Ordeal of Purphoros MTG Card

Ordeal of Purphoros offers card advantage and can swing the game with its enchanting power. Quickens gameplay, but requires careful timing to fully leverage its board-altering effects. Though mana-intensive, its versatility and damage potential make it a valuable addition.

Ordeal of Purphoros - Duel Decks: Heroes vs. Monsters (DDL)

Duel Decks: Heroes vs. Monsters (DDL)
2013-09-06 - Number 23

Theros (THS)
2013-09-27 - Number 131

Ordeal of Purphoros - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)

Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
2022-12-02 - Number 577

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant

Text of card

Enchant creature Whenever enchanted creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on it. Then if it has three or more +1/+1 counters on it, sacrifice Ordeal of Purphoros. When you sacrifice Ordeal of Purphoros, it deals 3 damage to target creature or player.

Cards like Ordeal of Purphoros

Exploring the array of enchantment cards within Magic: The Gathering, Ordeal of Purphoros stands out due to its unique ability to build a creature’s strength and then deal damage once it fulfills its condition. It’s often likened to cards like Cartouche of Zeal, which also focuses on enhancing creatures but with a one-time effect and without the additional damage component.

Ordeal of Purphoros shares similarities with Madcap Skills as they both provide a significant power boost to creatures. Nevertheless, Madcap Skills offers a permanent enhancement with a menace bonus, contrasting with Ordeal’s temporary boost that culminates in a damage-dealing event. Comparatively, Ordeal requires a strategy revolving around the timing of the damage it can inflict, which can be crucial in clearing the board of opposing threats.

Assessing enchantments in MTG, Ordeal of Purphoros often finds itself in conversation with other heroic-triggering cards, despite its uniqueness. Its ability to grow a creature and then transition into a direct damage source offers both flexibility and strategic depth, making it a distinctive choice for players focusing on synergy and timing.

Cards similar to Ordeal of Purphoros by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ordeal of Purphoros enhances your play by offering an incremental advantage as the enchanted creature attacks, eventually leading to drawing out a powerful effect that can change the state of the board.

Resource Acceleration: Although the primary focus is not on resource acceleration, this enchantment encourages aggressive gameplay which can lead to faster wins and indirectly, conserves your resources for other strategic plays in your hand.

Instant Speed: While traditionally an Aura card like Ordeal of Purphoros is cast at sorcery speed, the benefit it could provide through synergy with other cards allows for responsive plays, creating implicit instant-speed advantages through swift creature growth and possible instant damage.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Ordeal of Purphoros requires strategy and timing when activating its sacrifice ability. If you sacrifice it prematurely, you might miss out on maximizing Enchantment benefits, leading to a suboptimal play.

Specific Mana Cost: Tapping into the aggressive nature of red decks, Ordeal of Purphoros comes with a need for red mana. This requirement can be challenging in multi-colored decks, particularly where red is not a primary color.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With the cost to cast and the additional investment to trigger its full potential, Ordeal of Purphoros can seem steep compared to other burn or aggro-enabling options available within the game, potentially slowing down your offensive tempo.

Reasons to Include Ordeal of Purphoros in Your Collection

Versatility: Ordeal of Purphoros is a dynamic enchantment that can adapt to various deck builds. It shines in aggressive strategies that aim to quickly add +1/+1 counters to creatures and can be an unexpected source of direct damage to help control the board.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with decks that focus on +1/+1 counters or “Heroic” abilities. When the ordeal is completed, it not only strengthens your creatures but also takes down opponents’ threats or hits the player directly, complementing both offensive and defensive strategies.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based strategies are prominent, Ordeal of Purphoros provides a solid boost in power while also doubling as removal. This makes it a key card for maintaining board presence and pressuring opponents in creature-centric matchups.

How to beat

Understanding how to effectively counter Ordeal of Purphoros can be crucial in turning the tides of a match. This enchantment from the Theros block sets a unique challenge by promising explosive power after fulfilling its quest of three +1/+1 counters. However, it’s important to note that removing the creature it enchants before those counters accumulate can neutralize the threat altogether.

Utilizing instant speed removal spells, such as Path to Exile or Fatal Push, can disrupt the Ordeal’s progression, stripping an opponent of both their creature and the potential damage Ordeal of Purphoros can deal. It’s also noteworthy that sacrifice effects can’t be negated by hexproof or protection, making cards like Diabolic Edict effective tools against it. Moreover, enchantment removal like Disenchant played in response to the Ordeal’s trigger can prevent the damage to players or creatures, ensuring you maintain control of the game state.

Consequently, strategic removal plays and timing your responses can safeguard your board and life total from the escalating threat of Ordeal of Purphoros, turning what could be a formidable obstacle into a manageable element of your opponent’s strategy.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ordeal of Purphoros MTG card by a specific set like Duel Decks: Heroes vs. Monsters and Theros, 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 Ordeal of Purphoros and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ordeal of Purphoros Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2013-09-06 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Maciej Kuciara.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2013-09-06	Duel Decks: Heroes vs. Monsters	DDL	23	2003	Normal	Black	Maciej Kuciara
2	2013-09-27	Theros	THS	131	2003	Normal	Black	Maciej Kuciara
3	2022-12-02	Jumpstart 2022	J22	577	2015	Normal	Black	Maciej Kuciara

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ordeal of Purphoros has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2013-09-15	If you sacrifice the Ordeal in some other way, its last ability will trigger.
2013-09-15	The +1/+1 counter is put on the creature before blockers are declared and before combat damage is dealt.
2013-09-15	The check of whether the enchanted creature has three or more +1/+1 counters on it happens as part of the resolution of the attack triggered ability. If the third +1/+1 counter is put on the enchanted creature any other way, you won't sacrifice the Ordeal until the next time the creature attacks.