Withstand Death MTG Card


Withstand Death - Scars of Mirrodin
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeInstant
Released2010-10-01
Set symbol
Set nameScars of Mirrodin
Set codeSOM
Number134
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byTomasz Jedruszek

Key Takeaways

  1. Withstand Death enables creatures to weather destruction, crucial for maintaining a strong board presence.
  2. Instant speed flexibility gives players critical timing advantages during combat or in response to removal.
  3. Its specific green mana cost and deck slot usage may limit versatility in non-green focused decks.

Text of card

Target creature is indestructible this turn. (Lethal damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy it. If its toughness is 0 or less, it's still put into its owner's graveyard.)

On Mirrodin, every conflict ends in either death or darksteel.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Withstand Death doesn’t directly provide card draw, but it does ensure that your creatures survive potentially game-ending threats, effectively keeping your resources on board and preserving your hand.

Resource Acceleration: While Withstand Death does not offer traditional mana acceleration, saving a key creature from removal can maintain your board state, allowing you to accelerate your game plan without needing to spend additional resources to redeploy creatures.

Instant Speed: The true power of Withstand Death comes from its instant speed, providing the flexibility to respond to your opponent’s actions, whether they are casting a removal spell or attempting to trade in combat, securing your board presence when it’s most critical.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Withstand Death doesn’t require an actual discard, but it does ask for something potentially more costly: using a valuable card slot in your deck for niche protection that could be otherwise occupied by more versatile spells.

Specific Mana Cost: Die-hard fans may overlook the green mana commitment of Withstand Death, but this color-specific requirement can be restrictive, limiting this card’s integration outside of mono-green or two-color decks that include green.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Investing two green mana to grant a creature indestructible until end of turn might not always be worth the trade-off when there are lower-cost alternatives or more impactful spells that could change the game in your favor at this price point.


Reasons to Include Withstand Death in Your Collection

Versatility: Withstand Death is an instant that can be seamlessly woven into a wide variety of green decks. Its ability to grant indestructibility to a creature at a low cost makes it a flexible tool for protecting key creatures in both aggressive and control-oriented strategies.

Combo Potential: This card opens up numerous opportunities for combos in decks that rely on creatures staying on the battlefield. Whether it’s safeguarding a creature set to combo off next turn or keeping a critical blocker alive, Withstand Death can be the linchpin in executing your win conditions.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where removal spells are prevalent, Withstand Death provides insurance against such threats. It’s especially relevant in metas heavy on board wipes or targeted destruction, ensuring your most valuable creatures can survive to swing the game in your favor.


How to beat

Withstand Death is an intriguing instant that grants indestructibility to a creature, ensuring its survival against destruction effects and lethal damage in Magic: The Gathering. This card can turn the tides by protecting key creatures from fatal blows or board wipes, altering the pace and outcome of a match.

To surpass this protection, players can employ exile effects or use cards that force a player to sacrifice their creatures, as neither approach relies on dealing damage or destroying the target. Cards like Path to Exile or Diabolic Edict circumvent indestructibility by removing the creature from play entirely or compelling the owner to choose and sacrifice it. Alternatively, reducing a creature’s toughness to zero through effects such as Languish can prove effective, as this method bypasses the indestructibility granted by Withstand Death.

In essence, while Withstand Death can be a formidable shield in a player’s arsenal, a well-constructed strategy incorporating exile, sacrifice, or toughness reduction can efficiently dismantle this defense, maintaining the fluidity and control of the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

MTG players seeking to fortify their creatures against the inevitable onslaught of removals and board wipes will find Withstand Death a valuable addition to their arsenal. Its sheer potential to turn the tide during a critical turn shouldn’t be underestimated. Protecting a critical piece of your strategy or safeguarding a combo component can often be the difference between defeat and victory. With green decks consistently demonstrating their resilience, there’s no doubt that mastering the use of such instants can propel your gameplay. Delve deeper with us and discover innovative ways to integrate Withstand Death into your green-centered builds, ensuring your key creatures remain an enduring force on the battlefield.


Cards like Withstand Death

Withstand Death carves its own niche within Magic: The Gathering’s plethora of protective spells. In comparison, cards like Ranger’s Guile and Blossoming Defense also offer creatures the ability to shrug off destruction for a minimal mana cost. Where Withstand Death shines, however, is in its specificity—granting indestructibility to a creature, a more permanent state of protection than the temporary hexproof granted by Ranger’s Guile.

A closer counterpart is Indestructible Aura, which prevents damage to a creature for a turn, yet stops short of making it permanently indestructible. Withstand Death’s assurance of surviving through board wipes or deathly combats positions it distinctively. Gods Willing is another contender that provides protection from a color of choice for a turn, but lacks the guarantee of enduring lethal damage regardless of color or source.

In sum, while there are a variety of spells that offer creature protection, Withstand Death holds its ground by delivering a straightforward and irreversible safeguard against the many perils that creatures in Magic: The Gathering may encounter on the battlefield.

Ranger's Guile - MTG Card versions
Blossoming Defense - MTG Card versions
Indestructible Aura - MTG Card versions
Gods Willing - MTG Card versions
Ranger's Guile - Innistrad (ISD)
Blossoming Defense - Kaladesh (KLD)
Indestructible Aura - Legends (LEG)
Gods Willing - Theros (THS)

Cards similar to Withstand Death by color, type and mana cost

Fog - MTG Card versions
Natural Selection - MTG Card versions
Lifelace - MTG Card versions
Berserk - MTG Card versions
Giant Growth - MTG Card versions
Crumble - MTG Card versions
Crop Rotation - MTG Card versions
Sandstorm - MTG Card versions
Seedling Charm - MTG Card versions
Shrink - MTG Card versions
Choking Vines - MTG Card versions
Crossbow Ambush - MTG Card versions
Reclaim - MTG Card versions
Worldly Tutor - MTG Card versions
Gaea's Might - MTG Card versions
Serene Sunset - MTG Card versions
Sprout - MTG Card versions
Gather Courage - MTG Card versions
Nature's Claim - MTG Card versions
Prey's Vengeance - MTG Card versions
Fog - Magic 2012 (M12)
Natural Selection - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Lifelace - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Berserk - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Giant Growth - The List (PLST)
Crumble - World Championship Decks 1997 (WC97)
Crop Rotation - The List (PLST)
Sandstorm - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Seedling Charm - Mirage (MIR)
Shrink - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Choking Vines - Weatherlight (WTH)
Crossbow Ambush - Stronghold (STH)
Reclaim - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Worldly Tutor - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Gaea's Might - Dominaria United (DMU)
Serene Sunset - Judgment (JUD)
Sprout - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Gather Courage - The List (PLST)
Nature's Claim - The List (PLST)
Prey's Vengeance - The List (PLST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Withstand Death MTG card by a specific set like Scars of Mirrodin, 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 Withstand Death and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Withstand Death has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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