Sarkhan's Catharsis MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sarkhan’s Catharsis is effective in stripping your opponent’s hand while you maintain your hand size, paving the way for a dominant position as the game progresses.

Resource Acceleration: By potentially removing blockers or threats, this card can clear the path for your creatures, indirectly speeding up your victory clock and putting you ahead in the race.

Instant Speed: Although Sarkhan’s Catharsis doesn’t have instant speed, its ability to deal 5 damage at sorcery speed can be a decisive blow during your turn, ensuring that the coast is clear for your attacks or that key threats are eliminated before your opponent can further utilize them.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One notable downside to Sarkhan’s Catharsis is that it comes without the need to discard. However, players must be aware that holding onto it for the perfect moment could lead to missed opportunities for more immediate board impact or disruption.

Specific Mana Cost: With its costs requiring both generic and red mana, this card demands a commitment to a red mana base. This specificity may not fit seamlessly into decks that run three or more colors, potentially restricting its utility across various deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At five mana to cast, this card’s cost effectiveness is up for debate. While it promises a significant damage output, its high mana cost poses the risk of being too slow in faster-paced games, where lower-costing spells could be played to greater cumulative effect over the same number of turns.

Reasons to Include Sarkhan’s Catharsis in Your Collection

Versatility: Sarkhan’s Catharsis is a flexible burn spell capable of targeting any player or planeswalker. Its straightforward damage output makes it a suitable choice for different deck archetypes seeking a reliable finisher or removal option.

Combo Potential: This card shines in synergy with decks that capitalize on noncreature spells, increasing the value from prowess triggers or spell-slinging mechanics. Additionally, it complements strategies that benefit from direct damage spells.

Meta-Relevance: Against a meta with prevalent planeswalkers or in games where life totals are precariously low, Sarkhan’s Catharsis provides a significant shift in tempo, possibly swinging the game in your favor. It’s a useful sideboard tool or even a main deck consideration depending on the prevalence of planeswalker-focused decks.

How to beat

Sarkhan’s Catharsis is a potent removal spell in MTG, capable of dealing a solid 5 damage to any target player or planeswalker. Such direct damage spells can change the tide of the game, especially if your opponent is using planeswalkers to enhance their strategy. To effectively counter Sarkhan’s Catharsis, consider running cards that grant you hexproof, like Shalai, Voice of Plenty, which protects you and your planeswalkers from being targeted.

Another strategy is to use instant-speed counterspells such as Negate or Dovin’s Veto to deny the spell outright. It’s also beneficial to maintain a high life total or use cards that can redirect damage, like the classic Redirect or newer options like Narset’s Reversal, which can turn the tide by sending the damage back to the caster or their planeswalkers. Being proactive and keeping your planeswalkers’ loyalty high enough to survive the catharsis can also ensure your key pieces remain on the board. Understanding when to pressure and when to hold back counterspells makes all the difference in outlasting opponents who rely on Sarkhan’s Catharsis.