Trespasser's Curse MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura Curse
Abilities Enchant

Key Takeaways

  1. Indirectly deters opponents’ creature plays, potentially leading to a more controlled board state.
  2. Can boost your survivability over time, nurturing your long-term game plan and strategies.
  3. Simulates instant-speed interaction, continuously influencing gameplay as your opponent takes actions.

Text of card

Enchant player Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under enchanted player's control, that player loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

Even in the relative safety of the city, there are places best left undisturbed.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Trespasser’s Curse presents a continuous source of potential card advantage. By discouraging opponents from playing creatures, it can lead to a more favorable board state. Furthermore, if the opponent does play creatures, you gain life, effectively earning ‘cards’ in terms of life points which can be a subtle yet significant edge in the game.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing resource acceleration, Trespasser’s Curse can indirectly quicken your game plan. The life gained from the curse enhances your survivability, allowing you to reach your crucial turns to deploy game-winning strategies or high-impact spells much more comfortably.

Instant Speed: Although Trespasser’s Curse is an enchantment and not an instant, its ability to interact with creatures entering the battlefield resembles the flexibility you get from instant-speed interaction. Its trigger upon each creature’s entry means you are constantly affecting the game, similar to how instant spells can.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Trespasser’s Curse doesn’t require you to discard cards, players must evaluate if it fits their deck strategy or if it might sit idly in hand when more proactive cards are needed.

Specific Mana Cost: Cast with one black and one generic mana, Trespasser’s Curse demands you have black mana available, potentially limiting its use in multi-colored or colorless decks that can struggle with mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its low initial cost, the payoff is dependent on opponent behavior, which can be inefficient compared to other cards at a similar mana cost that provide immediate and guaranteed benefits.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Trespasser’s Curse is a unique card that’s a perfect fit for a variety of control decks. Its ability to sap the strength from opponents’ creatures as they enter the battlefield makes it effective across multiple formats, particularly in Commander where multiple opponents can mean multiple triggers.

Combo Potential: This enchantment pairs well with cards that mandate creature tokens or repeated creature play from the opponent. It can be a critical piece in a deck aimed at draining life from opponents, working in tandem with cards that thrive on life loss for incremental advantages.

Meta-Relevance: With the growing popularity of creature-heavy and token-generating decks, Trespasser’s Curse serves as an impactful sideboard card that can tip the scales in your favor, undermining the strategy of swarm decks and providing you with a steady stream of life gain.


How to beat

Trespasser’s Curse presents a unique challenge within the realm of enchantments in Magic: The Gathering. This card exemplifies the strategic value of defending against opponents’ creatures. When it’s on the board, each creature entering the battlefield under an opponent’s control causes them to lose 1 life and you to gain 1 life—shifting the tide of the game with consistent life exchanges. The key to overcoming this incessant drain lies in limiting the number of creatures you play or in employing cards that can remove enchantments.

Enchantment removal spells like Disenchant or Naturalize are direct answers, swiftly and efficiently taking Trespasser’s Curse off the table. Alternatively, focusing on noncreature spell strategies or adopting an approach that relies on fewer, high-impact creatures could mitigate the life loss effect. Cards that grant you hexproof, such as Leyline of Sanctity, will also nullify the curse’s ability to affect you, providing a shield against such targeted effects.

The challenge Trespasser’s Curse poses requires players to adapt their gameplay or include answers within their deck construct. By understanding the underlying mechanics and preparing accordingly, the curse’s impact can be minimized, allowing for a return to an advantageous position during play.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the strategic depths of MTG can be as rewarding as it is complex, and Trespasser’s Curse stands as a nuanced piece in the vast puzzle of deck-building. Its application as both a deterrent and a steady source of life gain means it can serve a special role in your control arsenal, especially in diverse game formats. With creature-based strategies being prevalent, incorporating this curse can be a savvy move. Interested in weaving Trespasser’s Curse into your deck or finding alternatives to fortify your gameplay? Dive deeper with us and enhance your MTG strategies for a dynamic and victorious gameplay experience.


