Jovial Evil MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery
Released	1994-06-01
Set symbol
Set name	Legends
Set code	LEG
Number	109
Frame	1993
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Christopher Rush

Key Takeaways

Grants card advantage by impacting opponents’ life totals, which can change the game’s pace.
Instant speed play adds surprise factor and strategic depth during critical game moments.
Discard requirement and specific mana cost add a challenge to its utilization in gameplay.

Text of card

Jovial Evil does 2 damage to opponent for each white creature he or she controls.

"Today, for a lark, let's visit the plains. I'm sure we'll find something to entertain us."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: One of the biggest perks of playing Jovial Evil is its potential for card advantage. Utilizing its life reduction ability can indirectly lead to gaining the upper hand in card resources, especially in matches with a focus on life totals.

Resource Acceleration: Jovial Evil can serve as a form of resource acceleration in specific deck builds. By decreasing an opponent’s life significantly, it may force them to play more defensively, effectively giving you more room to develop your board and resources unhindered.

Instant Speed: The ability to play Jovial Evil at instant speed is pivotal. This card can be a surprise element before an opponent’s turn ends or in response to an action, offering strategic depth and the opportunity to disrupt their plans at a critical moment.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Jovial Evil card comes with the stipulation that users must discard two other cards to unleash its effects. This can be especially cumbersome in game situations where your hand is already dwindling, forcing you to make tough decisions about resource allocation.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting Jovial Evil requires a combination of black and red mana, narrowing its potential for inclusion to decks that can produce both these colors. This specialization might deter players with mono-color or other multicolor strategies from adding it to their repertoire.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sporting a cost of six mana, including two black and one red, Jovial Evil sits at a higher point on the mana curve. Given its specific impact on the game, this investment might overshadow its practicality, particularly when considering other cards that could offer similar or better advantages for less.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Jovial Evil offers dynamic gameplay across various deck styles, tailoring to those that capitalize on life manipulation strategies, and serves as a potent threat in multiplayer formats.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combos, specifically within decks built around life totals, where it can act as a sudden swing in life differences, potentially disrupting your opponent’s strategy or bolstering your own position.

Meta-Relevance: Given the fluctuating MTG landscape, Jovial Evil gains relevance in environments rich with life-gain decks, positioning itself as a strategic countermeasure to trend-heavy lifelink units or widespread life-gain spells.

How to beat

Jovial Evil is a unique card that can turn the tides of a game in Magic: The Gathering, especially in the hands of an opponent who can gain significant life quickly. To counteract Jovial Evil, players should aim to control their life total, keeping it as low as reasonably safe to lessen the damage that can be inflicted by this card. Tactics involve disrupting the opponent’s mana base to prevent casting Jovial Evil, which has a relatively high mana cost of three, including two black.

Additionally, incorporating life gain prevention effects or cards that can change the target of a spell are effective methods to neutralize this threat. Holding up counterspells to deny the card from ever resolving can also be incredibly effective. Cards with the ability to exile it from the graveyard will also be key to ensure it can’t be reused against you. By maintaining life total and being prepared with responsive plays, players can efficiently minimize the impact of Jovial Evil in a match and protect their position in the game.

Understanding the mechanics associated with cards like Jovial Evil and having a strategy in place to face them is crucial for improving the outcome of your duels in the dynamic environment of Magic: The Gathering.

Cards like Jovial Evil

Jovial Evil, a niche spell in Magic: The Gathering, has certain unique characteristics when put side by side with other life-affecting cards. Notably, it bears a resemblance to a card like Drain Life, which provides a straightforward tap for some damage and life gain. However, Jovial Evil is more peculiar with a condition that capitalizes on your opponent’s white creatures, potentially causing a significant swing in life totals.

Another card akin to Jovial Evil is Bonds of Mortality. While it doesn’t deal damage or affect life totals directly, it shares the theme of targeting creature characteristics, providing an alternative way to navigate around your opponent’s defenses. Caress of Phyrexia, though more expensive mana-wise, similarly grants life loss for an opponent, yet it adds card draw into the mix as a sweetener for the caster.

To round up the comparison, Jovial Evil stands out for its potential burst of impact in matches dense with white creatures. Its specificity can either be a strategic cornerstone or a limitation, depending on the matchup, setting it apart from other more predictable options in the realm of life-affecting black spells in Magic: The Gathering.

Cards similar to Jovial Evil by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Jovial Evil MTG card by a specific set like Legends, 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 Jovial Evil and other MTG cards: