Final Reward MTG Card
2017-04-28 - Number 92
2020-08-13 - Number 106
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
Key Takeaways
- Final Reward exiles creatures, nullifying recurring threats and providing strategic game pivots.
- Instant speed allows for reactive play, offering flexibility and superior board control.
- High mana cost and card discard are significant trade-offs for using Final Reward’s power.
Text of card
Exile target creature.
Those who earn a glorious death are given the highest honor. They are carried on funeral barges through the gate to the afterlife.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Final Reward gives players the ability to remove a creature from the game, ensuring that even creatures with persist or undying don’t return to the battlefield. This aspect of the card can pivot the balance of a game, as it stops opponents from gaining further value from their creature-based strategies.
Resource Acceleration: While Final Reward doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration, its ability to efficiently deal with threats can save resources for a player. By expending five mana to deal with a potentially more costly creature threat, players can economize their other resources and spells.
Instant Speed: The power of Final Reward is multiplied by its instant speed capability. This allows players to navigate complex board states, removing key threats during an opponent’s turn or in response to other spells and abilities, ensuring strategic flexibility and superior board control.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Engaging with Final Reward asks players to be aware of its cost beyond mana, as it necessitates discarding another card. For those managing slim hand sizes, this ask can impede the flow of gameplay, potentially leaving a player at a strategic disadvantage. Hence, players must weigh the benefits of removing a target creature against the downsides of depleting their own hand.
Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost of Final Reward is specific and relatively rigid, necessitating three generic and two black mana to cast. This specificity binds the card to decks that are flush with black mana sources, potentially limiting its inclusion to mono-black or black-heavy multicolor decks, which may not always align with a player’s strategic approach or preferred style of play.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a substantial five mana cost, Final Reward could be considered an investment in terms of resources for its single-target removal effect. This places it in direct competition with other lower-cost alternatives that can achieve similar outcomes without such a heavy mana commitment. Deck builders must consider whether the upside of Final Reward justifies its mana cost in comparison to the suite of available removal options in the evolving meta.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Final Reward offers a powerful creature removal option, capable of dealing with even the most stubborn threats. Its ability to bypass indestructible creatures makes it a versatile tool for a variety of Commander and Limited decks.
Combo Potential: As an instant, it synergizes well with cards that reward you for casting spells on your opponent’s turn or those that care about interacting with the graveyard post-removal.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where large, towering creatures can decide the outcome, having access to a removal spell like Final Reward that can handle any creature without concern for protection or regeneration abilities is crucial. It ensures your deck remains competitive irrespective of the evolving metagame.
How to Beat Final Reward in MTG
Final Reward is a powerful answer to creature threats in MTG. This black instant spell allows players to remove nearly any troublesome creature from the game for the cost of five mana. Unlike other removal spells, Final Reward doesn’t just send the creature to the graveyard; it exiles it, negating any graveyard-related abilities or potential for resurrection.
Counteracting this card hinges on staying resourcefully ahead of the opponent. Smart play includes using creatures with low mana costs to draw out removal spells early or employing creatures that can regenerate or have indestructible to diminish Final Reward’s impact. Another tactic involves holding back key creatures until after your opponent has used up their Final Reward, playing around their removal resources. Additionally, instant-speed spells or abilities that grant hexproof or protection can counteract Final Reward as it targets a creature.
Having a keen understanding of your opponent’s possible plays and mana availability is essential. The threat of Final Reward encourages a strategic approach to creature deployment and highlights the importance of versatile, reactionary measures in your deck to safeguard your most valuable assets.
Cards like Final Reward
Final Reward is an intriguing removal spell in MTG, offering a definitive answer to troublesome creatures. It aligns closely with other exile-based removal spells like Oblivion Strike, which also exiles any target creature. However, Final Reward is more mana-efficient when it comes to heavy hitters due to its ability targeting only creatures. Oblivion Strike requires four mana regardless of the creature’s size or abilities.
Another related card is Unmake – a spell also known to exile creatures. At three mana, it’s less costly than Final Reward, but it doesn’t offer the same versatility of being usable in any deck that includes black mana. The clear mana cost of Final Reward makes it flexible and accessible, a crucial factor in deck building.
Considering a broader spectrum, we see Murderous Cut as a competitor. It shares the instant speed trait and can potentially have a lower mana cost thanks to delve, though it doesn’t exile but rather destroys. This nuance is significant as exile prevents any chance of the creature returning to play, a preference for many players aiming to avoid recurring threats.
Ultimately, Final Reward holds a solid position among creature removal cards, especially in formats that prioritize permanent creature removal via exile and where cost efficiency against high-value targets is vital.
Cards similar to Final Reward by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Final Reward MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Amonkhet Remastered, 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 Final Reward 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 MTG Products
Printings
The Final Reward Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Sidharth Chaturvedi.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-04-28 | Amonkhet | AKH | 92 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sidharth Chaturvedi | |
| 2 | 2020-08-13 | Amonkhet Remastered | AKR | 106 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sidharth Chaturvedi |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Final Reward has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
