Zzzyxas's Abyss MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment
Released	2004-11-19
Set symbol
Set name	Unhinged
Set code	UNH
Number	70
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Silver
Illustred by	Pete Venters
Un-set :-)	This card is part of an Un-set

Key Takeaways

Zzzyxas’s Abyss increases hand options by exiling cards which can be played later.
Instant speed activation grants flexibility, allowing strategic responses during gameplay.
Discarding a card is required for activation, which might limit strategic options.

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, destroy all nonland permanents with the first name alphabetically among nonland permanents in play.

Tired of always being picked last, the wizard Zzzyxas created the ultimate revenge.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Zzzyxas’s Abyss ensures you stay ahead by offering a repeating effect that exiles the top card of your library, which you can play for as long as it remains exiled, effectively increasing your hand’s options each turn.

Resource Acceleration: This card can act as a form of resource acceleration through its ability to let you play additional lands. This benefit helps ramp up your mana availability and enables casting more impactful spells sooner than your opponents.

Instant Speed: The real power of Zzzyxas’s Abyss is unveiled at instant speed, allowing you to react swiftly to the changing pace of the game. This feature gives you the flexibility to choose the optimal moment to leverage the card’s advantages, maintaining tactical supremacy over your opponents.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the notable drawbacks of Zzzyxas’s Abyss is the condition that you must discard a card to activate its abilities. This can become particularly taxing when your hand is already depleted, effectively constraining your strategic options and potentially leading to a disadvantageous board state.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a specific blend of mana to cast, including colorless mana, which imposes a restriction on its integration into decks. This requirement can pose a challenge for players looking to maintain a mana base that is both stable and versatile enough to support a wide array of spells and abilities.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that is on the higher side, some players might find Zzzyxas’s Abyss to be a less appealing addition when other options are available. The mana invested in casting this card must be weighed against the potential benefits, as there may be alternative cards with lower mana costs that offer comparable or more immediate impacts on the game.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Zzzyxas’s Abyss offers extraordinary flexibility, seamlessly integrating into a myriad of deck archetypes. Its ability to disrupt opponents’ strategies by manipulating the battlefield is compatible with both aggressive and controlling playstyles.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks that exploit sacrifice mechanics or benefit from graveyard interactions, enabling players to engineer powerful card synergies and dominate the game.

Meta-Relevance: In formats where creature-based tactics are prevalent, Zzzyxas’s Abyss becomes a critical tool, hampering opponent creature strategies and tipping the scales in your favor.

How to beat

Zzzyxas’s Abyss is a niche card that presents a unique challenge in MTG. Its ability to incessantly diminish creature power can be a thorn in the side of deck strategies reliant on strong creatures. To effectively counter this card, players should consider incorporating more spells that don’t rely on creature power or can remove enchantments. Cards with hexproof or shroud offer an inherent resistance to Zzzyxas’s Abyss’s influence by being tougher to target directly.

Another tactic is to employ artifact or enchantment destruction spells to get rid of the Abyss itself. Green’s natural propensity for enchantment removal with cards like Naturalize or artifact removal in cards like Shatter gives those playing these colors an edge. Alternatively, playing indestructible creatures ensures that your forces remain on the battlefield, impervious to the recurring power reduction effects.

Building your deck with versatility and including cards that adapt to different situations is the key. By diversifying your threats and including non-creature spells that can deal damage or apply pressure, you can circumvent the debilitating effect of Zzzyxas’s Abyss and maintain a foothold in the game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Zzzyxas's Abyss MTG card by a specific set like Unhinged, 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 Zzzyxas's Abyss and other MTG cards: