Touch of Death MTG Card

Ice Age (ICE)
1995-06-03 - Number 167

Fifth Edition (5ED)
1997-03-24 - Number 200

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery

Key Takeaways

Drawing a card upon resolution, Touch of Death grants a slight yet impactful advance in resources and options.
Instant speed play allows for strategic flexibility and tactical surprise during crucial moments of interaction.
Though it may be mana-specific and costly, its potential removal of key threats positions it as a game-changer.

Text of card

Touch of Death deals 1 damage to target player, and you gain 1 life. Draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.

"What was yours is mine. Your land, your people, and now your life." —Lim-Dûl, the Necromancer

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Touch of Death provides you with an extra card in your hand upon resolution, offering a small but significant edge by incrementing your options and resources.

Resource Acceleration: Though not directly generating additional mana, it could potentially remove a blocker or a threatening creature from the board, which indirectly speeds up your game plan by hindering your opponent’s resources.

Instant Speed: Being able to play Touch of Death at instant speed gives you the flexibility to wait for the most opportune moment to target and destroy a creature, whether it’s during combat or at the end of your opponent’s turn, keeping up the element of surprise and tactical advantage.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Touch of Death necessitates that you pitch an additional card from your hand into the graveyard to cast it. This can be a strategic setback, particularly when your hand is already dwindling and every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both black and generic mana, Touch of Death is not as flexible in deck building, limiting its inclusion to mostly black-centric or two-color decks that can reliably produce the necessary mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At three total mana, including two black, Touch of Death’s cost is steep when measured against its direct damage outcome. In the realm of removal spells, players might opt for alternatives that offer more utility or lower casting costs.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Touch of Death is a flexible card that can be integrated into a variety of deck builds. It offers both targeted creature removal and a way to gain life, a combination that can tip the scales in many game situations.

Combo Potential: This card can easily be part of combos that involve life gain strategies or those that aim to remove multiple threats on the board. It’s a key piece in decks focusing on incremental advantage and attrition warfare.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based strategies prevail, Touch of Death maintains relevance. Its ability to disrupt opponents’ boards while also providing life can be essential in outlasting competitors through the mid to late game.

How to beat Touch of Death

Touch of Death is a unique sorcery card in the game of Magic: The Gathering that can give competitors a challenging time. Its ability to cause loss of life while letting a player draw a card can turn the tides of a match – but it’s not unbeatable. To gain the upper hand against Touch of Death, consider using cards that can counteract life loss or those that can neutralize sorceries before they take effect.

Cards that give you hexproof like Leyline of Sanctity prevent Touch of Death from targeting you, effectively nullifying its effect. Also, having spells that can counter other sorceries, such as Negate or Cancel, can stop Touch of Death in its tracks. Additionally, incorporating life-gain strategies or spells that increase your life total, such as Lifelink creatures or the timely intervention of a Rest for the Weary, can help offset the gradual loss of life that Touch of Death aims to inflict.

Effectively managing your resources and maintaining a flexible game plan will ensure you stand a strong chance against Touch of Death’s potentially harmful impacts within a game of Magic: The Gathering. By staying prepared for its effect and counteracting appropriately, you can turn what seems like a disadvantage into a strategic advantage for yourself.

Cards like Touch of Death

Touch of Death stands as an intriguing component in the world of Magic: The Gathering debuff spells. It shares common ground with spells like Disfigure, which also deals damage to creatures. Disfigure offers a quicker impact at less mana, but it doesn’t come with the life-gain that Touch of Death provides. While dealing two damage, Touch of Death also allows the player to draw a card at the next turn’s upkeep, delivering a blend of disruption and card advantage.

Another card in discussion is Dead Weight, an enchantment that grants a steady decrease in creature power and toughness. Although Dead Weight doesn’t deal immediate damage nor allows for card draw, its enchantment status provides ongoing control that can be strategically more valuable in certain decks. Lastly, we look at Grasp of Darkness, a spell requiring more mana but offering a significantly higher damage output. Grasp of Darkness can remove larger threats, which highlights the trade-offs players must consider when selecting their removal spells.

Comparatively, Touch of Death provides a multifaceted approach to creature control, offering immediate damage, life advantage, and card replacement, securing its position in the landscape of MTG removal spells.

Cards similar to Touch of Death by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Touch of Death MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age and Fifth Edition, 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 Touch of Death and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Touch of Death Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1995-06-03 and 1997-03-24. Illustrated by Melissa A. Benson.