Razia's Purification MTG Card


Razia's Purification - Ravnica: City of Guilds
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Released2005-10-07
Set symbol
Set nameRavnica: City of Guilds
Set codeRAV
Number224
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byShishizaru

Key Takeaways

  1. Selective retention of permanents during Razia’s Purification can strategically position you ahead of opponents.
  2. The specific mana requirement for Razia’s Purification necessitates careful deck construction and mana management.
  3. Despite a high mana cost, this card’s board-resetting capability makes it a powerful tool in certain MTG formats.

Text of card

Each player chooses three permanents he or she controls, then sacrifices the rest.

Only the chosen ones are spared.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Despite its initial sweep, Razia’s Purification can lead to card advantage by effectively resetting the board. This allows players to choose critical pieces to retain while opponents are often left with weakened defenses and fewer options.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, by selectively keeping key lands or mana rocks during the resolution of Razia’s Purification, you ensure access to your resources in the aftermath. This can put you ahead as you accelerate towards recasting important spells.

Instant Speed: Though Razia’s Purification is not an instant, its impact on the board is immediate and decisive. Playing it astutely can capitalize on opponents being tapped out, ensuring they can’t respond effectively, giving you a pseudo instant-speed advantage in the resulting board state.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Upon casting Razia’s Purification, you may need to bid farewell to valuable cards in your hand. This can be particularly painful as the required selection of only three permanents to keep may force your strategy into a tight corner, potentially resulting in a loss of crucial resources.

Specific Mana Cost: With a distinctive casting cost that demands three white mana, this card locks firmly into white-centric or heavily mana-fixed decks. Players running a multicolored deck may find it challenging to meet such a demanding color requirement within their mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Razor’s Purification hits the board at a steep six mana price point. In the fast-paced world of MTG, utilizing six mana for a board-altering spell may come too late. Competing cards could deliver more immediate impact or less restrictive board control for the same or lower investment, potentially making Razia’s Purification less appealing in situations where speed and efficiency are key.


Reasons to Include Razia’s Purification in Your Collection

Versatility: Razia’s Purification offers a unique reset button for crowded boards. Whether you’re tailoring your deck for multiplayer mayhem or one-on-one action, this card can provide a tactical edge when facing decks that flood the battlefield with creatures and permanents.

Combo Potential: This card pairs superbly with indestructible or return-to-hand mechanics, allowing you to preserve your key pieces while decimating opponents’ strategies. It opens avenues for inventive combos that can decisively swing the game in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: In a game that cycles through various metas, having Razia’s Purification can offer a resilient player the means to break board stalls or reset after opponents over-extend their resources, making it an intriguing addition for those looking to adapt and overcome in shifting competitive environments.


How to beat

Razia’s Purification is an impactful six-mana sorcery that forces each player to choose three permanents they control and sacrifice the rest. This powerful board sweep can tilt the game in your favor or set you back substantially depending on when it’s played and the preparation you’ve undertaken. Defending against this potent card requires strategic planning and card choice.

To maintain board presence, prioritize playing indestructible creatures or those that can return from the graveyard. Cards like Selfless Spirit can grant your team indestructibility, nullifying the effect of Razia’s Purification. Utilizing counterspells such as Negate or Dovin’s Veto can ensure Razia’s Purification never resolves. Another method involves keeping a low profile with fewer valuable permanents on the board, thus reducing the impact of the spell when it hits. Planning for after the sweep is crucial: holding back resources and setting up a quick recovery will help you regain a strong position post-purification.

In essence, countering Razia’s Purification revolves around preparation and strategic play. Building an adaptable board, having a counter strategy ready, and managing resources are key components in turning the tide against this game-altering spell in Magic: The Gathering.


Cards like Razia's Purification

Razia’s Purification stands out as a unique and impactful card in the world of Magic: The Gathering. It shares conceptual space with another notable reset card, Cataclysm. Both enforce a limitation on the number of permanents opponents can retain, pressing a reset of sorts on the game state. While Cataclysm allows players to choose a representative permanent from each category to remain on the battlefield, Razia’s Purification takes a more rigid approach by strictly limiting the number to three, regardless of type.

Comparatively, Tragic Arrogance offers a twist to the constraint, permitting a player to decide which permanents their opponents keep, which can be strategically superior in specific scenarios. It may not reduce the quantity as dramatically as Razia’s Purification, but it provides a valuable element of control. In contrast, Razia’s Purification offers no such leeway, which can be both a boon and a setback depending on your board state and game plan.

To wrap up, Razia’s Purification appears as a mighty yet demanding card within Magic: The Gathering, demanding careful timing and strategy. Its unique limitation effect elevates it to be a potentially game-altering card under the right circumstances, particularly in situations calling for a sweeping reset.

Cataclysm - MTG Card versions
Tragic Arrogance - MTG Card versions
Cataclysm - Exodus (EXO)
Tragic Arrogance - Magic Origins (ORI)

Cards similar to Razia's Purification by color, type and mana cost

Onward // Victory - MTG Card versions
Leave // Chance - MTG Card versions
Onward // Victory - Amonkhet Remastered (AKR)
Leave // Chance - Amonkhet Remastered (AKR)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Razia's Purification MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds, 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 Razia's Purification and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Razia's Purification has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2005-10-01 If a player doesn’t control three permanents, that player chooses all the permanents they do control and doesn’t sacrifice anything.
2005-10-01 Players choose permanents in turn order around the table, then simultaneously sacrifice all permanents not chosen.

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