Staff of Domination MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 10 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeArtifact

Key Takeaways

  1. Staff of Domination offers strategic depth with its card draw and untapping abilities.
  2. Demands for colorless mana may conflict with multicolor deck plans.
  3. Infinite combos and control make it a compelling addition to collections.

Text of card

: Untap Staff of Domination. , : You gain 1 life. , : Untap target creature. , : Tap target creature. , : Draw a card.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Staff of Domination offers a wealth of strategic options by allowing you to untap creatures and even itself. Drawing a card with its third ability can become a repeatable action, handing you the keys to a deeper deck and a broader range of responses during any match.

Resource Acceleration: This versatile artifact stands out as a tool for resource acceleration. By untapping your creatures that produce mana, or even untapping lands with mana-generating enchantments, you infuse your game with a potent burst of mana, propelling you ahead of your opponents.

Instant Speed: Each function of the Staff of Domination can be activated at instant speed, bringing an element of surprise and adaptability to your gameplay. Hold tight to your mana, and when the right moment arises, manipulate the battlefield to your advantage without missing a beat.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Staff of Domination does not have a discard requirement itself, using it effectively in a game often revolves around cards that synergize with untapping mechanisms. This can lead to situations where you have to let go of valuable cards from your hand to maintain such synergies, or potentially miss out on maximizing the benefits that the Staff can provide.

Specific Mana Cost: The activation of Staff of Domination’s abilities involve an exclusive colorless mana cost. It might seem easy to integrate into any deck due to its generic mana requirements, but it does demand substantial colorless mana availability. This can be a hurdle in multicolored decks that might prioritize colored mana for other essential spells and abilities.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost required to both play and fully utilize Staff of Domination can be steep. Despite its versatility, with each activation costing additional mana, the total investment to draw cards, gain life, or untap creatures can add up quickly. This might render Staff of Domination less appealing compared to other options, especially in a fast-paced game where mana efficiency is key.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Staff of Domination offers a wide array of options making it a Swiss Army knife for any deck, from gaining life to untapping creatures and even itself, ensuring that it can be a utility player in almost any scenario.

Combo Potential: This card is notorious for its ability to create infinite combos with cards that generate enough mana to untap it repeatedly, thus allowing for limitless life, card draw, and creature control that can steer the game in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where games go long and control is paramount, Staff of Domination shines. Its ability to interact at instant speed makes it a resilient piece against various deck types, maintaining its relevance in diverse playing fields.


How to beat

Staff of Domination, known for its multifaceted utility in Magic: The Gathering, offers players an array of options from untapping creatures to gaining life. Beating a card with such versatility requires a well-thought-out strategy. Key to disrupting the advantages of Staff of Domination is to limit its activation opportunities. Artifact removal spells like Nature’s Claim or Abrade can dismantle the Staff before the controller can utilize its full potential. Anticipating the moment your opponent reaches the mana threshold to activate the Staff’s various abilities can also tilt the game in your favor.

Countermeasures such as Pithing Needle can be utilized to neutralize the Staff’s functionality without the need to remove it from the battlefield. Additionally, denying your opponent the untap capability by applying pressure with aggressive creatures forces them to use resources elsewhere, making the Staff less effective. Strategic hand disruption spells like Thoughtseize can prevent the Staff from ever hitting the field, serving as a preemptive strike against this formidable artifact. Thus, when countering Staff of Domination, it’s all about timing and answers that either prevent its arrival or neutralize its presence immediately.


BurnMana Recommendations

Unlocking the potential of your MTG arsenal can often hinge on the right mix of strategy and flexibility. Staff of Domination is a card that delivers both, enabling you to adapt to an evolving game state with instant-speed responses. Whether you’re eyeing infinite combos, gaining life, or simply seeking a versatile utility piece for your deck, this artifact offers a plethora of paths to dominance. Make space in your collection for this multifaceted tool and prepare to outmaneuver your opponents at every twist and turn. Dive deeper with us to discover how to seamlessly integrate the Staff of Domination into your gameplay and watch your control over the match flourish.


