Roil's Retribution MTG Card


Roil's Retribution - Battle for Zendikar
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant
Released2015-10-02
Set symbol
Set nameBattle for Zendikar
Set codeBFZ
Number45
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byRaymond Swanland

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers card advantage by potentially eliminating several threats at once, enhancing board control.
  2. Instant speed allows disruptive plays during an opponent’s turn for strategic surprise.
  3. High mana cost and specific requirements may limit its use to certain decks.

Text of card

Roil's Retribution deals 5 damage divided as you choose among any number of target attacking or blocking creatures.

"We can use their hunger to lead them into danger. If we're already prey, we may as well be bait!" —Yon Basrel, Oran-Rief survivalist


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Roil’s Retribution allows you to deal damage to multiple creatures, potentially eliminating several of an opponent’s threats with just one card. This can lead to a significant advantage in card economy, particularly in battles where board presence is crucial.

Resource Acceleration: While Roil’s Retribution doesn’t directly accelerate resources, removing multiple threats can indirectly conserve the resources you would have spent on dealing with those threats individually, allowing for greater efficiency and potentially freeing up your mana for future turns.

Instant Speed: Roil’s Retribution’s capability to be cast at instant speed provides the flexibility to disrupt an opponent’s strategy during their turn. This can be pivotal during combat or in response to an opponent’s actions, offering a surprise element that can swing the game in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Despite its potential for power, Roil’s Retribution imposes a discard requirement on the player. This means you’ll have to part with another card from your hand, which can prove disadvantageous, particularly in late-game scenarios where each card’s value is magnified.

Specific Mana Cost: Roil’s Retribution demands a precise mana configuration to be cast—three white and two generic mana. This specific cost can be restrictive, fitting primarily into white or white-heavy decks, potentially limiting its applicability across the broader MTG strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When assessing removal options, Roil’s Retribution comes with a relatively high mana cost. For five mana, there are alternative spells that might provide more flexibility or broader removal capabilities, thereby presenting a more cost-efficient solution in a deck’s removal suite.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Roil’s Retribution offers the flexibility to control the battlefield in various situations. It becomes a tool for removing multiple threats at once, perfect for decks that need to maintain board presence against aggressive strategies.

Combo Potential: When paired with damage amplifiers or cards that trigger upon creature death, Roil’s Retribution can become a key component in formidable combos, paving the way for lethal plays.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta filled with token strategies or decks that tend to go wide with creatures, this card serves as an effective countermeasure, potentially turning the tide of the game in your favor.


How to beat

Roil’s Retribution is a powerful card in Magic: The Gathering that can turn the tide of battle by targeting multiple creatures your opponents control. The key to overcoming this card lies in prioritizing the protection of your assets. Firstly, consider utilizing creatures with hexproof or shroud to render them untouchable by spells like Roil’s Retribution. Additionally, playing around the five-mana casting cost by applying pressure early in the game can reduce its impact or negate it altogether. Moreover, employing counterspells or providing your creatures with indestructible for a turn can invalidate Roil’s Retribution, keeping your battlefield presence intact. Finally, remember that flexibility and anticipation play crucial roles. Have a plan for recovery in case Roil’s Retribution disrupts your board, and ensure you have the means to rebuild quickly.

Ultimately, respecting the power of control spells while crafting a robust strategy is the path to mastering MTG matches against cards like Roil’s Retribution. By maintaining a diverse and resilient deck, players can assure that such removal spells don’t dictate the pace of the game or its outcome.


Cards like Roil's Retribution

Roil’s Retribution stands out in the realm of Magic: The Gathering due to its ability to target multiple creatures, a trait shared with few cards. Card comparisons naturally lead us to Gideon’s Reproach, another card that deals damage to creatures, with a narrower scope and lesser mana requirement. Gideon’s Reproach affects only one creature, contrasting with Roil’s Retribution’s broader potential impact on the battlefield.

Adjacent to that, we have Righteous Blow, dealing a similar two damage but capped at attacking or blocking creatures, providing strategic limitation yet costing significantly less mana. Conversely, Roil’s Retribution offers the flexibility to eliminate creatures poised to become threats on the next turn, rather than those engaged in combat alone.

Assessing these options, Roil’s Retribution carves out a niche for itself among removal spells. Its five mana investment is justified by the ability to potentially alter the board state by dealing with multiple threats at once. While not as efficient as smaller-scale removal spells, it compensates with its wide-sweeping reach, playing a pivotal role in games where managing several threats simultaneously is crucial.

Gideon's Reproach - MTG Card versions
Righteous Blow - MTG Card versions
Gideon's Reproach - MTG Card versions
Righteous Blow - MTG Card versions

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Miraculous Recovery - MTG Card versions
Double Dip - MTG Card versions
Second Thoughts - MTG Card versions
Soul Nova - MTG Card versions
Stir the Pride - MTG Card versions
Turn the Tables - MTG Card versions
Charge Across the Araba - MTG Card versions
Brace for Impact - MTG Card versions
Swell of Courage - MTG Card versions
Endure - MTG Card versions
Gleam of Resistance - MTG Card versions
Arrow Volley Trap - MTG Card versions
Banishment Decree - MTG Card versions
Meditation Puzzle - MTG Card versions
Sanctified Charge - MTG Card versions
Take Up Arms - MTG Card versions
Enduring Victory - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Roil's Retribution MTG card by a specific set like Battle for Zendikar, 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 Roil's Retribution and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Roil's Retribution has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2015-08-25 If some, but not all, of the targets become illegal by the time Roil’s Retribution tries to resolve, the original division of damage still applies, but no damage is dealt to illegal targets. If all the targets are illegal, the spell won’t resolve.
2015-08-25 You choose how many targets Roil’s Retribution has and how the damage is divided as you cast the spell. Each target must receive at least 1 damage.

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