Declare Dominance MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. It tips the scales by forcing multiple blocks, paving the way for overwhelming attacks.
  2. Declare Dominance requires a specific mana commitment, aligning with green-centric decks.
  3. Despite its cost, it remains a versatile and meta-relevant card with combo potential.

Text of card

Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn. All creatures able to block it this turn do so.

"If you think yourself a chief, then prove your might." —Gar-Tun, Mistvalley silverback


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Declare Dominance is a game-changer in terms of gaining card advantage. By forcing your opponents to block a single oversized creature, you can potentially clear multiple creatures off the board in one swing, indirectly adding multiple cards’ worth of value to your side.

Resource Acceleration: While the card itself does not directly provide mana or tokens, the ability to declutter the battlefield can greatly accelerate your resources. After a successful attack, you’re often left with a clearer path for future turns, enabling quicker and more devastating attacks against your opponent.

Instant Speed: Although Declare Dominance doesn’t have instant speed, its affect during your turn can have a long-lasting impact akin to instant-speed interaction. By playing it during your main phase, you can immediately capitalize on its effects and potentially influence your opponent’s following actions, showing that timing is as crucial as speed in MTG gameplay.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Declare Dominance doesn’t force a discard, it comes with the inherent risk of being a high-cost spell. If countered or nullified, you essentially ‘discard’ five mana worth of progress without impacting the board—something that can set you back considerably in tempo-driven games.

Specific Mana Cost: Declare Dominance’s specific mana cost includes three green mana symbols, which restricts its inclusion to heavily green or mono-green decks. This requirement can make it less flexible and harder to cast on curve in multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of five mana, Declare Dominance is considered expensive, especially since the payoff hinges on having a creature in play that can benefit from the temporary power boost and trample effect. In a format where efficiency is key, other lower-cost spells may provide more immediate or versatile results.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Declare Dominance can serve as a key player in various deck builds, effectively turning any creature into a significant threat. Its ability to grant a power boost and force multiple blockers allows for strategic plays that can alter the course of the game.

Combo Potential: This card presents noteworthy synergies in green-based decks that focus on creature strength. It can exponentially increase the power of creatures with trample or other damage-related abilities, potentially creating a one-turn clock for opponents.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state that heavily features tempo or creature-based strategies, Declare Dominance can disrupt opponent formations and demand immediate answers, thus securing its place as a valued component in your MTG arsenal.


How to beat

In the world of Magic: The Gathering, facing off against a card like Declare Dominance can be a real challenge. This powerful aura spell not only makes one of your creatures a formidable threat by boosting its power and toughness, but it also forces your opponent’s creatures to block if able, which can turn the tide of a multiplayer game. However, there are effective strategies you can employ to overcome this challenge.

Firstly, keeping removal spells in hand to deal with the enchanted creature before attacks are declared is key. Prioritize instant-speed removal like Murder or Disenchant that can be used in response to the casting of Declare Dominance. Secondly, having a creature with deathtouch on the board can dissuade opponents from using Declare Dominance or neutralize the threat if they do. Alternatively, employing counterspells such as Cancel or Negate can prevent Declare Dominance from ever taking effect. Finally, playing cards that grant your creatures indestructible for a turn or give them protection from colors can be invaluable in surviving an onslaught triggered by this spell.

When you prepare for the types of tactics that Declare Dominance enables, you’ll be well-equipped to maintain your standing on the battlefield. Understanding and anticipating your opponent’s moves is the cornerstone of any strategic card game, and MTG is no exception.


Cards like Declare Dominance

In the realm of board control in Magic: The Gathering, Declare Dominance makes a strong impact. This green spell echoes the intent of cards like Overrun, which bolster a player’s creatures for a commanding attack. Declare Dominance notably gives a single creature +3/+3 and the ability to make multiple creatures block it, clearing the way for other unobstructed attackers.

Comparably, the card Overcome offers a similar advantage, granting creatures +2/+2 and trample until end of turn. Although it affects all creatures rather than one, it doesn’t guarantee that blockers will be pulled away as Declare Dominance does. Another parallel is found in the card Larger Than Life, which provides a lesser stat boost of +4/+1 but adds trample, focusing on increasing a single creature’s damage potential rather than board manipulation.

Assessing these cards alongside Declare Dominance, we see that each has its strategic uses whether it’s empowering a multitude of creatures or singling out one for a significant combat scenario. Declare Dominance fits a unique role, shaking the dynamics of combat and forcing opponents to rethink their blocking strategy.

Overrun - MTG Card versions
Overcome - MTG Card versions
Larger Than Life - MTG Card versions
Overrun - Tempest (TMP)
Overcome - Hour of Devastation (HOU)
Larger Than Life - Kaladesh (KLD)

Cards similar to Declare Dominance by color, type and mana cost

Double Play - MTG Card versions
Restock - MTG Card versions
Tranquil Path - MTG Card versions
Parallel Evolution - MTG Card versions
Stunted Growth - MTG Card versions
Shamanic Revelation - MTG Card versions
Primal Command - MTG Card versions
Rebuking Ceremony - MTG Card versions
Feast of Worms - MTG Card versions
Natural Spring - MTG Card versions
Predatory Focus - MTG Card versions
Overrun - MTG Card versions
Incremental Growth - MTG Card versions
Savage Conception - MTG Card versions
Bestial Menace - MTG Card versions
Overwhelming Stampede - MTG Card versions
Predatory Rampage - MTG Card versions
Mischief and Mayhem - MTG Card versions
Selvala's Charge - MTG Card versions
Grizzly Fate - MTG Card versions
Double Play - Unglued (UGL)
Restock - Invasion (INV)
Tranquil Path - Apocalypse (APC)
Parallel Evolution - The List (PLST)
Stunted Growth - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Shamanic Revelation - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Primal Command - Strixhaven Mystical Archive (STA)
Rebuking Ceremony - Darksteel (DST)
Feast of Worms - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Natural Spring - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
Predatory Focus - Guildpact (GPT)
Overrun - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Incremental Growth - Lorwyn (LRW)
Savage Conception - Eventide (EVE)
Bestial Menace - Midnight Hunt Commander (MIC)
Overwhelming Stampede - Commander Anthology (CMA)
Predatory Rampage - Magic 2013 (M13)
Mischief and Mayhem - Born of the Gods (BNG)
Selvala's Charge - Conspiracy (CNS)
Grizzly Fate - Vintage Masters (VMA)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Declare Dominance MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2019 and Jumpstart 2022, 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 Declare Dominance and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Declare Dominance Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-07-13 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Simon Dominic.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-07-13Core Set 2019M19 1752015normalblackSimon Dominic
22022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 6462015normalblackSimon Dominic

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Declare Dominance has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2018-07-13 If a creature the defending player controls can’t block the target creature for any reason (such as being tapped), then it doesn’t block that creature. If there’s a cost associated with having a creature block the attacking creature, the defending player isn’t forced to pay that cost, so it doesn’t have to block in that case either.

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