Waste Away MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2002-02-04
Set symbol
Set name	Torment
Set code	TOR
Number	88
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Alan Pollack

Key Takeaways

Leverages discards for card draw and potential mana ramp, offering strategic game advancement opportunities.
Instant speed grants flexibility, allowing players to react swiftly to the changing game state.
While constrained by mana and card availability, adept usage can greatly enhance gameplay tactics.

Text of card

As an additional cost to play Waste Away, discard a card from your hand. Target creature gets -5/-5 until end of turn.

Chainer's insanity touched nearly every living thing—including viruses.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Waste Away gives players the upper hand by enabling them to discard a card and then draw two more. This not only replenishes your hand but also filters through your deck to access the cards you need faster.

Resource Acceleration: In games of Magic, it’s crucial to get ahead in resources, Waste Away can set this in motion by leading to potential new avenues for mana generation or setting up powerful plays in upcoming turns.

Instant Speed: With its instant speed, Waste Away can be a strategic ace up your sleeve. It allows you to react to your opponent’s moves and gives you the flexibility to decide the best moment to cast it, which could be critical for optimal play.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To activate Waste Away’s abilities, discarding a card is mandatory. This can be a setback, especially when your hand is already depleted or when every card in hand is crucial for your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Waste Away requires a distinct mana combination to be cast. This restricts its integration solely within decks tailored around its color prerequisites, potentially reducing its versatility across a broader range of deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment to utilize Waste Away’s full potential is significant. Players might find that in a game where mana efficiency is key, the cost to benefit ratio of Waste Away doesn’t stand up to other alternatives available in the format.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Waste Away is a dynamic card that fits well in decks looking to manipulate both graveyard and hand resources. Its ability to discard and then return a creature card plays well in strategies that hinge on creature recovery or casting spells from the graveyard.

Combo Potential: This card is a powerhouse in combo decks, as it can act as a setup for powerful graveyard-based plays. By discarding a high-value creature card, you can pave the way for a reanimation spell, or synergize with abilities that trigger upon discarding or casting creatures from unconventional zones.

Meta-Relevance: With graveyard strategies often appearing in competitive play, Waste Away holds a place in the meta by providing both disruption against your opponent’s hand and strengthening your own graveyard tactics. Its relevance grows in games that are increasingly reliant on graveyard interactions and hand management.

How to beat

Overcoming the Waste Away card in Magic the Gathering takes a strategic approach, much like outmaneuvering any potent piece of removal. This card can be devastating in the hands of a skilled player, as it allows for creature removal pegged to the number of cards in the player’s hand. Therefore, reducing the card advantage of your opponent becomes key. Implementing hand-disruption tactics through cards like Thoughtseize or Duress can significantly weaken Waste Away’s impact on the game.

Alternatively, protecting your creatures with cards that grant hexproof or indestructibility can prevent Waste Away from fulfilling its function. Cards like Lazotep Plating or Heroic Intervention can provide a safeguard against such targeted removal. It’s essential to hold these cards in reserve until your opponent commits to casting Waste Away.

Moreover, playing around with the timing of your spells and strategically baiting out Waste Away with less critical creatures can leave your more valuable ones safe and uncontested. Remember, knowing your opponent’s possible plays and preemptively countering their strategy is fundamental to maintaining the upper hand in a game of Magic.

Understanding Waste Away

Waste Away is a unique card in the vast array of removal options in Magic: The Gathering. What sets this card apart is its innovative ability to turn a player’s graveyard into a resource to incapacitate opposing creatures. The design of Waste Away embodies the strategic complexity MTG is celebrated for. Within two mana, one of which is generic and the other black, you’re given the means to challenge the battlefield’s dynamics. While other removal spells may offer more straightforward destruction, Waste Away’s conditional effectiveness hinges on a playstyle that embraces the graveyard as an extension of one’s hand.

Cards like Waste Away

Waste Away invites comparison to iconic cards like Murder, which offers an uncomplicated solution to creature threats – simply pay three mana and remove the creature with no questions asked. However, Waste Away shines in scenarios where there’s ample ammunition in the graveyard, enabling not just removal, but also tactical advantage. Another interesting parallel is with the card Spellsnare, which has a low casting cost but a very specific target range, only countering spells with a cost of two. Waste Away doesn’t have such restrictions but requires setup for optimal use. Delve cards such as Murderous Cut also compete for space in the graveyard-reliant spells category. They reduce their cost by exiling cards from the graveyard but lack the targeted flexibility found in Waste Away, which allows you to scale the effect based on the number of cards you exile.

Thus, when considering the blend of versatility, cost, and strategic depth, Waste Away can certainly find its niche among MTG enthusiasts who appreciate a more nuanced approach to creature removal.

Cards similar to Waste Away by color, type and mana cost

Death of a Thousand Stings - MTG Card versions

Rescue from the Underworld - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Waste Away MTG card by a specific set like Torment, 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 Waste Away and other MTG cards: