Onyx Goblet MTG Card


Onyx Goblet excels in card draw, enhancing resource options and battlefield control. Flexibility at instant speed allows tactical plays, surprising opponents effectively. Its utility is weighed against discard costs and specific mana requirements.
Onyx Goblet - Shards of Alara
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeArtifact
Released2008-10-03
Set symbol
Set nameShards of Alara
Set codeALA
Number81
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byrk post

Text of card

: Target player loses 1 life.

The goblet was a gift from the sphinx Gorael, who hoped humans and vedalken would eventually destroy each other to acquire it, leaving all of Esper to her own kind.


Cards like Onyx Goblet

Onyx Goblet presents an intriguing comparison to other damage-dealing artifacts in Magic: The Gathering. It stands alongside cards like Staff of the Flame Magus, which also offers incremental life loss to opponents. Onyx Goblet requires an additional mana investment to activate its ability, distinguishing it with a controlled damage output rather than the passive gain from the Staff when casting red spells.

Another card worth comparing is the Torch of Defiance. While not exactly an artifact, this planeswalker brings versatility with direct damage, albeit at a higher mana cost but with additional benefits. Onyx Goblet is more streamlined and can consistently offer damage each turn, whereas Torch of Defiance provides a one-off damage punch combined with card advantage or mana acceleration.

Ultimately, within the array of Magic: The Gathering cards that center around dealing damage through non-creature sources, Onyx Goblet holds unique value. It’s a persistent threat that can chip away at an opponent’s life total, becoming especially potent in longer, drawn-out matches.

Staff of the Flame Magus - MTG Card versions
Staff of the Flame Magus - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Onyx Goblet by color, type and mana cost

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Crowded Crypt - MTG Card versions
Armix, Filigree Thrasher - MTG Card versions
The Book of Vile Darkness - MTG Card versions
Mask of Griselbrand - MTG Card versions
Nim Replica - MTG Card versions
Skeleton Shard - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Totem - MTG Card versions
Moriok Replica - MTG Card versions
Prakhata Pillar-Bug - MTG Card versions
Whispersteel Dagger - MTG Card versions
Serpent's Soul-Jar - MTG Card versions
Wand of Orcus - MTG Card versions
Glass-Cast Heart - MTG Card versions
Undercity Scrounger - MTG Card versions
Enormous Energy Blade - MTG Card versions
Chainflail Centipede - MTG Card versions
Smogbelcher Chariot - MTG Card versions
Flayed One - MTG Card versions
Skorpekh Lord - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Onyx Goblet thrives in decks that prioritize card draw, allowing players to delve deeper into their library and increase their options on the battlefield. This plays a vital role in outpacing the opponent by having more resources at your disposal.

Resource Acceleration: This card has the potential to advance your resource pool significantly. By providing an additional mana source or fixing your mana colors, it seamlessly fits into strategies that require a diverse mana base or simply need to ramp up their plays faster than usual.

Instant Speed: One of the most tactical aspects of Onyx Goblet is its ability to be played at instant speed. This flexibility lets players make pivotal decisions during the heat of the moment, whether it’s surprising an opponent during their turn or optimally timing the spell to maximize its effect on the game state.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Onyx Goblet requires a card to be discarded for its activation. This can pose a challenge when hand size is already depleted, leaving you struggling to maintain card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: This artifact demands a precise mana combination to come into play, which could disrupt the fluidity of multicolored or heavily-themed decks that are not based around its color alignment.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that competes with more impactful permanents or spells, Onyx Goblet’s utility is overshadowed. Players might find alternative cards that offer greater benefits for the same, if not a lower, mana investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Onyx Goblet offers utility across a variety of decks, slotting into strategies that hinge on life point manipulation, whether it’s gaining an edge in life total or systematically weakening an opponent.

Combo Potential: The ability to drain life might be incremental, but when paired with cards that thrive on life loss or life gain triggers, Onyx Goblet becomes a staple in synergistic builds, accentuating combo efficiency.

Meta-Relevance: As metagames cycle through aggressive and control phases, having a card like Onyx Goblet can be crucial. Its recurring life drain can be a deterrent to swarming aggro decks and a consistent clock against control opponents.


How to Beat Onyx Goblet

Onyx Goblet can be a subtle but pesky card to encounter in your games of Magic: The Gathering. It has a capacity to slowly drain an opponent’s life while bolstering the user’s own, a dual threat in longer, grindier matchups. One smart approach against the Onyx Goblet is to prioritize artifact removal in your deck. This could include straightforward and easily castable spells like Disenchant or more specialized tools like Abrade that can deal with creatures as well.

Alternatively, playing aggressively can prove effective. By putting significant pressure on your opponent early, the slow life drain the goblet provides becomes negligible. Swift creatures, direct damage spells, and building a board presence that demands answers can lead to victory before the goblet’s effect tips the scales. Lastly, using cards with life gain can also offset the health disparity Onyx Goblet tries to create, leaving it far less impactful on the overall course of the game. Remember, Onyx Goblet is just one piece in your opponent’s plan, tackling it fast keeps the game on your terms.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Onyx Goblet MTG card by a specific set like Shards of Alara, 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 Onyx Goblet and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Onyx Goblet has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2008-10-01 The only difference between a colored artifact and a colorless artifact is, obviously, its color. Unlike most artifacts, a colored artifact requires colored mana to cast. Also unlike most artifacts, a colored artifact has a color in all zones. It will interact with cards that care about color. Other than that, a colored artifact behaves just like any other artifact. It will interact as normal with any card that cares about artifacts, such as Shatter or Arcbound Ravager.