Measure of Wickedness MTG Card

Measure of Wickedness - Saviors of Kamigawa

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment
Released	2005-06-03
Set symbol
Set name	Saviors of Kamigawa
Set code	SOK
Number	82
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Daren Bader

Key Takeaways

Provides card advantage and strategic control with its unique life payment and loss-triggering ability.
Demands careful planning due to specific mana cost and potential card disadvantage from discard.
Keeps relevance in shifting metas, offering combo potential and versatile gameplay impacts.

Text of card

At the end of your turn, sacrifice Measure of Wickedness and you lose 8 life. Whenever another card is put into your graveyard from anywhere, target opponent gains control of Measure of Wickedness.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Measure of Wickedness provides a unique card advantage by enabling certain deck strategies to exploit life payment for beneficial effects, drawing cards, or triggering loss of life abilities to control the game’s pace.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, this card can set up delayed resource acceleration through its deferred payment option, which can be tactically planned around your other turns for optimal use of mana and resources.

Instant Speed: Though it’s not an instant, the versatility of Measure of Wickedness comes from its ability to impact the game at any point in the match. This allows players to weave their strategy into the ongoing game and adapt to fluid situations, mimicking the utility of instant-speed interactions.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Measure of Wickedness necessitates discarding another card for its ability to work. This could potentially leave you at a card disadvantage, especially if your hand is already depleted.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting of this card requires a precise combination of mana colors. For players running a deck with a mixed or unstable mana base, fitting it in could pose a bit of a challenge.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of four mana, including three of a single color, it falls on the higher side for its effects. Players might find other cards with a similar or lower mana cost that provide equal or greater value to their gameplay strategies.

Reasons to Include Measure of Wickedness in Your Collection

Versatility: Measure of Wickedness offers a unique ability that suits a variety of deck themes, particularly those that revolve around life manipulation or alternative win conditions. Its capacity to distribute damage or detrimental effects across players can be a game-changer in both multiplayer and single-player formats, ensuring its place in diverse collections.

Combo Potential: The card’s mechanic can synergize with strategies that aim to switch life totals or use life as a resource to activate powerful effects. This can open up opportunities for inventive combos that can turn the tide of a game and outmaneuver opponents who are unprepared for such an unusual tactic.

Meta-Relevance: As the competitive scene evolves, Measure of Wickedness can potentially exploit meta shifts where life totals are aggressively manipulated, making it a compelling inclusion when the time is right. Keeping an eye on trends and the kinds of decks that rise to prominence can be key to unlocking its full potential.

How to beat

Measure of Wickedness is a unique enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that can dramatically alter the course of a game. It’s a card that demands an immediate answer, otherwise, it poses a significant threat to your life total. To effectively neutralize this card, bringing enchantment removal spells to the battlefield is critical. Options such as Disenchant or Naturalize are efficient tools to swiftly dismantle Measure of Wickedness and protect yourself from its detrimental effects.

Additionally, redirecting Measure of Wickedness’s effect back to your opponent with cards like Harm’s Way can turn the tables in your favor. This approach not only safeguards your life points but also puts pressure on your opponent. In multi-player formats, diplomatic strategies can also play a role. Collaborating with others to manage the threat or using politics to influence target decisions can be just as beneficial as any spell in your deck. The key is to stay vigilant and be proactive in dealing with Measure of Wickedness before its ability triggers to ensure your survival in the game.

Remember, the best defense against complex cards like Measure of Wickedness is a combination of preparedness, quick action, and sometimes, a little ingenuity to claim victory over your opponents.

Cards like Measure of Wickedness

Measure of Wickedness stands out in the landscape of delayed-trigger abilities in Magic: The Gathering. It’s similar to cards like Delaying Shield that also alter the timing of damage or effects. Where Measure of Wickedness transfers the impending doom to an opponent during your upkeep, Delaying Shield converts damage to loss of life at the end of turn. However, the ability to offload a potential game-ending effect on others is unique to Measure of Wickedness.

Likewise, we can draw comparisons with Illusions of Grandeur. This card also features a delayed detrimental effect — it demands a steep cumulative upkeep or forces the player to lose a chunk of life. But while Illusions of Grandeur can be a doubled-edged sword, Measure of Wickedness’s impact is more direct and potentially more destructive to opponents when played strategically.

In the realm of MTG, where timing and delayed consequences can turn the tides, Measure of Wickedness finds its niche. With its ability to potentially pass on a significant setback to an adversary, it’s a card that can ingeniously swing the momentum in a player’s favor.

Illusions of Grandeur - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Measure of Wickedness by color, type and mana cost

Feast of the Unicorn - MTG Card versions

Erebos, Bleak-Hearted - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Measure of Wickedness 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 Measure of Wickedness and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Measure of Wickedness has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Measure of Wickedness 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	Once the at-end-of-turn ability triggers, it affects the player who controlled Measure of Wickedness at that time. If Measure of Wickedness is under a different player’s control as its at-end-of-turn ability resolves, however, Measure of Wickedness stays on the battlefield.