve (due to being countered with Stifle, for example, or if all its targets have become illegal), the cycling ability will still resolve and you'll draw a card.
2008-10-01 When you cycle this card, first the cycling ability goes on the stack, then the triggered ability goes on the stack on top of it. The triggered ability will resolve before you draw a card from the cycling ability.
2008-10-01 You can cycle this card even if there are no targets for the triggered ability. That's because the cycling ability itself has no targets.

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