Casualties of War MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers unparalleled card advantage by targeting up to five different types of permanents in one spell.
  2. Indirect resource acceleration by hamstringing opponent’s board development is a strategic benefit.
  3. Despite its higher mana cost and speed, the card’s impact on gameplay is profoundly disruptive.

Text of card

Choose one or more — • Destroy target artifact. • Destroy target creature. • Destroy target enchantment. • Destroy target land. • Destroy target planeswalker.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: When discussing the strengths of Casualties of War, one simply cannot overlook the card advantage it offers. With its ability to target an artifact, creature, enchantment, land, and planeswalker all in a single spell, you can decimate multiple types of opposing resources. This multifaceted disruption often leads to a significant lead in card economy within the game.

Resource Acceleration: Although Casualties of War does not directly accelerate your resources, the elimination of key lands and artifacts can severely inhibit your opponent’s resource development. This displacement in resource balance can function as an indirect acceleration for you, as your opponent struggles to rebuild their mana base and presence on the board.

Instant Speed: While Casualties of War operates at sorcery speed, the thorough impact it brings to the game compensates for its timing. The comprehensive removal that it provides can be pivotal in resetting the board during your turn, allowing you to effectively plan and execute strategies without the immediate threat of retaliation from your opponent’s resources. It’s the quality of the impact over the timing that makes Casualties of War a formidable card.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Casualties of War doesn’t directly require a discard, it is important to consider the resources you’ll be left with after casting it. Given its demanding mana cost, you might find yourself low on cards, potentially leaving you at a disadvantage for the next turns.

Specific Mana Cost: With a specific mana cost that includes both black and green, Casualties of War is constrained to decks that can reliably generate these colors. This can limit its inclusion to mainly Golgari decks or other builds that can accommodate the color requirements.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sporting a six mana value with a mix of color-specific requirements, Casualties of War is pricier than many other removal options in MTG. Its diverse effect can be powerful, but the cost is something players must weigh against other potentially more mana-efficient cards in their arsenal.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Casualties of War is a powerful choice for decks focusing on control or midrange. Its ability to target a range of permanents ensures it can be a significant game-changer regardless of the board state.

Combo Potential: This card excels in decks with a theme of destruction or resurgence. It can be combined with cards that benefit from lands being in graveyards, or with permanents that have ‘leave the battlefield’ effects.

Meta-Relevance: Considering its sweeping abilities, Casualties of War is perfect for shaking up a meta densely populated with planeswalkers, enchantments, and creature strategies. It remains a staple for disrupting opponents’ carefully laid plans.


How to beat

Casualties of War is a powerful multi-target removal spell in Magic: The Gathering, offering players a versatile tool to disrupt their opponent’s board. The card can decimate an opponent by destroying artifacts, creatures, enchantments, lands, and even planeswalkers all in one fell swoop. While this can feel overwhelming, overcoming Casualties of War is about strategic play and resource management.

Keeping in mind that Casualties of War costs six mana, one strategy is to maintain a diverse board state without overcommitting resources. Since it requires at least one valid target for each category, you can avoid having too many high-value targets on the field. Prioritize playing low-cost or expendable permanents to bait out the spell early or force your opponent to make less impactful choices.

Moreover, running counter spells or graveyard recursion can mitigate the impact of Casualties of War significantly. Cards that can swiftly bring back destroyed permanents from the graveyard or those that grant indestructible status to your key pieces can ensure you bounce back quickly. Focus on maintaining a balance between advancing your board and holding back resources for post-Casualties recovery. With careful play, this formidable spell can be turned from a potential game-ender to a mere setback in your path to victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Delving into MTG gameplay reveals the layers and intricacies of strategy embodied in cards such as Casualties of War. It’s a potent asset in controlling the battlefield, skillfully removing obstacles across multiple types. Whether you’re aspiring to refine your Golgari deck, outmatch opponents in resource warfare, or surprise them with sweeping removals, integrating this card could be pivotal. For those fascinated by the dynamics of powerful spellcasting and keen on disrupting adversarial schemes, mastering the art of Casualties of War could notably enhance your combat capabilities. Embark on a deeper journey into the MTG realm and uncover how to leverage this formidable card to its fullest potential alongside us.


Cards like Casualties of War

Casualties of War is a versatile and powerful staple in decks that value flexibility in Magic: The Gathering. It stands tall alongside other multieffect removal spells such as Decimate and Austere Command. Decimate demands all four targets be present to cast, a limitation that Casualties of War does not share, offering more control over the battlefield’s fate. While Austere Command is customizable in its effects, Casualties of War provides targeted precision, allowing for a tailored approach to dismantling your opponent’s strategy.

A close comparator in terms of strategic destruction is Ruinous Ultimatum. Although Ruinous Ultimatum delivers an undeniable board sweep, it lacks the nuance of selecting a range of permanent types. On the other hand, Casualties of War excels in selectively targeting lands, creatures, enchantments, planeswalkers, and artifacts, ensuring no key piece remains to trouble your match. Maelstrom Pulse is another matchup, offering the ability to sweep away copies of any nonland permanent. However, it doesn’t come close to the comprehensive destruction Casualties of War is capable of provoking in a single play.

Evaluating the strengths and options provided by these spells, Casualties of War distinguishes itself as a card of choice for players desiring targeted yet extensive control over the game’s progress.

Decimate - MTG Card versions
Austere Command - MTG Card versions
Ruinous Ultimatum - MTG Card versions
Maelstrom Pulse - MTG Card versions
Decimate - Odyssey (ODY)
Austere Command - Lorwyn (LRW)
Ruinous Ultimatum - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths Promos (PIKO)
Maelstrom Pulse - Grand Prix Promos (PGPX)

Cards similar to Casualties of War by color, type and mana cost

Revival Experiment - MTG Card versions
Morbid Bloom - MTG Card versions
Rites of Reaping - MTG Card versions
Destined // Lead - MTG Card versions
Vraska's Stoneglare - MTG Card versions
Mycoid Resurrection - MTG Card versions
Revival Experiment - Commander 2021 (C21)
Morbid Bloom - Alara Reborn (ARB)
Rites of Reaping - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Destined // Lead - Amonkhet Remastered (AKR)
Vraska's Stoneglare - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)
Mycoid Resurrection - Alchemy: Ixalan (YLCI)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Casualties of War MTG card by a specific set like War of the Spark and War of the Spark Promos, 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 Casualties of War and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Casualties of War Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2019-05-03 and 2024-03-08. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-05-03War of the SparkWAR 1872015normalblackTomasz Jedruszek
22019-05-04War of the Spark PromosPWAR 187s2015normalblackTomasz Jedruszek
32019-05-04War of the Spark PromosPWAR 187p2015normalblackTomasz Jedruszek
42021-02-05Kaldheim CommanderKHC 832015normalblackTomasz Jedruszek
52024-03-08FalloutPIP 2132015normalblackSamuel Perin
62024-03-08FalloutPIP 4762015normalblackSamuel Perin
72024-03-08FalloutPIP 7412015normalblackSamuel Perin
82024-03-08FalloutPIP 10042015normalblackSamuel Perin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Casualties of War has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2019-05-03 Each target permanent is destroyed in the order specified. Abilities that trigger when one is destroyed won’t be put onto the stack until Casualties of War has finished resolving.
2019-05-03 You can choose any number of the modes for Casualties of War, but you can’t choose a mode more than once.

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