Curse of the Forsaken MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura Curse
Abilities Enchant

Key Takeaways

  1. Draw cards when attacking cursed players — strengthens hand with new resources.
  2. Life gain from attacks buffers against aggressive opponents, extending play time.
  3. Versatile in enchantment decks, triggers combos with life gain strategies.

Text of card

Enchant player Whenever a creature attacks enchanted player, its controller gains 1 life.

"Purge the damned, for they have no place among the righteous!" —Seeta of Thraben


Card Pros

Card Advantage: When you enchant an opponent with Curse of the Forsaken, you gain an edge by drawing cards every time the enchanted player is attacked. This continuous source of new cards can significantly bolster your hand, keeping your options open and resources plentiful.

Resource Acceleration: Although Curse of the Forsaken doesn’t directly produce mana or treasure, the life gain aspect can indirectly be a form of resource advantage. This is because the additional life can help safeguard against aggressive strategies, giving you more time to deploy your resources to turn the game in your favor.

Instant Speed: As an enchantment, Curse of the Forsaken is not cast at instant speed. However, the strategy it empowers can be flexible, allowing you to benefit from attacks even during other players’ turns. This creates a dynamic that can affect opponent’s decisions, potentially at any moment once the curse is in play, leveraging the overall pace of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Players will find that in order to harness the power of Curse of the Forsaken, they must be prepared for a card sacrifice. This discard component can be especially challenging if your hand is already running thin, forcing tough decisions about resource allocation during crucial game moments.

Specific Mana Cost: Committing to Curse of the Forsaken necessitates a precise mana arrangement, including the often coveted white mana. This specificity can create obstacles in deck building and reduces the card’s synergy in multi-colored or colorless focused decks, potentially limiting its versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the cost-benefit ratio, Curse of the Forsaken’s mana requirements lean towards the higher end. For three mana, players might expect more immediate or substantial impact on gameplay, making this card a potential burden in fast-paced or mana-tight scenarios.


Reasons to Include Curse of the Forsaken in Your Collection

Versatility: Curse of the Forsaken is a card that seamlessly fits into enchantment-focused decks and those that capitalize on life gain. Its ability to affect multiple opponents makes it an excellent choice for multiplayer games as well.

Combo Potential: This enchantment thrives in decks built around life gain triggers. Whenever a creature attacks the cursed player, its controller gaining life can work in tandem with cards that thrive on life gain or use life as a resource.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where aggressive strategies are prevalent, Curse of the Forsaken encourages opponents to attack the cursed player, indirectly protecting you and potentially disrupting enemy plans. Moreover, the consistent life gain might be crucial in outlasting opponents.


How to beat

Curse of the Forsaken is a unique enchantment card in Magic: The Gathering that can alter the flow of a multiplayer game by encouraging attacks against the cursed player. To effectively navigate against this card, it’s crucial to assess your deck’s resilience to repeated attacks. Including creatures with vigilance can help maintain a robust defense while dealing with the onslaught, as they don’t tap to attack and can still block afterwards.

Another strategy involves the use of removal spells or enchantment destruction cards to eliminate the curse directly from the game. This can quickly turn the tide back in your favor. Cards that gain you life for each creature attacking can also be a valuable inclusion, as they offset the life lost from the Curse of the Forsaken. Remember, playing proactively and adjusting your tactics to minimize the curse’s impact are key to overcoming this challenge within the game.

Lastly, consider the power of diplomacy in multiplayer formats. Sometimes, persuading fellow players to focus their efforts elsewhere can be just as effective as any card in your deck. Knowing when to negotiate and when to take decisive action will make the curse a mere footnote in your path to victory.


Cards like Curse of the Forsaken

Curse of the Forsaken is a unique enchantment in the vast realm of MTG, inviting comparisons with other curse-themed cards. Just like Curse of Thirst, which imposes damage upon a player during their upkeep, Curse of the Forsaken also targets a single player. However, it carves its own niche by granting health to the controller each time a creature attacks the cursed player. This compares favorably to Curse of Thirst’s one-dimensional damage infliction.

Another curse in the MTG arsenal is Curse of Opulence. It differs significantly as it generates Gold tokens instead of directly impacting life totals, yet both enchantments result in an indirect advantage for the controller by attacking the cursed opponent. Curse of the Forsaken does this by bolstering the player’s life, while Curse of Opulence offers a treasure trove to capitalize on. It’s also notable that Curse of Opulence costs less and can impact the game earlier than Curse of the Forsaken, which requires a higher mana investment.

When weighing the various cursed enchantments available to a MTG player, Curse of the Forsaken proves to be a formidable option in multiplayer games where consistent life gain can pivot the direction of the match in the controller’s favor, outshining others that may offer less interactive benefits.

Curse of Thirst - MTG Card versions
Curse of Opulence - MTG Card versions
Curse of Thirst - Wizards Play Network 2012 (PWP12)
Curse of Opulence - Treasure Chest (PZ2)

Cards similar to Curse of the Forsaken by color, type and mana cost

Damping Field - MTG Card versions
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Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant // Rune-Tail's Essence - MTG Card versions
Damping Field - Antiquities (ATQ)
Farmstead - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Fortified Area - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Cooperation - Ice Age (ICE)
Noble Steeds - Alliances (ALL)
Aura of Silence - The List (PLST)
Empyrial Armor - Weatherlight (WTH)
Pariah - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Cessation - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Arrest - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Glorious Anthem - Core Set 2021 Promos (PM21)
Samite Sanctuary - Prophecy (PCY)
Tattoo Ward - Odyssey (ODY)
Sparring Regimen - Strixhaven: School of Mages Promos (PSTX)
Shielded by Faith - Signature Spellbook: Gideon (SS2)
The Restoration of Eiganjo // Architect of Restoration - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)
Oblivion Ring - Modern Masters 2015 (MM2)
Sandskin - Onslaught (ONS)
Cage of Hands - Commander Legends (CMR)
Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant // Rune-Tail's Essence - The List (PLST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Curse of the Forsaken MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2013 and Commander Anthology, 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 Curse of the Forsaken and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Curse of the Forsaken Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2013-11-01 and 2017-06-09. Illustrated by William Wu.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-11-01Commander 2013C13 82003normalblackWilliam Wu
22017-06-09Commander AnthologyCMA 82015normalblackWilliam Wu

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Curse of the Forsaken has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2013-10-17 A Curse spell targets the player it will enchant like any other Aura spell, and a Curse stays on the battlefield like any other Aura. If the enchanted player gains protection from the Curse’s color (or any other characteristic the Curse has), the Curse will be put into its owner’s graveyard.
2013-10-17 Curse is an enchantment type, not a creature type (or any other kind of subtype).
2013-10-17 Each of the Curses can be attached to any player, including the player who cast the Curse.
2013-10-17 The Curse subtype has no inherent rules meaning, but two cards in the Innistrad set (Bitterheart Witch and Witchbane Orb) refer to Curses.
2013-10-17 The ability won’t trigger when a creature attacks a planeswalker controlled by the enchanted player.

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