Cards like Trespasser's Curse

Trespasser’s Curse slides into a unique space in MTG’s pantheon of enchantments. It offers an intriguing parallel to cards such as Blood Seeker and Illness in the Ranks. Blood Seeker punishes opponents similarly, dealing damage each time a creature enters their battlefield under their control, yet Trespasser’s Curse has the added advantage of providing the caster with life gain. Illness in the Ranks, though not dealing damage directly, weakens opponents’ creatures, giving it a defensive edge.

Looking to other resemblances, Authority of the Consuls also taps into life gain and control, but it takes a step further by tapping the opponents’ creatures upon entry. Trespasser’s Curse doesn’t impact the battlefield presence in such a manner, focusing rather on the incremental advantage over time. Curse of Shallow Graves is in the same ballpark, aiming to create a substantial board presence for the caster with zombie tokens upon each opponent’s creature deployment, offering a different approach to leveraging creatures entering play.

With the direct comparison, Trespasser’s Curse emerges as a piece of the puzzle in a strategy built around discouraging opponent’s creature plays and slowly tilting the scales in your favor, combining both an offensive and defensive capability in mirror games within MTG.

Blood Seeker - MTG Card versions
Illness in the Ranks - MTG Card versions
Authority of the Consuls - MTG Card versions
Curse of Shallow Graves - MTG Card versions
Blood Seeker - Zendikar (ZEN)
Illness in the Ranks - Gatecrash (GTC)
Authority of the Consuls - Kaladesh (KLD)
Curse of Shallow Graves - Commander 2013 (C13)

Cards similar to Trespasser's Curse by color, type and mana cost

Bad Moon - MTG Card versions
Fear - MTG Card versions
Warp Artifact - MTG Card versions
Deathgrip - MTG Card versions
Animate Dead - MTG Card versions
Blight - MTG Card versions
Seizures - MTG Card versions
Leshrac's Sigil - MTG Card versions
Lim-Dûl's Hex - MTG Card versions
Dance of the Dead - MTG Card versions
Enfeeblement - MTG Card versions
Oath of Ghouls - MTG Card versions
Despondency - MTG Card versions
Yawgmoth's Edict - MTG Card versions
Dying Wail - MTG Card versions
Insubordination - MTG Card versions
Mourning - MTG Card versions
Chains of Mephistopheles - MTG Card versions
Tribute to Horobi // Echo of Death's Wail - MTG Card versions
Brain Maggot - MTG Card versions
Bad Moon - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Fear - Tenth Edition (10E)
Warp Artifact - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Deathgrip - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Animate Dead - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Blight - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Seizures - Ice Age (ICE)
Leshrac's Sigil - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Lim-Dûl's Hex - Ice Age (ICE)
Dance of the Dead - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Enfeeblement - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Oath of Ghouls - Exodus (EXO)
Despondency - Urza's Saga (USG)
Yawgmoth's Edict - Urza's Saga (USG)
Dying Wail - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Insubordination - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Mourning - Invasion (INV)
Chains of Mephistopheles - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Tribute to Horobi // Echo of Death's Wail - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)
Brain Maggot - Historic Anthology 2 (HA2)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Trespasser's Curse MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Mystery Booster, 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 Trespasser's Curse and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Trespasser's Curse Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by David Palumbo.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-04-28AmonkhetAKH 1122015normalblackDavid Palumbo
22019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 8002015normalblackDavid Palumbo
32020-08-13Amonkhet RemasteredAKR 1292015normalblackDavid Palumbo
42020-09-26The ListPLST AKH-1122015normalblackDavid Palumbo

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Trespasser's Curse has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2017-04-18 If a creature enters the battlefield under enchanted player’s control and causes an ability controlled by that player to trigger, the triggered ability of Trespasser’s Curse resolves first if it’s that player’s turn, and resolves last if it’s your turn.

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