Megrim MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 10 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Megrim shines by creating card advantage, indirectly diminishing opponents’ resources through forced discards.
  2. The enchantment aligns with instant-speed spells for consistent turn-by-turn pressure, yet requires matching synergy.
  3. Despite a specific mana cost and dependency on discard effects, Megrim offers unique strengths in discard-focused decks.

Text of card

Whenever any opponent discards a card, Megrim deals 2 damage to him or her.

"You can run from your pain," explained Gerrard to Crovax, "but take it from experience: you will tire before it does."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Megrim epitomizes disruption, causing opponents to lose life whenever they discard a card, thus paving the way to outpace them in card advantage by indirectly depleting their resources.

Resource Acceleration: Though Megrim itself doesn’t accelerate resources, it perfectly complements cards that force discards, thereby accelerating your strategy to dominate the board.

Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, Megrim maximizes the benefit of instant-speed discard spells during either player’s turn, dealing damage and maintaining pressure consistently.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Megrim’s effectiveness is heavily dependent on forcing opponents to discard cards, which can be an unreliable strategy without dedicated deck support.

Specific Mana Cost: Megrim requires black mana, making it less flexible for multicolor decks that may not prioritize black mana or have consistent access to it.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing three mana could be costly for an effect that does not immediately impact the board state, especially when compared to other cards with immediate impact at a similar or lower mana cost.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Megrim can be a key piece in various deck builds, especially those centered around making opponents discard cards. Its ability to deal damage when an opponent discards makes it versatile for punishing strategies.

Combo Potential: With the right setup, such as pairing Megrim with discard enablers or wheel effects, you can quickly deplete an opponent’s life total as they lose cards from their hand, exemplifying the card’s combo potential.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where hand size is critical, and control decks are common, Megrim’s presence can discourage opponents from holding onto a full grip, providing a psychological edge and a direct path to victory.


How to beat

Megrim stands out as a potent force in the domain of discard strategies within MTG. This enchantment inflicts damage on opponents each time they discard a card, turning each instance of hand depletion into a painful experience. While powerful in a dedicated discard deck, overcoming Megrim requires strategic adjustments. One effective route is employing cards like Leyline of Sanctity that grant you hexproof, thus shielding from Megrim’s triggered ability since it targets you directly.

Alternate approaches include increasing the resilience of your hand with cards that replace themselves in your hand or reshuffle themselves into your library, such as the renowned Eldrazi Titans. Enchantment removal is also crucial; a card such as Disenchant, which is widely accessible in white decks, can eliminate Megrim outright. Moreover, considering the tempo of play, acting swiftly to disrupt the discard synergy before it becomes overwhelming is essential. If Megrim has not yet been deployed, cards like Thoughtseize can pre-emptively remove it from the opponent’s hand, circumventing potential damage and maintaining hand advantage. By carefully choosing these paths, the threat of Megrim can be neutralized, allowing you to reclaim control of the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG gameplay means understanding every facet of the cards at your disposal. Megrim, while powerful in certain contexts, commands a specific strategy of hand disruption to truly shine. Whether you’re weaving it into an existing deck or building a new one around its discard-triggered ability, insights on its strengths and weaknesses are invaluable. For those looking to optimize their strategy or explore new deck avenues, we provide a deep dive into the tactical implementations of Megrim. Join us as we unravel the nuances of discard mechanics and help you craft a deck that not only survives the MTG meta but thrives within it.


Cards like Megrim

Megrim stands out within Magic: The Gathering as a unique enchantment that inflicts damage to opponents when they discard cards. It’s often compared to Liliana’s Caress, another enchantment with a similar effect. While both cards punish opponents for discarding, Liliana’s Caress does so at a lower mana cost, albeit with half the damage output per discarded card compared to Megrim. This difference can be decisive depending on the strategy of your deck.

Closely related in terms of functionality, Raiders’ Wake offers a similar punitive measure but with an added raid ability that can trigger additional discards and damage. Although it does cost more in terms of mana, the potential for increased punishment makes it a contender for deck inclusion. Then there’s Waste Not, a card that provides assorted benefits whenever an opponent discards, translating to card draw, mana, or creature tokens. This card offers a versatile advantage beyond just dealing damage, catering to a variety of strategic plays.

In essence, while Megrim might not have the lowest casting cost or the broadest range of effects, it is highly effective in its straightforward design as a penalizing force for opponents’ discards in the game of Magic: The Gathering.

Liliana's Caress - MTG Card versions
Raiders' Wake - MTG Card versions
Waste Not - MTG Card versions
Liliana's Caress - Magic 2011 (M11)
Raiders' Wake - Ixalan (XLN)
Waste Not - Magic 2015 (M15)

Cards similar to Megrim by color, type and mana cost

Gloom - MTG Card versions
Season of the Witch - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Gate - MTG Card versions
Withering Wisps - MTG Card versions
Funeral March - MTG Card versions
Casting of Bones - MTG Card versions
Blanket of Night - MTG Card versions
Necropotence - MTG Card versions
Hecatomb - MTG Card versions
Recurring Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Contamination - MTG Card versions
Oppression - MTG Card versions
Maggot Therapy - MTG Card versions
Murderous Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Noxious Field - MTG Card versions
Tainted Well - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Arena - MTG Card versions
Gravestorm - MTG Card versions
Mortiphobia - MTG Card versions
Demonic Embrace - MTG Card versions
Gloom - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Season of the Witch - The Dark (DRK)
Tourach's Gate - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Withering Wisps - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Funeral March - Homelands (HML)
Casting of Bones - Alliances (ALL)
Blanket of Night - Visions (VIS)
Necropotence - Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales (WOT)
Hecatomb - Masters Edition (ME1)
Recurring Nightmare - Exodus (EXO)
Contamination - Urza's Saga (USG)
Oppression - Urza's Saga (USG)
Maggot Therapy - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Murderous Betrayal - Nemesis (NEM)
Noxious Field - Prophecy (PCY)
Tainted Well - Invasion (INV)
Phyrexian Arena - Phyrexia: All Will Be One (ONE)
Gravestorm - Hachette UK (PHUK)
Mortiphobia - Torment (TOR)
Demonic Embrace - Core Set 2021 (M21)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Megrim MTG card by a specific set like Stronghold and Seventh Edition, 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 Megrim and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Megrim Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 1998-03-02 and 2010-06-04. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-03-02StrongholdSTH 621997normalblackDonato Giancola
22001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 1461997normalwhitePeter Bollinger
32001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 146★1997normalblackPeter Bollinger
42003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 1432003normalwhitePeter Bollinger
52003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 143★2003normalblackPeter Bollinger
62005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 1442003normalwhiteNick Percival
72005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 144★2003normalblackNick Percival
82007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 1572003normalblackNick Percival
92009-07-17Magic 2010M10 1042003normalblackNick Percival
102010-06-04Duels of the PlaneswalkersDPA 262003normalblackNick Percival

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Megrim has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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