Subversion MTG Card
1999-02-15 - Number 68
1999-11-12 - Number 82
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment |
Text of card
During your upkeep, each of your opponents loses 1 life. Gain 1 life for each 1 life lost this way.
Kerrick's corrupt domain swelled like a blister on Tolaria's skin.
Cards like Subversion
Subversion is an intriguing enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that saps the strength of your opponents turn by turn. It bears resemblance in function to cards like Exquisite Blood which also has the ability to affect all opponents. Unlike Exquisite Blood, which triggers life gain for you whenever an opponent loses life, Subversion steadily erodes opponent life totals while ensuring a consistent life gain for you during your upkeep.
Another card with somewhat related effects is Polluted Bonds. While Polluted Bonds doesn’t drain life every turn, it triggers whenever an opponent plays a land, causing life loss and providing you with life gain—though not to the extent of life transfer that Subversion allows. Bloodchief Ascension is yet a further analogous card, potentially impacting all opponents but requiring quest counters to fully activate its life-draining potential.
In weighing Subversion against its counterparts, it stands out for its guaranteed and regular influence on the game’s life tallies. Although not as immediate in impact as some other options, its persistent effect can be a cornerstone in decks aimed at gradually dwindling opponent resources while bolstering your own survival.
Cards similar to Subversion by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Subversion is adept at bleeding opponents resources while padding your own hand, consistently edging you towards card superiority. This incremental advantage compounds, often leading to a significant imbalance that can tip the scales in your favor.
Resource Acceleration: By chipping away at your opponent’s life total and bolstering your own, Subversion effectively gives you a cushion of life points that can be spent more freely on various abilities or life-paying cards, indirectly speeding up your resource utilization.
Instant Speed: Although Subversion works at sorcery speed, its presence dictates the pace of the game. Knowing it triggers during your upkeep, opponents must plan for an instant-speed response or otherwise adjust their strategy, giving you psychological and tactical leverage.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Subversion necessitates the sacrifice of a card from your hand, which can be a setback when you’re already struggling to maintain a substantial hand size.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a particular blend of black mana, potentially restricting its compatibility to solely black or heavy black-inclusive decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a substantial cost of five mana to activate its abilities, Subversion may be considered inefficient compared to other options that provide similar benefits at a lower cost.
Reasons to Include Subversion in Your Collection
Versatility: Subversion is a unique enchantment card that finds its place in control and life-drain decks. Its ability to diminish opponents’ life totals while concurrently bolstering your own makes it a dual-threat in various game scenarios.
Combo Potential: This card works wonders with strategies that capitalize on life total changes. Pairing Subversion with cards that trigger off life gain or loss can create powerful interactions and swing the game in your favor.
Meta-Relevance: Against slower, grindier matchups, Subversion can tip the scales by providing a consistent life-draining effect. In a meta that favors lengthy battles, this incremental advantage can accumulate to a win condition by itself.
How to beat
Subversion is a unique enchantment card that requires a strategic approach to overcome in the world of Magic: The Gathering. Key to countering Subversion lies in handling its life draining ability, which siphons life from players at the beginning of your upkeep. To effectively neutralize this threat, consider cards that can either destroy or neutralize enchantments. Naturalize and Disenchant are notable options, offering quick and low-cost solutions to remove Subversion from play.
Another effective tactic involves utilizing cards that can counteract life loss, such as life gain spells or creatures with lifelink. By bolstering your life total or offsetting the damage dealt by Subversion, you can mitigate its effect. Additionally, playing red or blue spells that grant players the capability to return enchantments to their owner’s hand could also provide a temporary reprieve, giving you the upper hand. Focused on resource management and keeping your life total stable, carefully playing around Subversion’s ability can flip the tide of the game back in your favor.
Understanding and deploying these countermeasures ensures that Subversion’s drain on your resources doesn’t inevitably lead to your downfall, but rather becomes a challenge to adapt to and overcome amidst the ever-shifting dynamics of MTG gameplay.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Subversion MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Legacy and Battle Royale Box Set, 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 Subversion and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Subversion Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1999-02-15 and 1999-11-12. Illustrated by Rob Alexander.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999-02-15 | Urza's Legacy | ULG | 68 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 2 | 1999-11-12 | Battle Royale Box Set | BRB | 82 | 1997 | Normal | White | Rob Alexander |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Subversion has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Subversion card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | This is loss of life, not damage. It can’t be prevented. |