Dispossess MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Dispossess offers card advantage by preemptively removing vital artifacts from opponents’ decks.
  2. Strategically disrupts mana bases and combo plays, slowing down opponents’ strategies.
  3. Being sorcery speed, it requires a strategic play window to maximize impact.

Text of card

Choose an artifact card name. Search target opponent's graveyard, hand, and library for any number of cards with the chosen name and exile them. Then that player shuffles his or her library.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dispossess shines when it strips key components from your opponent’s arsenal, potentially removing multiples of a troublesome artifact from their deck and diminishing their future draw quality. This can indirectly serve as a form of card advantage by reducing the efficacy of your opponent’s draws.

Resource Acceleration: While Dispossess itself does not directly provide resource acceleration, it can disrupt your opponent’s plans, especially if they rely heavily on specific artifacts for their mana base or combo pieces. By denying them these resources, you could potentially accelerate your own game plan by stalling theirs.

Instant Speed: Although Dispossess is a sorcery, its ability to preemptively tackle artifacts before the opponent has a chance to use them makes it a preemptive strike that can be as impactful as an instant in certain scenarios, especially given the high value artifacts in many MTG decks.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Dispossess targets a specific type of nonland card, requiring in-depth knowledge of the opponent’s deck composition which can sometimes be counterproductive if the guess is wrong or the target isn’t present in sufficient numbers to make an impact.

Specific Mana Cost: At three mana that must all be black, Dispossess has a specific mana requirement that restricts playability in multi-color decks. It could potentially strain your mana base or slow down your gameplay as you try to meet its casting cost requirements.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost of three, Dispossess can be considered costly for a card that does not directly affect the board state. Often, by the third turn, players might prefer to develop their board with creatures or other permanents that provide immediate value or pressure.


Reasons to Include Dispossess in Your Collection

Versatility: Dispossess has a place in decks aiming to disrupt artifact strategies. It can remove key pieces from opponents’ decks, hindering their game plan significantly.

Combo Potential: Beyond its primary use, Dispossess works well in conjunction with cards that allow you to peek at the opponent’s hand or deck, ensuring you make an informed decision when naming the artifact.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where artifact decks are prevalent, Dispossess serves as a powerful sideboard option, effectively countering popular cards and strategies in the current meta. Its ability to non-discriminatorily extract artifacts makes it a tactical choice against these types of decks.


Understanding Dispossess

Dispossess is an intriguing card that targets a specific card type: artifacts. Its ability to let a player choose an artifact card name and search their opponent’s graveyard, hand, and library for any number of cards with that name and exile them means it can strategically disrupt an opponent’s game plan. Particularly potent in formats where artifacts play a key role, Dispossess can be seen as a silver bullet card against decks that heavily rely on a specific artifact to function.

How to beat

Countering the unique challenge that Dispossess presents requires a multifaceted approach. Firstly, it’s imperative to diversify your deck’s threats to minimize the impact of losing key artifacts. Incorporate a variety of win conditions that don’t solely hinge on artifacts. Additionally, consider running instant-speed interaction like counterspells or abilities that can protect your valuable artifacts or even shuffle them back into your library in response to Dispossess. Having a countervailing sideboard strategy also helps: by including alternate win conditions or card types that are not susceptible to Dispossess’s pinpoint exiling effect, you can pivot your gameplay post-sideboard to outmaneuver this specific disruption.


Cards like Dispossess

Dispossess stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a strategic move to deplete an opponent’s arsenal by targeting specific nonland cards. A card with a similar intent is Cranial Extraction, which allows you to name a card and exile all copies from the game. Though Cranial Extraction offers the exiling of any card type, Dispossess specifically hones in on artifacts, often a linchpin in many deck strategies.

Another card that echoes this disruption philosophy is Lost Legacy. This card broadens its reach by including any nonartifact card, giving you the option to also manipulate your opponent’s nonartifact strategies. In contrast, Dispossess is singular in purpose but potentially more impactful against decks heavily reliant on artifacts. Then there’s Unmoored Ego, echoing the sentiment of selective dispossession, with the added flexibility of impacting any card type and providing a peek into the opponent’s hand and library.

When considering strategic removal in Magic: The Gathering, Dispossess serves a particular niche. Its specialty against artifacts can be a game-changer, exhibiting its uniqueness among cards with similar, yet broader, capabilities.

Cranial Extraction - MTG Card versions
Lost Legacy - MTG Card versions
Unmoored Ego - MTG Card versions
Cranial Extraction - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Lost Legacy - Kaladesh Promos (PKLD)
Unmoored Ego - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)

Cards similar to Dispossess by color, type and mana cost

Darkpact - MTG Card versions
Demonic Attorney - MTG Card versions
Jovial Evil - MTG Card versions
Infernal Contract - MTG Card versions
Touch of Death - MTG Card versions
Wicked Pact - MTG Card versions
Nature's Ruin - MTG Card versions
Buried Alive - MTG Card versions
Choking Sands - MTG Card versions
Brush with Death - MTG Card versions
Perish - MTG Card versions
Coercion - MTG Card versions
Hand of Death - MTG Card versions
Grim Tutor - MTG Card versions
Forced March - MTG Card versions
Stupor - MTG Card versions
Soul Burn - MTG Card versions
Noxious Vapors - MTG Card versions
Mind Rot - MTG Card versions
Crippling Fatigue - MTG Card versions
Darkpact - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Demonic Attorney - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Jovial Evil - Legends (LEG)
Infernal Contract - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Touch of Death - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Wicked Pact - Portal (POR)
Nature's Ruin - Portal (POR)
Buried Alive - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Choking Sands - World Championship Decks 1997 (WC97)
Brush with Death - Stronghold (STH)
Perish - The List (PLST)
Coercion - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Hand of Death - Starter 2000 (S00)
Grim Tutor - Core Set 2021 Promos (PM21)
Forced March - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Stupor - Arena League 2000 (PAL00)
Soul Burn - Invasion (INV)
Noxious Vapors - Planeshift (PLS)
Mind Rot - Kaladesh Remastered (KLR)
Crippling Fatigue - Hachette UK (PHUK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dispossess MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Amonkhet Promos, 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 Dispossess and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Dispossess Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Mark Behm.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-04-28AmonkhetAKH 862015normalblackMark Behm
22017-04-29Amonkhet PromosPAKH 86s2015normalblackMark Behm
32020-08-13Amonkhet RemasteredAKR 1002015normalblackMark Behm

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dispossess has restrictions

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

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