Pain's Reward MTG Card

Gain an edge by trading life for cards, making Pain’s Reward a strategic hand refresher. The card creates critical game moments, challenging opponents to compete for card advantage. Pain’s Reward can hinder your strategy with its discard requirement and specific mana cost.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery
Released	2005-06-03
Set symbol
Set name	Saviors of Kamigawa
Set code	SOK
Number	85
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Matt Cavotta

Text of card

You bid any amount of life. In turn order, each player may top the high bid. The bidding ends if the high bid stands. The high bidder loses life equal to the high bid and draws four cards.

Cards like Pain's Reward

Pain’s Reward is a unique contribution to the suite of risk-reward offerings in Magic: The Gathering. It bears similarity to cards like Risk Factor, where opponents are put in a challenging position to choose between two detrimental effects. With Pain’s Reward, players bid life to potentially draw cards, daring opponents to weigh their own life total against potential card advantage. Risk Factor, however, allows for repeated use with its jump-start ability, though it doesn’t present the bidding mini-game.

Another card that creates a dynamic play scenario is Browbeat. This card also gives an opponent the tough decision between allowing card draw or taking damage. While Browbeat’s effect isn’t under the player’s control like Pain’s Reward, it sets a fixed cost of life instead of opening up a bidding war. Furthermore, Pain’s Reward offers the potential for drawing more than three cards, a cap that Browbeat has in place.

To summarize, Pain’s Reward introduces an intriguing layer of strategy to MTG. It’s not just about drawing cards but also outsmarting opponents in a risky bid. Though similar to other cards that lever choice and consequence, Pain’s Reward’s unique bidding element certainly lets it stand out in the world of player interaction and card advantage strategies.

Cards similar to Pain's Reward by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Pain’s Reward offers a valuable trade-off, allowing a player to pay life in increments to draw cards. This mechanic can strategically outpace opponents by providing additional options and responses in your hand.

Resource Acceleration: While this card does not directly generate mana, the additional cards it provides can lead to resource acceleration by offering a wider array of plays and potential mana sources, ultimately speeding up the pace at which a player can deploy threats.

Instant Speed: As a sorcery, Pain’s Reward might not be cast at instant speed, but it creates decision points at crucial moments, often at the beginning of the upkeep, making your opponents carefully consider their actions and available resources in order to compete for the card draw.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Pain’s Reward obliges players to discard a card, which could be taxing when you’re strapped for hand options. This can hinder your game plan, especially if you possess crucial spells you don’t want to discard.

Specific Mana Cost: Necessitating both black and colorless mana to cast, Pain’s Reward might not seamlessly slot into all deck archetypes. This can sometimes restrict deck building flexibility and is something to consider during the deck construction process.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an investment of three mana required, Pain’s Reward might be seen as costly when compared to other cards with similar or lower mana costs that offer card advantage or direct impact on the game state.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Pain’s Reward offers a unique choice-based mechanic, making it a flexible inclusion in decks that can manipulate life totals or thrive in high-risk, high-reward scenarios. Its ability to quickly draw cards at the potential cost of life makes it a tool for various strategies.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combos, as it can be a crucial piece in setups that leverage life payment for massive gains, or it can interact with effects that trigger when life is lost or cards are drawn. It supports a synergy-centric game plan, elevating intricate interactions between cards.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta-game where fast-paced decisions and card advantage can dominate, Pain’s Reward offers the chance to out-pace opponents by aggressively drawing cards while managing life as a resource, a tactic especially valuable against slower, controlling decks.

How to beat

Pain’s Reward is an intriguing card that tempts players into a risky bid for card advantage in MTG. When it resolves, the card initiates a bid of life points where players gamble on how much they’re willing to pay for the reward of drawing three cards. To outmaneuver an opponent using Pain’s Reward, it’s crucial to gauge your own life total and board position. A safe strategy is to force your opponent to overcommit life points, outbidding them only when you’re confident you can withstand the life loss.

Another effective tactic is to utilize spells or abilities that neutralize the effect after the life points have been paid, such as removal spells to clear the battlefield, or counterspells to prevent key plays in the subsequent turn. Consider cards with life gain to offset the life spent if you’re the highest bidder, ensuring you maintain a stable life total. It’s also wise to manage your resources, so you’re not left vulnerable after the bid. This nuanced approach, balancing risk and reward, is the key to mastering interactions with Pain’s Reward in MTG.

Always remember to monitor the flow of the game and remain adaptable. In the complex dance of MTG, outsmarting your opponent when Pain’s Reward comes into play can tip the scales in your favor, leading to victory.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Pain's Reward MTG card by a specific set like Saviors of Kamigawa, 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 Pain's Reward and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Pain's Reward has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2005-06-01	A player may bid more life than they have.
2005-06-01	Bidding continues until all players except the one with the current high bid have declined to top that bid.