Tendrils of Despair MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery
Released	1997-06-09
Set symbol
Set name	Weatherlight
Set code	WTH
Number	83
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	John Coulthart

Key Takeaways

Disrupt opponents and gain card advantage by making them discard two cards with Tendrils of Despair.
Instant speed allows for strategic disrupting during opponents’ turns, providing a psychological edge.
The card requires a creature sacrifice and specific mana, potentially limiting its versatility.

Text of card

Sacrifice a creature: Target opponent chooses and discards two cards.

"Because I am incapable of tears does not mean I have no need to shed them." —Karn, silver golem

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tendrils of Despair is a potent force when it comes to disrupting your opponent’s hand. By forcing them to discard two cards, it effectively subtracts crucial resources from their game plan while you maintain your own. This exchange often leads to a considerable card advantage, as you deplete their options for future turns.

Resource Acceleration: Although Tendrils of Despair itself does not directly accelerate resources, it indirectly contributes to a form of resource acceleration by wasting your opponent’s time and turns. Each discarded card is a step back for them, potentially giving you the upper hand to develop your board presence unimpeded.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Tendrils of Despair at instant speed adds a layer of tactical depth to your strategy. Surprise your opponent by disrupting their carefully laid plans during their turn, leaving them reeling and at a psychological disadvantage. This flexibility allows you to react swiftly to changing game conditions and choose the most opportune moment to hinder your adversary.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Tendrils of Despair necessitates that a player discards a card upon casting. This stipulation can prove disadvantageous, especially in scenarios where your hand is already depleted, potentially diminishing your future play options.

Specific Mana Cost: The card’s casting cost is specific, requiring one black mana and one generic mana. This requirement can present a hurdle in decks that aren’t tailored to easily produce black mana or in multicolor decks where mana flexibility is key.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While commanding an adversary to discard two cards can be powerful, Tendrils of Despair’s cost of two mana, with the added discard from your hand, may be on the steep side. In games where tempo and efficiency are paramount, there may be other discard spells that achieve similar effects without as substantial a sacrifice from your own resources.

Reasons to Include Tendrils of Despair in Your Collection

Versatility: Tendrils of Despair offers a strategic edge in decks that focus on resource denial. It can be a surprise play, forcing your opponent to discard at a critical moment, potentially disrupting their flow and giving you an advantage.

Combo Potential: When combined with cards that thrive on your opponents discarding or with spells that multiply casts, this card can become a part of a powerful set of plays. It fits well into strategies emphasizing discard synergy or storm counts.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where players tend to hold onto key cards in hand, Tendrils of Despair becomes a tool to undermine those strategies. Its ability to trip up opponents by removing their options makes it a valuable asset in certain metagames.

How to beat

Tendrils of Despair is an intriguing spell in Magic: The Gathering, capable of disrupting the opponent’s strategy by forcing a card discard upon sacrificing a creature. This can create a major setback for anyone on the receiving end of its effects. When facing such a card, it’s crucial to recognize the inherent trade-off: the caster loses a creature while you lose a card from your hand.

To effectively combat Tendrils of Despair, maintaining card advantage is key. Employing cards that generate card draw or recursion can mitigate the loss imposed by Tendrils of Despair. Additionally, running creatures with enter the battlefield effects or death triggers can help replenish your hand or field, lessening the impact of the sacrifice. Instant-speed removal can also be a safegurad by eliminating the potential sacrifice target before Tendrils of Despair can resolve. Lastly, incorporating hand disruption of your own can preemptively remove Tendrils of Despair from an opponent’s hand, securing your position and keeping your hand intact.

In essence, with strategic deck building and timing, Tendrils of Despair’s drawback can be turned into an obstacle that is not only manageable but one that could ultimately work in your favor, letting you maintain control of the game.

Cards like Tendrils of Despair

Tendrils of Despair presents a unique proposition in the realm of hand disruption spells in Magic: The Gathering. A similar card, such as Mind Rot, also forces the opponent to discard two cards. Nevertheless, Tendrils of Despair involves an additional sacrifice on the caster’s part—an element not present in Mind Rot. This trade-off can be advantageous, though, as the life gain element provides a significant swing in racing situations.

Another analogous card, Wrench Mind, typically sees the opponent discarding two cards as well. Its mana efficiency is notable, yet unlike Tendrils of Despair, it does not provide a life gain bonus. However, it does bypass the need for creature sacrifice, solidifying its own niche. Furthermore, Tendrils of Despair shares a resonance with Smallpox. Smallpox is a more balanced exchange affecting both players in terms of discarding, sacrificing creatures, and land destruction, but it lacks the focus on the caster’s life gain that Tendrils of Despair offers.

In assessing these options, Tendrils of Despair occupies a unique space among MTG hand disruption spells, balancing the caster’s sacrifice with the potential for a favorable life total shift.

Cards similar to Tendrils of Despair by color, type and mana cost

Bloodcurdling Scream - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tendrils of Despair MTG card by a specific set like Weatherlight, 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 Tendrils of Despair and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Tendrils of Despair has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Tendrils of Despair 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 player has fewer than 2 cards, they discard whatever they have.
2013-04-15	Players can only respond once this spell has been cast and all its costs have been paid. No one can try to destroy the creature you sacrificed to prevent you from casting this spell.
2013-04-15	You must sacrifice exactly one creature to cast this spell; you cannot cast it without sacrificing a creature, and you cannot sacrifice additional creatures.