Gratuitous Violence MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Doubles damage output making even modest creatures into significant threats on the playing field.
  2. Can quickly pressure opponents, necessitating strategic use of their resources and defenses.
  3. Its effect is instant, catching adversaries off-guard with a sudden spike in damage potential.

Text of card

If a creature you control would deal damage to a creature or player, it deals double that damage to that creature or player instead.

Only the Cabal could make a fight to the death more deadly.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Playing Gratuitous Violence doubles the damage points of your creatures. This means that even simple creatures in your deck become more powerful, potentially overwhelming your opponent’s resources and maintaining your card advantage by keeping your creatures on the field for longer.

Resource Acceleration: Gratuitous Violence accelerates your gameplay by quickly reducing your opponent’s life points. This shift in dynamics forces them to rethink their strategies and potentially overcommit resources to staying afloat while you maintain control of the game state.

Instant Speed: While Gratuitous Violence itself doesn’t have instant speed, its effect applies to all of your creatures instantly as the card gets played. This means you can respond to your opponent’s moves with unexpected high damage, even outside of your combat phase, making every creature a formidable threat.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Gratuitous Violence is that playing this card doesn’t come without sacrifice. It involves a trade-off that requires a card to be discarded as a part of its casting cost. Therefore, it can potentially put you in a disadvantageous situation if you’re already running low on cards.

Specific Mana Cost: Despite its powerful effect, Gratuitous Violence requires a specific mana color cost, which is red. This requirement adds a layer of limitation to its usability, confining it mostly to red-themed decks or multi-color decks with a sufficient amount of red mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost of five, including three red ones, Gratuitous Violence could be seen as quite expensive to cast in many game scenarios. The demand might make players consider the availability of potentially more efficient cards in terms of impact versus mana cost ratio within the game of Magic.


Reasons to Include Gratuitous Violence in Your Collection

Versatility: Gratuitous Violence is a desirable card due to its flexibility. It can be a tactical addition to both aggressive and attrition-based decks. Particularly in decks focused on dealing damage, the card’s ability to double the impact significantly enhances your game playing strategy.

Combo Potential: Gratuitous Violence boasts impressive combo potential. In a deck that facilitates regular inflicting of damage, this card essentially multiplies that damage, creating a formidable force. Whether you’re aiming for aspect shots, trample damage, or straight face hits, Gratuitous Violence can enhance your approach.

Meta-Relevance: In the current meta, where aggressive strategies are often adopted, Gratuitous Violence fits in aptly. Its value in enhancing damage inflicted ensures it’s a card worth considering for your deck, particularly if you’re in tune with a meta that favors heavy-hitting strategies.


How to beat

Gratuitous Violence is a red enchantment card that can enhance your gaming strategy in MTG due to its destructive ability. This card can double the damage inflicted on an opponent by creatures you control. Stand-alone, it’s a challenging card to go up against but it’s not invincible.

One way to potentially manage Gratuitous Violence is through countering, an often-used technique in MTG. By using cards like Mana Leak or Negate, you can intercept and nullify the spell before it settles on the battlefield. This approach works well but needs timing prowess to successfully execute it.

Another strategy involves the use of removal spells. Disenchant or Naturalize is a prime choice for dealing with enchantment type artifacts directly. They’re best used when Gratuitous Violence has already been cast, and they’re effective in quickly clearing threats on the field.

Lastly, the use of fog effects or damage prevention cards can be employed. Cards such as Fog or Holy Day can prevent the damage dealt by creatures, dampening the immediate threat posed by Gratuitous Violence. These strategies offer multiple ways to minimize the impact or remove this card from play, facilitating players to retain control of the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Gaining the upper hand in MTG often comes down to the right card combinations and strategic enhancements. Gratuitous Violence could be the game-changer you’ve been looking for. By doubling your creatures’ damage output, you can make every strike count, tipping the scales in your favor. It’s not just about having powerful creatures, but also about amplifying their potential to secure your victories. Ready to discover how Gratuitous Violence can revolutionize your deck and gameplay? Delve deeper with us into the world of MTG and harness the power of this formidable card to outmaneuver your opponents and dominate the battlefield.


Cards like Gratuitous Violence

Gratuitous Violence stands in its unique position within Magic: The Gathering’s assault damage-boosting cards. Its impact is often compared to Furnace of Rath, which also doubles the damage of your creatures. Yet, what sets them apart is the direction of impact. Furnace of Rath doubles the given and received damage, while Gratuitous Violence only doubles the damage your creatures deal, safeguarding you from reciprocal damage.

In the same category, we see Angrath’s Marauders. This card also intensifies the damage your creatures inflict, much like Gratuitous Violence. However, the Marauders hold a distinctive edge with their permanents causing the double damage, not merely the creatures. Console of Allocation also meriting a mention here, exploiting the opponent’s spells to siphon off life. Still, it falls short in embodying the raw aggressive attribute that Gratuitous Violence harnesses.

To summarize, considering the dynamic nature of Gratuitous Violence in terms of its versatility and the strategic advantages it lends to players, it indeed holds a noteworthy position amidst the damage-oriented spectrum of MTG cards due to its protective yet destructive nature.

Furnace of Rath - MTG Card versions
Angrath's Marauders - MTG Card versions
Furnace of Rath - Tempest (TMP)
Angrath's Marauders - Ixalan (XLN)

Cards similar to Gratuitous Violence by color, type and mana cost

Conquer - MTG Card versions
Curse of Marit Lage - MTG Card versions
Bulwark - MTG Card versions
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Dictate of the Twin Gods - MTG Card versions
Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded - MTG Card versions
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Aether Charge - MTG Card versions
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Yet Another Aether Vortex - MTG Card versions
Where Ancients Tread - MTG Card versions
Rumbling Aftershocks - MTG Card versions
Heretic's Punishment - MTG Card versions
Curse of Bloodletting - MTG Card versions
Pyroconvergence - MTG Card versions
Possibility Storm - MTG Card versions
Witch Hunt - MTG Card versions
Conquer - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Curse of Marit Lage - Ice Age (ICE)
Bulwark - Urza's Saga (USG)
Burning Sands - Odyssey (ODY)
Unpredictable Cyclone - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths Promos (PIKO)
Court of Ire - Tales of Middle-earth Commander (LTC)
Dictate of the Twin Gods - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded - Theros Beyond Death (THB)
Double Vision - New Capenna Commander (NCC)
Aether Charge - Onslaught (ONS)
Extra Arms - Scourge (SCG)
Confusion in the Ranks - Mirrodin (MRD)
Yet Another Aether Vortex - The List (Unfinity Foil Edition) (ULST)
Where Ancients Tread - Commander 2013 (C13)
Rumbling Aftershocks - Worldwake (WWK)
Heretic's Punishment - Innistrad (ISD)
Curse of Bloodletting - Dark Ascension (DKA)
Pyroconvergence - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Possibility Storm - Dragon's Maze (DGM)
Witch Hunt - Commander 2013 (C13)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gratuitous Violence MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught and Conspiracy: Take the Crown, 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 Gratuitous Violence and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Gratuitous Violence Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2002-10-07 and 2021-07-23. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-10-07OnslaughtONS 2121997normalblackChristopher Moeller
22016-08-26Conspiracy: Take the CrownCN2 1612015normalblackChristopher Moeller
32021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 1272015normalblackJesper Ejsing

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gratuitous Violence has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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