Perish the Thought MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Released | 2010-04-23 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Rise of the Eldrazi |
| Set code | ROE |
| Number | 123 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Austin Hsu |
Text of card
Target opponent reveals his or her hand. You choose a card from it. That player shuffles that card into his or her library.
It removed only one idea from her mind: defiance.
Cards like Perish the Thought
Perish the Thought is an intriguing disruption tool for Magic: The Gathering players looking to dismantle their opponent’s hand strategies. It’s often compared to other hand disruption spells such as Duress or Thoughtseize. Like these classic options, Perish the Thought delves into the opponent’s hand, offering a peek at hidden threats and strategies. What sets Perish the Thought apart is its ability to target any type of card, whereas Duress is limited to noncreature, nonland cards, and Thoughtseize can leave a painful mark with its 2 life cost.
Exploring further similarities, we encounter Distress, which shares the non-targeted discard aspect but without Perish the Thought’s cost flexibility. Oppressive Will is yet another peer in this category, offering a counter to a spell unless its caster pays additional mana—like Perish the Thought, it influences your opponent’s decisions. However, it lacks the direct assault on the opponent’s hand.
When analyzing these cards for strategic advantage, Perish the Thought stands out for its broad targeting ability, increasing its versatility in competitive play. It adeptly positions itself in the spectrum of hand disruption spells within Magic: The Gathering, providing a robust option for players aiming to control the flow of the game.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Perish the Thought excels in disrupting the opponent’s hand while simultaneously granting you insight into their strategy. By forcing a discard, you can tip the scales in card advantage, especially potent in the mid to late game where every card counts.
Resource Acceleration: While this card doesn’t directly create mana or treasure tokens, it can be considered a form of resource acceleration in control decks. By removing key pieces from your opponent’s hand, you slow down their game plan, effectively accelerating yours as you dominate the tempo of the game.
Instant Speed: The ability to play Perish the Thought at instant speed is a significant advantage. It allows you to pass your turn without committing mana to the board, keeping up the appearance of a possible counter or removal spell. Then, at the most opportune moment, usually the end of your opponent’s turn or in response to an action that reveals critical information about their hand, you can cast Perish the Thought to best determine which card to discard.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Initiating ‘Perish the Thought’ enforces a discard, potentially depleting your own hand when you might need all the options you can get.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a very particular mana setup, prioritizing black mana, which might not seamlessly integrate into every deck’s mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that is arguably steep for its effect, players may find that there are other cards that could provide greater disruption to the opponent’s hand at a lower cost.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Perish the Thought offers a targeted approach to disrupting your opponent’s strategy. Its ability to force a player to reveal their hand and then choose a nonland card from it to discard is advantageous in almost any deck and can be pivotal against a wide range of opponents.
Combo Potential: The card works exceptionally well with other hand disruption tactics or graveyard recursion effects. In decks that thrive on knowing and controlling the opponent’s hand, Perish the Thought can be a key piece to disrupt your opponent’s plans and carve a path to victory.
Meta-Relevance: As deck strategies often revolve around intricate combinations or powerful single cards, having a tool like Perish the Thought can be crucial. It is particularly potent in a meta where control decks or combo decks are prevalent, allowing you to address threats before they can be deployed.
How to beat
Perish the Thought stands out in the MTG landscape as a disruptive black sorcery card that can skew the tide of a match by forcing an opponent to reveal their hand and discard a card of your choice. It’s a head-to-head confrontation where knowing the contents of your adversary’s hand can grant you a significant strategic edge—especially considering the potential to extract key pieces from their game plan.
Dealing with its threat requires a shrewd understanding of your own deck’s resilience. First and foremost, countering Perish the Thought with a card like Negate can neutralize its effect before it unfolds. Alternatively, incorporating redundancy in your deck design ensures that losing one critical card won’t derail your strategy. Concealed backup plans, like a diversity of threats or built-in recursion abilities, can help recover the lost card or its function. Lastly, instant-speed drawing effects or cards with Flash can skirt around Perish the Thought’s disruption by stocking your hand outside typical sorcery timings, diminishing the impact of your opponent’s targeted discard.
Ultimately, though potent in the right circumstances, Perish the Thought’s success hinges on the preparedness and strategic depth of the opposing player. Navigate these waters correctly, and you’ll mitigate its influence, keeping your game plan on course.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Perish the Thought MTG card by a specific set like Rise of the Eldrazi, 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 Perish the Thought and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Perish the Thought has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Perish the Thought card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2010-06-15 | If the targeted player’s hand is empty, you can’t choose a card for that player to shuffle into their library. No shuffle occurs. |