Weakness MTG Card

Weakness can effectively consolidate card advantage by hindering opponent creatures without extra expenditure. It acts as tactical acceleration, enabling your strategies by diminishing adversaries’ creature strengths. Despite being played at sorcery speed, Weakness sets up future control over the game flow.

Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
1993-08-05 - Number 134

Limited Edition Beta (LEB)
1993-10-04 - Number 135

Unlimited Edition (2ED)
1993-12-01 - Number 135

Collectors' Edition (CED)
1993-12-10 - Number 135

Weakness - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)

Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
1993-12-10 - Number 135

Foreign Black Border (FBB)
1994-04-01 - Number 136

Revised Edition (3ED)
1994-04-01 - Number 136

Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
1994-06-21 - Number 136

Fourth Edition (4ED)
1995-04-01 - Number 170

Weakness - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)

Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
1995-04-01 - Number 170

Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
1996-07-01 - Number 28

Weakness - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)

Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
1996-12-31 - Number 29

Fifth Edition (5ED)
1997-03-24 - Number 205

Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
1999-11-12 - Number 96

Magic 2010 (M10)
2009-07-17 - Number 121

Masters Edition IV (ME4)
2011-01-10 - Number 101

Card sets	Released in 16 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant

Text of card

Target creature loses -2/-1; if this drops the creature's toughness below 1, it is dead.

Cards like Weakness

Weakness is an intriguing enchantment in the landscape of Magic: The Gathering with its straightforward impact on a creature’s power stats. Delve into its comparatives and you’ll find that it shares a theme with cards like Dead Weight. Much like Weakness, Dead Weight reduces a creature’s power and toughness, though it does so with a fixed numerical decrement rather than a percentage.

Examine Languish, and you notice that while it doesn’t permanently alter creatures like Weakness, it offers a one-time substantial decrease in power and toughness of all creatures on the board, not just a targeted one. Then there’s the more versatile Grasp of Darkness, changing the battlefield dynamic significantly by giving a creature -4/-4 until the end of turn, showcasing a stronger, albeit temporary, effect than the enduring change imposed by Weakness.

In sum, Weakness occupies a unique spot in deck construction for those seeking consistent, long-term diminishment of an opponent’s creature. This contrasts with other options offering either a more robust one-off impact or similar steady power reductions without the flexibility to adjust to the board’s evolving state.

Cards similar to Weakness by color, type and mana cost

Volrath's Motion Sensor - MTG Card versions

Phyrexian Reclamation - MTG Card versions

Some Disassembly Required - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Weakness card, while it doesn’t directly allow you to draw additional cards, effectively diminishes your opponent’s board presence. By weakening an opponent’s creature, you improve your own standing without the need to expend multiple cards, hence consolidating your card advantage on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: Weakness isn’t a direct tool for resource acceleration in the traditional sense of ramping mana. However, it can be considered a form of tactical acceleration. By minimizing the strength of your adversary’s creatures, you’re indirectly accelerating your game plan, allowing your creatures to remain dominant on the board and pushing your strategy forward unimpeded.

Instant Speed: Although the Weakness spell is a card that is cast at sorcery speed, its impact on gameplay can be quite dramatic. It enables you to effectively manage threats during your own turn and set the stage for subsequent moves. It’s a preemptive way to manage potential threats and maintain control on the flow of the game, making it a strategic cornerstone for turns to come.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In the game of power and precision, discarding a card to play Weakness can set you back, especially when your hand size is already dwindling. Being forced to part with a piece of your strategy can be a tough pill to swallow and it can sometimes lead to a disadvantageous board state.

Specific Mana Cost: The card’s mana cost can be restrictive. Its requirement for specific mana types ties it to particular deck themes or colors, thereby limiting its versatility across various deck builds. This can lead to a tough time slotting it into a deck without the necessary mana support.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Weakness can turn the tides in battle by weakening an adversary’s creature, it comes at a mana cost that’s on the higher end for such an effect. Players often weigh the benefits of such a card against others with lower mana costs or those that offer more comprehensive solutions to threats on the board.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Weakness offers a straightforward and cost-effective way to decrease the power of threatening creatures on the board, fitting seamlessly into decks that aim to control the pace and maintain dominance over the battlefield.

Combo Potential: This card can work in conjunction with other cards that benefit from diminished creature strengths, like those that allow a player to easily destroy weakened creatures or capitalize on the lower power for tactical advantages during combat.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based aggro decks are prevalent, Weakness can serve as an essential tool, tipping the scales by unexpectedly downgrading opponent creatures’ offensive capabilities, which could be a decisive factor in winning games.

How to beat Weakness

Weakness is a classic example of how enchantments can tip the scales in a Magic: The Gathering match by affecting a creature’s power and toughness. Its ability to decrease a creature’s power by 2 can cripple an opponent’s board presence, especially when applied to high-threat, low-strength creatures. This kind of card can often disrupt strategies dependent on small combos or creatures with just enough power to survive most battles.

Dealing with Weakness starts with recognizing its impact and utilizing a varied approach. Cards with enchantment removal like Disenchant or Naturalize are straightforward solutions that can neutralize Weakness by removing it from the battlefield. Alternatively, playing creatures with higher toughness ensures resilience against such debuffs, allowing your in-game strategy to withstand targeted Weakness plays.

Lastly, employing creatures with hexproof or shroud provides a foolproof way to sidestep direct-target effects altogether. Navigating around Weakness requires a combination of strategic card selection and a keen awareness of the enchantments your opponent may bring into play, assuring that a swift answer is always at hand within your deck.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Weakness MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Weakness and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Weakness Magic the Gathering card was released in 16 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2011-01-10. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

Show/hide all sets

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1993-08-05	Limited Edition Alpha	LEA	134	1993	Normal	Black	Douglas Shuler
2	1993-10-04	Limited Edition Beta	LEB	135	1993	Normal	Black	Douglas Shuler
3	1993-12-01	Unlimited Edition	2ED	135	1993	Normal	White	Douglas Shuler
4	1993-12-10	Collectors' Edition	CED	135	1993	Normal	Black	Douglas Shuler
5	1993-12-10	Intl. Collectors' Edition	CEI	135	1993	Normal	Black	Douglas Shuler
6	1994-04-01	Foreign Black Border	FBB	136	1993	Normal	Black	Douglas Shuler
7	1994-04-01	Revised Edition	3ED	136	1993	Normal	White	Douglas Shuler
8	1994-06-21	Summer Magic / Edgar	SUM	136	1993	Normal	White	Douglas Shuler
9	1995-04-01	Fourth Edition	4ED	170	1993	Normal	White	Douglas Shuler
10	1995-04-01	Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border	4BB	170	1993	Normal	Black	Douglas Shuler
11	1996-07-01	Rivals Quick Start Set	RQS	28	1993	Normal	White	Douglas Shuler
12	1996-12-31	Introductory Two-Player Set	ITP	29	1993	Normal	White	Douglas Shuler
13	1997-03-24	Fifth Edition	5ED	205	1997	Normal	White	Kev Walker
14	1999-11-12	Battle Royale Box Set	BRB	96	1997	Normal	White	Kev Walker
15	2009-07-17	Magic 2010	M10	121	2003	Normal	Black	Kev Walker
16	2011-01-10	Masters Edition IV	ME4	101	1997	Normal	Black	Douglas Shuler

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Weakness has restrictions

Format	Legality
Oldschool	Legal
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal