Extinguish MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Extinguish grants card advantage by disrupting the opponent’s plays strategically at instant speed.
  2. Instant speed casting allows flexibility and real-time responses to threats during gameplay.
  3. Discard requirement and specific mana cost pose strategic drawbacks to using Extinguish.

Text of card

Play Extinguish only in response to another player playing a sorcery. That sorcery has no effect, and that player puts it into his or her graveyard.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Extinguish can shift the momentum of a game by removing a creature from combat, effectively negating an opponent’s attack and potentially paving the way for a strategic counterattack. This disruption can lead to gaining an upper hand in card economy.

Resource Acceleration: While Extinguish itself doesn’t directly create mana or tokens, by selectively taking key creatures out of the equation, it can indirectly accelerate your board state as you maintain defense while developing your resources unfettered.

Instant Speed: One of Extinguish’s defining characteristics is its ability to be cast at instant speed. This flexibility allows players to make decisions with the most current information and respond to threats immediately, even during the opponent’s turn, providing a significant tactical advantage.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Extinguish necessitates that you discard a card upon activation. This can deplete your hand, leaving you at a disadvantage, especially in late-game scenarios where each card in hand counts.

Specific Mana Cost: The card’s casting requirement demands a precise combination of mana types. This can prove to be restrictive as it may not seamlessly fit into decks that do not generate the specific mana needed efficiently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment to cast Extinguish is significant when evaluated against other removal spells in the game. This cost-benefit disbalance might cause players to opt for more cost-effective alternatives, potentially relegating Extinguish to a lesser-picked option.


Reasons to Include Extinguish in Your Collection

Versatility: Extinguish boasts a utility that allows it to fit seamlessly into a variety of deck archetypes. As a spell that counters target instant or sorcery, it provides strategic defense against opponent’s key plays.

Combo Potential: This card serves as a critical piece in control decks, allowing players to maintain tempo while setting up their own combo executions. It’s also useful for protecting established board states from disruptive instant or sorcery spells.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where instant and sorcery spells are prominent, Extinguish gains significant relevance. It becomes a potent tool for navigating against competitive decks that rely heavily on non-creature strategies.


How to beat

Extinguish stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a strategic spell capable of neutralizing threats by countering target spells that haven’t matured. From the onset, it seems daunting, especially when your strategy hinges on pivotal spells in your arsenal. However, there are clever ways to circumvent the control Extinguish exerts on the gameplay.

One effective method is by employing cards that can’t be countered, ensuring your key spells resolve. Additionally, baiting out Extinguish with less crucial spells can deplete your opponent’s resources, leaving room for your significant plays. Another tactic is to increase the number of spells you cast within a turn. This puts pressure on the opponent, as they’re likely to have insufficient mana to counter multiple threats at once. Broadening your understanding of the game’s rhythm and predicting when to hold back or push forward can also turn the tide. Overall, the key lies in calculated maneuvers and staying one step ahead of your adversary’s potential to extinguish your moves.

Familiarizing yourself with Extinguish’s limitations equips you to craft strategies that can diffuse its impact, maintaining the flow of your game plan and ultimately leading to a triumphant match. Being adaptable and astute in your approach will extinguish your opponent’s advantage instead.


Cards like Extinguish

Extinguish takes its place among the array of counter spells available to blue mages in Magic: The Gathering. It’s often compared to the likes of Cancel, which also negates the spell of an opponent at the same mana cost. Unlike Cancel, Extinguish has the flexibility of targeting only noncreature spells, reducing the scope but also avoiding costly creature counters.

For players considering their options, Negate is another relevant comparison. With a lower mana cost, Negate presents itself as a more efficient alternative for countering noncreature spells. However, it doesn’t offer the ability to draw a card like Extinguish does, potentially giving the latter an edge in terms of card advantage and strategy.

When evaluating Extinguish’s position within the MTG card pool, it certainly offers a unique blend of counterspell utility and card draw. While not as broad in application as some of its counterparts, the added value of drawing a card can be crucial in maintaining hand advantage in the long game, making Extinguish a worthy inclusion in certain blue control decks.

Cancel - MTG Card versions
Negate - MTG Card versions
Cancel - Time Spiral (TSP)
Negate - Morningtide (MOR)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Extinguish MTG card by a specific set like Portal Second Age and Portal Three Kingdoms, 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 Extinguish and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Extinguish Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1998-06-24 and 1999-07-01. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-06-24Portal Second AgeP02 381997normalblackDouglas Shuler
21999-05-01Portal Three KingdomsPTK 431997normalwhiteDing Songjian
31999-07-01Starter 1999S99 371997normalwhiteDouglas Shuler

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Extinguish has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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