Cards like Staff of Domination

The Staff of Domination is an iconic artifact in the world of Magic: The Gathering, known for its versatility and ability to fit into numerous strategies. Similar to the Staff of Domination, the Isochron Scepter also offers repeated use of its abilities, allowing players to imprint an instant card and cast it repeatedly. While the Scepter focuses specifically on instants, the Staff provides a wider range of actions, from gaining life to untapping creatures or itself.

Then there’s the Aetherflux Reservoir, another artifact that can dominate a game, but through a different mechanism. It’s specialized in converting spell casts into life and then into a massive damage output, unlike the multi-purpose utility of the Staff of Domination that requires no specific deck archetype to operate effectively. Similarly, the Sensei’s Divining Top allows players to manipulate their deck’s top card and draw when needed, but lacks the Staff’s broader array of abilities.

In summary, while many artifacts offer repeated utility, the Staff of Domination stands out for its wide range of actions available every turn, adaptable to any deck and playing style, and not restricted to synergizing with specific types of cards.

Isochron Scepter - MTG Card versions
Aetherflux Reservoir - MTG Card versions
Sensei's Divining Top - MTG Card versions
Isochron Scepter - Mirrodin (MRD)
Aetherflux Reservoir - Kaladesh Promos (PKLD)
Sensei's Divining Top - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)

Cards similar to Staff of Domination by color, type and mana cost

Celestial Prism - MTG Card versions
Ebony Horse - MTG Card versions
Runed Arch - MTG Card versions
Bösium Strip - MTG Card versions
Clay Pigeon - MTG Card versions
Ashnod's Altar - MTG Card versions
Jalum Tome - MTG Card versions
Static Orb - MTG Card versions
Patchwork Gnomes - MTG Card versions
The Stasis Coffin - MTG Card versions
Captain's Hook - MTG Card versions
Wall of Spears - MTG Card versions
Spellweaver Helix - MTG Card versions
Scale of Chiss-Goria - MTG Card versions
Lightning Coils - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Shackles - MTG Card versions
Loxodon Warhammer - MTG Card versions
Sword of Feast and Famine - MTG Card versions
Training Drone - MTG Card versions
Pristine Talisman - MTG Card versions
Celestial Prism - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Ebony Horse - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Runed Arch - Ice Age (ICE)
Bösium Strip - Weatherlight (WTH)
Clay Pigeon - Unglued (UGL)
Ashnod's Altar - The Brothers' War Retro Artifacts (BRR)
Jalum Tome - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Static Orb - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Patchwork Gnomes - Odyssey (ODY)
The Stasis Coffin - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Captain's Hook - Rivals of Ixalan Promos (PRIX)
Wall of Spears - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Spellweaver Helix - Mirrodin (MRD)
Scale of Chiss-Goria - Mirrodin (MRD)
Lightning Coils - Mirrodin (MRD)
Vedalken Shackles - Kaladesh Inventions (MPS)
Loxodon Warhammer - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Sword of Feast and Famine - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Training Drone - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Pristine Talisman - New Phyrexia Promos (PNPH)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Staff of Domination MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Fifth Dawn, 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 Staff of Domination and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Staff of Domination Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2004-06-04 and 2022-11-18. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 860802015normalblackBen Thompson
22004-06-04Fifth Dawn5DN 1562003normalblackBen Thompson
32016-09-30Kaladesh InventionsMPS 482015normalblackZezhou Chen
42020-09-26The ListPLST 5DN-1562003normalblackBen Thompson
52020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 3432015normalblackBen Thompson
62020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 7012015normalblackBen Thompson
72022-11-18The Brothers' War Retro ArtifactsBRR 119z1997normalblackWarren Mahy
82022-11-18The Brothers' War Retro ArtifactsBRR 1191997normalblackWarren Mahy
92022-11-18The Brothers' War Retro ArtifactsBRR 561997normalblackBen Thompson
102022-11-18The Brothers' War Art SeriesABRO 792015art_seriesborderless

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Staff of Domination has restrictions

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

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks