Lethal Vapors MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment
Released	2003-05-26
Set symbol
Set name	Scourge
Set code	SCG
Number	68
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	John Avon

Key Takeaways

It grants a continuous creature deterrence, shaping the match by stalling opponents’ creature plays.
The card’s unique effects support resource conservation and enhance strategic control decks.
Lethal Vapors can be a meta-relevant card, particularly effective against creature-heavy decks.

Text of card

Whenever a creature comes into play, destroy it. : Destroy Lethal Vapors. You skip your next turn. Any player may play this ability.

The vapors infiltrate every crevice, poison every lung, and snuff out every life.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Lethal Vapors enables players to potentially dictate the pace of creature play, as opponents may be hesitant to cast creatures that would be destroyed, thus leading to a potential advantage in cards on the board.

Resource Acceleration: Although Lethal Vapors doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it can indirectly contribute to resource conservation by deterring opponents from deploying their threats, which in turn can save the resources you might otherwise spend on removal spells.

Instant Speed: While Lethal Vapors operates at enchantment speed, its effect is continuous, saving the player from having to spend mana at instant speed on turn-by-turn creature removal. This allows players to keep mana available for other spells or abilities, effectively giving them a more open and reactive game plan.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: With Lethal Vapors, you’re not discarding cards, but instead skipping turns, which can be just as, if not more, detrimental. Every turn skipped is an opportunity lost for drawing, land drops, and casting spells, which can put you at a severe disadvantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Lethal Vapors has a specific mana cost that includes both black and generic mana, requiring a commitment to black mana sources in your deck. This can restrict deck building and is less flexible than cards with a generic mana cost.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a four-mana investment to get Lethal Vapors on the field, it ranks on the higher side for an enchantment that doesn’t immediately impact the board. Comparable control tools or creature removals are often cheaper, enabling a quicker response to threats.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Lethal Vapors is a unique card that can fit into various deck archetypes especially those looking to control the board. This card provides a persistent threat to creature-heavy strategies, forcing opponents to adapt or succumb to the continuous detriment.

Combo Potential: With an inherent ability to discourage creature play, it pairs well with cards that benefit from opponents skipping their turns or can set up a lockdown with cards like Teferi’s Protection to maintain control without affecting you.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames saturated with creature-based aggro or midrange decks, Lethal Vapors can serve as a significant deterrent and potential game-changer, slowing down enemy tactics and giving control players the edge they need.

How to beat

Lethal Vapors from Magic: The Gathering presents a unique challenge with its ability to deter creatures from entering the battlefield without some serious consequences. To effectively navigate around this devious enchantment, players must craft a strategy that either circumvents the need for creature deployment or eliminates the card altogether. Naturalize and Disenchant are straightforward solutions, able to remove the bothersome Vapors swiftly, reinstating the normal flow of creature play.

Alternatively, you might consider employing Pithing Needle, naming Lethal Vapors to neutralize its power without having to remove it from the board. This approach is subtler, preserving your resources while nullifying the threat. Furthermore, patience can be your ally against Lethal Vapors. With its built-in self-destruct mechanism activated by skipping a turn, you could simply bide your time and plan for a post-Vapors surge. Nonetheless, one must always be wary of the opponent exploiting this skip-a-turn for their benefit. This adds another layer to the strategic dance around this potent enchantment in Magic: The Gathering.

Given these pointers, outmaneuvering Lethal Vapors becomes a test of cunning and adaptability, challenging players to think beyond conventional summoning tactics and embrace the intricacies of enchantment interaction.

Cards like Lethal Vapors

Lethal Vapors takes its rightful place among MTG’s unique pool of board control cards. It bears similarities to other deterrent-type enchantments such as Smokestack, which incrementally applies pressure by forcing opponents to sacrifice a permanent. Lethal Vapors operates on a different axis, passively discouraging creature-based strategies without the need for incremental setup.

A closer look at cards like Pendrell Mists reveals an upkeep cost to keep creatures on the battlefield, whereas Lethal Vapors offers a more absolute approach—destroying any creature that dares enter play. However, Lethal Vapors demands no payment from players and gives control over its existence to opponents, allowing them to skip a turn to destroy it.

Considering the interplay between risk and control, it is interesting to compare Lethal Vapors to Tainted AEther. Both alter the landscape of creature play profoundly; Tainted AEther forces sacrifices with new creatures’ arrivals, while Lethal Vapors eradicates creatures unconditionally. Despite differences in execution, they share the common theme of controlling the battlefield in ways that challenge opponents to adapt their strategies significantly. As such, Lethal Vapors stands out as a uniquely uncompromising deterrent in the realm of MTG.

Cards similar to Lethal Vapors by color, type and mana cost

Feast of the Unicorn - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lethal Vapors MTG card by a specific set like Scourge, 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 Lethal Vapors and other MTG cards: