Witch Hunt MTG Card

Indirectly leads to card advantage by forcing opponents to address its persistent game-altering effect. Strategically influences resource management and can alter the pace of the game in your favor. Despite its mana cost and color specificity, Witch Hunt can be a versatile and influential card.

Commander 2013 (C13)
2013-11-01 - Number 133

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number C13-133

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment

Text of card

Players can't gain life. At the beginning of your upkeep, Witch Hunt deals 4 damage to you. At the beginning of your end step, target opponent chosen at random gains control of Witch Hunt.

The accusations spread like hungry flames.

Cards like Witch Hunt

Witch Hunt is a unique card in Magic: The Gathering that fosters a lively game dynamic, reminiscent of strategies akin to cards like Curse of the Nightly Hunt. Both cards disrupt opponents’ gameplay by coercing action. Yet, Witch Hunt goes a step further by not allowing the cursed player to gain life and passing the curse around the table at the end of each turn. It alters the game’s landscape significantly, compared to the more straightforward effect of forcing creatures to attack each turn seen in Curse of the Nightly Hunt.

Another card that shares the chaotic energy of Witch Hunt is Goblin Game. Both create unpredictable scenarios, though Goblin Game does so in a more immediate and impactful way by potentially altering life totals based on hidden information. Despite Witch Hunt’s slower pace, it presents a lingering threat that can be just as disruptive over the course of a game.

Gauging Witch Hunt against its peers, the card holds a distinctive position with its blend of life-total manipulation and the whimsical yet strategic element of the ‘hot potato’ curse mechanic. It invites a layer of gameplay that encourages more interaction and long-term strategy amongst MTG players.

Curse of the Nightly Hunt - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Witch Hunt by color, type and mana cost

Unpredictable Cyclone - MTG Card versions

Dictate of the Twin Gods - MTG Card versions

Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded - MTG Card versions

Confusion in the Ranks - MTG Card versions

Yet Another Aether Vortex - MTG Card versions

Where Ancients Tread - MTG Card versions

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Witch Hunt itself does not directly grant extra cards, it indirectly pressures opponents to use their resources to deal with it. This can lead to a subtle card advantage if your opponents are forced to find answers or become locked out of the game by its persistent effect.

Resource Acceleration: Witch Hunt doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense of providing additional mana or reducing costs. However, its ability to pass between players allows for strategic planning, effectively slowing the game and indirectly impacting resource management across the board.

Instant Speed: Although Witch Hunt is a slow-building enchantment, it leverages the fear of instant speed spells. Knowing it’s in play, opponents might hesitate to commit to the board or keep mana open, aligning with your instant-speed threats. Its enduring presence can shift how opponents allocate their resources, potentially in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Witch Hunt requires players to forgo the opportunity to play spells during their turn, which can majorly disrupt strategic gameplay and turn the tide against them if they are not able to plan their turns around this constraint. This can be particularly challenging as it limits the card’s utility to very specific deck types or situations.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana cost is exclusively red, requiring a commitment to that color in your mana base. This restriction can make it difficult to fit Witch Hunt into multicolored decks or those that do not prioritize red mana, thereby reducing its flexibility across various deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of five mana to cast, Witch Hunt comes into play relatively late. Considering the pace of most games, the card might arrive on the battlefield when players have already established their board presence or when it’s too late to leverage its full potential, making it a less than optimal choice in environments where speed is key.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Witch Hunt is a unique enchantment that thrives in environments where life totals are a major focus. Its ability to fit into decks that manipulate life totals, as well as political games of Commander, makes it a versatile addition to your card arsenal.

Combo Potential: With the right setup, such as cards that trigger upon life loss or those that benefit from player targeting, Witch Hunt can become a key piece in an intricate combo strategy, taking advantage of its unique effect each turn.

Meta-Relevance: Witch Hunt shines in a meta where players often stabilize behind high life totals. Its ability to chip away at opponent’s life, paired with its immunity to being targeted, grants it relevance in certain control-heavy or life-gain metas.

How to beat

Witch Hunt is an intriguing card that can apply consistent pressure in a game of Magic: The Gathering. Witch Hunt’s effect, which prohibits players from gaining life and randomly deals damage to players during their end steps, makes it a unique challenge to play against. Despite this, there are reliable strategies to counteract this card’s impact.

One approach is to utilize cards that provide hexproof to shield you from the random damage Witch Hunt can deal. Moreover, playing cards that force opponents to sacrifice enchantments can remove Witch Hunt from the board, nullifying its effect. Cards with instant-speed enchantment removal are particularly effective as they can be played in response to Witch Hunt’s triggered ability, ensuring that you are not the one taking the hit. Additionally, embracing a strategy that focuses on dealing damage quickly can reduce the game length, thereby minimizing the potential impact that Witch Hunt’s life-gain prohibition and cumulative damage can have over the course of a game.

Overall, while Witch Hunt can be daunting, it is not indestructible. With the right blend of protective cards, targeted removal, and swift offense, you can navigate around Witch Hunt’s challenges and secure victory.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Witch Hunt MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2013 and The List, 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 Witch Hunt and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Witch Hunt Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2013-11-01 and 2013-11-01. Illustrated by Karl Kopinski.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2013-11-01	Commander 2013	C13		133	2003	Normal	Black	Karl Kopinski
2	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST		C13-133	2003	Normal	Black	Karl Kopinski

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Witch Hunt has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Witch Hunt card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2013-10-17	Abilities that trigger whenever a player gains life can’t trigger and effects that would replace gaining life with another effect won’t apply because it’s impossible for players to gain life.
2013-10-17	If an effect sets a player’s life total to a specific number and that number is higher than the player’s current life total, that part of the effect won’t do anything. (If the number is lower than the player’s current life total, the effect will work as normal.)
2013-10-17	If you control Witch Hunt, you are not a legal target. If there are no legal targets available, the ability is removed from the stack and you retain control of Witch Hunt.
2013-10-17	Spells and abilities that would cause a player to gain life still resolve, but the life-gain part has no effect.
2013-10-17	The target is chosen at random as you put the last ability on the stack. Players can respond to this ability knowing who the target is.
2013-10-17	To choose a target at random, all possible legal targets must have an equal chance of being chosen. There are many ways to do this, including assigning each possible legal target a number and rolling a die.