Impending Doom MTG Card

Impending Doom - Theros Beyond Death (THB)

Theros Beyond Death (THB)
2020-01-24 - Number 139

Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
2022-12-02 - Number 557

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant

Key Takeaways

Impending Doom provides a strong boost to creatures but requires careful play due to its discard cost.
Its deck inclusion can greatly enhance aggressive strategies, demanding instant answers from your opponents.
Understanding its risks and rewards is crucial, and can be decisively meta-shaping in the right build.

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +3/+3 and attacks each combat if able. When enchanted creature dies, Impending Doom deals 3 damage to that creature's controller.

"Feast, for your next meal may be your last!"

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When it comes to maintaining the upper hand in the game, Impending Doom offers a pivotal edge. This card buffs a creature significantly, potentially turning any creature into a threatening presence. While it’s attached, it presents a dilemma for your opponents – they must choose whether to address the beefed-up creature or risk taking considerable damage.

Resource Acceleration: Although Impending Doom doesn’t directly create resources, it accelerates your game plan by pressuring your opponent. A faster path to victory means less time they have to stabilize and utilize their resources.

Instant Speed: While Impending Doom isn’t cast at instant speed, its impact on the board upon enchanting a creature is immediate. Any creature becomes an immediate threat, demanding an answer from your opponent and potentially disrupting their turns.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Impending Doom forces you to discard another card as part of its casting cost. This can deplete your hand, leaving you at a potential disadvantage if you’re already struggling with card availability.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring two red mana to cast, Impending Doom necessitates a strong commitment to red resources within your deck. This may not synergize well with decks that operate on a more diverse mana base or those that emphasize other colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana valuation set at three, including two of which are specifically red, Impending Doom’s cost might overshadow its benefits when compared to other enchantments or instant-speed removal options that provide a similar or greater impact for the same or less investment.

Reasons to Include Impending Doom in Your Collection

Versatility: Impending Doom can be an assertive addition to various aggressive decks, beefing up creatures for a low mana cost and creating an aura of threat for your opponent.

Combo Potential: This enchantment works well with strategies revolving around damage output and sacrifice effects. The added bonus damage upon the enchanted creature’s death can turn the tides of the game.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where tempo plays are key, Impending Doom can be a game-changer by accelerating the damage race against control or combo decks.

How to beat

Impending Doom is an aura spell in Magic: The Gathering that augments a creature’s power at a potential cost. Upon enchanting a creature, it bestows an additional three points to its attack, turning even the most unassuming creature into a formidable threat. The challenge arises when the enchanted creature dies, inflicting 3 damage to that creature’s controller. This creates a tactical dilemma for the player on the defensive.

To effectively counteract Impending Doom, one must consider strategies that won’t result in damage to yourself. Removal spells that bypass the battlefield, such as exile effects or bounce spells, can neutralize the threat without triggering Impending Doom’s detrimental effect. Enchantment removal is also a sound strategy—destroy or exile Impending Doom before it can become a problem. Using instant-speed spells can catch your opponent off-guard, effectively dealing with the buffed creature during combat or end of their turn.

While the power boost from Impending Doom can be daunting, a well-prepared defense unveils the card’s Achilles’ heel. Board control and strategically timed disruption can ensure that the doom foretold never comes to pass, securing your position in the game.

Cards like Impending Doom

Impending Doom is a compelling enchantment in the realm of creature buffs within Magic: The Gathering. This aura attaches to a creature, granting it a significant +3/+3 boost. Notably, it compares to cards like Giant Strength or Madcap Skills, which also increase a creature’s power and toughness. However, Impending Doom adds a unique twist. Upon the enchanted creature’s death, it deals damage to that creature’s controller, adding an element of risk vs reward.

Looking at other similar enchantments, we find Fiery Emancipation. Although it serves a different function by tripling the damage of permanents you control, it emphasizes high-impact effects in the late game similar to the devastation potential of Impending Doom. Alternatively, there’s Goblin War Paint, which provides a smaller power boost and the valuable haste ability without the detrimental effect. The choice of enchantment will often depend on the player’s strategy, whether they prioritize immediate aggression over longer-term power gains.

Consequently, evaluating the trade-offs between these enchantments is essential. Impending Doom may be a gamble, but for players who thrive on high-risk, high-return strategies, it’s an enchantment that could turn the tides of the game in their favor.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Impending Doom MTG card by a specific set like Theros Beyond Death and Jumpstart 2022, 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 Impending Doom and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Impending Doom Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-01-24 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Zoltan Boros.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2020-01-24	Theros Beyond Death	THB		139	2015	Normal	Black	Zoltan Boros
2	2022-12-02	Jumpstart 2022	J22		557	2015	Normal	Black	Zoltan Boros

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Impending Doom has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Impending Doom card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2020-01-24	If the enchanted creature can’t attack for any reason (such as being tapped or having come under that player’s control that turn), then it doesn’t attack. If there’s a cost associated with having it attack, the player isn’t forced to pay that cost, so it doesn’t have to attack in that case either.