Diabolic Servitude MTG Card
1998-10-12 - Number 130
1998-10-12 - Number 130s
2011-05-14 - Number 75
2011-11-18 - Number 22
2015-11-13 - Number 120
2017-06-09 - Number 53
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment |
Key Takeaways
- It shines in black decks, reusing creature effects for a constant board presence and tactical leverage.
- The enchantment poses a unique mana-saving mechanism, offsetting its higher casting cost with long-term benefits.
- Despite its restrictions, its consistent reanimative power makes it a formidable and adaptable inclusion in many decks.
Text of card
When Diabolic Servitude comes into play, choose target creature card in your graveyard and put that creature into play. When the chosen creature is put into a graveyard, remove the creature from the game and return Diabolic Servitude to owner's hand. When Diabolic Servitude leaves play, remove the chosen creature from the game.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Diabolic Servitude offers a unique edge when it comes to card advantage. By bringing back creatures from your graveyard, it gives you the potential to reuse powerful creature effects or simply get an extra body on the board without drawing a card.
Resource Acceleration: This enchantment allows for resource acceleration in a roundabout way. While it doesn’t directly add mana to your pool, it effectively saves mana by returning a creature to the battlefield, which could cost significantly more to cast from your hand.
Instant Speed: Even though Diabolic Servitude does not operate at instant speed, the utility it provides can make up for this. The threat of recurring creatures can force opponents to play differently, worrying about what powerful creature might return to the battlefield at any point during the game. The flexibility offered by this card can lead to advantageous board states that can catch opponents off guard.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Diabolic Servitude demands a sacrifice when the reanimated creature leaves the battlefield, forcing players to discard the creature. This can leave you vulnerable, as you lose the creature to both the battlefield and potentially advantageous graveyard interactions.
Specific Mana Cost: With a black-heavy mana cost, Diabolic Servitude is not the most flexible spell for multicolored decks. The strict cost can be a hurdle when managing a diverse mana base, especially in formats that prize versatility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Four mana to bring a creature back from the graveyard might seem reasonable, but in a game where efficiency is key, Diabolic Servitude competes with lower-cost reanimation alternatives. Players must consider if the card’s long-term value justifies its immediate impact on their mana resources.
Reasons to Include Diabolic Servitude in Your Collection
Versatility: Diabolic Servitude is a flexible card that can be included in various black-themed decks. Its ability to repeatedly bring creatures back from the graveyard provides continual value across multiple turns and games.
Combo Potential: This enchantment pairs well with sacrificial creatures or effects. It can be part of intricate combos, effectively reusing powerful creature abilities or triggering enter-the-battlefield and death effects repeatedly.
Meta-Relevance: In metas with frequent creature removal, Diabolic Servitude can be especially powerful, offering you repeated opportunities to sway the battlefield to your advantage despite your opponents’ attempts to keep your creatures in the graveyard.
How to Beat
Diabolic Servitude is a unique enchantment in MTG that offers players a recurring method to bring creatures back from the graveyard. To effectively play against this card, it’s crucial to understand its two main abilities. The first brings a creature to the battlefield when Diabolic Servitude enters play; the second returns the enchantment to the owner’s hand if the resurrected creature leaves the battlefield.
Counterplay hinges on timing and disruption. Graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace can prevent the recursion cycle of Diabolic Servitude by exiling cards before they return. Targeted removal like Path to Exile can force the enchantment to return to hand while permanently dealing with the threat. Additional strategies involve leveraging instant-speed removal when the creature returns during your opponent’s end step, thereby minimizing their advantage.
Flexibility is key against this MTG staple: disrupting the graveyard, casting spells with split second to avoid responses, or using sacrificial effects to eliminate the creature benefit are all effective. Understanding and interrupting the synergies that Diabolic Servitude creates ensures this powerful card doesn’t dominate the battlefield.
Cards like Diabolic Servitude
Diabolic Servitude is a powerful utility in the arsenal of reanimation strategies in Magic: The Gathering, standing out within the realm of cards that resurrect creatures from the graveyard. Comparable to the classic reanimation spell Animate Dead, Diabolic Servitude offers a repeated use condition, enabling multiple revivals as long as the card persists on the field. Unlike Animate Dead, however, it returns to its owner’s hand upon the creature’s second death, providing ongoing value over the course of the game.
Another akin card in the reanimation category is Necromancy. Similar to Diabolic Servitude, Necromancy brings back creatures from the graveyard, yet it presents versatility with instant-speed capabilities, although without the repetitive re-use feature. Lastly, Zombify serves as another comparison point, offering a straightforward one-time creature return from the graveyard to play, but it lacks the reusable advantage unique to Diabolic Servitude.
While evaluating on the axis of longevity and potential for repeated impact, Diabolic Servitude distinguishes itself as a long-term strategic enabler in creature-based strategies, making it an intriguing option for players looking to make the most out of graveyard interactions.
Cards similar to Diabolic Servitude by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Diabolic Servitude MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga and Urza's Saga, 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 Diabolic Servitude and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Magic products
Printings
The Diabolic Servitude Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 1998-10-12 and 2017-06-09. Illustrated by Scott M. Fischer.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1998-10-12 | Urza's Saga | USG | 130 | 1997 | normal | black | Scott M. Fischer | |
| 2 | 1998-10-12 | Urza's Saga | USG | 130s | 1997 | normal | black | Scott M. Fischer | |
| 3 | 2011-05-14 | Duel Decks: Mirrodin Pure vs. New Phyrexia | TD2 | 75 | 2003 | normal | black | Scott M. Fischer | |
| 4 | 2011-11-18 | Premium Deck Series: Graveborn | PD3 | 22 | 2003 | normal | black | Scott M. Fischer | |
| 5 | 2015-11-13 | Commander 2015 | C15 | 120 | 2015 | normal | black | Scott M. Fischer | |
| 6 | 2017-06-09 | Commander Anthology | CMA | 53 | 2015 | normal | black | Scott M. Fischer |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Diabolic Servitude 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 Diabolic Servitude 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 | If the creature is on the battlefield and is returned to its owner’s hand or is exiled, this card loses track of the creature and has no further effects in the future. |
