Divine Retribution MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Rare
Type	Instant
Released	1996-10-08
Set symbol
Set name	Mirage
Set code	MIR
Number	12
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Charles Gillespie

Key Takeaways

Divine Retribution provides scalable value, rewarding mindful play with pronounced battlefield impact.
Its instant speed offers strategic flexibility, creating surprise counterplay opportunities during combat.
Understanding the card’s constraints is crucial, as its specific requirements can shape deck construction.

Text of card

For each attacking creature, Divine Retribution deals 1 damage to target attacking creature.

"To the undiscerning eye, justice and vengeance can look the same." —Rashida Scalebane

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When playing Divine Retribution, the ability to potentially remove multiple threats from the battlefield can significantly turn the tides in your favor. It scales with the game state, offering more value for each additional attacking creature, rewarding strategic play and timing.

Resource Acceleration: Although Divine Retribution isn’t a direct source of mana, the card indirectly assists in resource acceleration by dealing with threats without the need to commit multiple spells. This effective management of resources can leave you with extra mana to deploy other spells sooner.

Instant Speed: The nature of Divine Retribution being an instant drastically increases its strategic value. It can be cast in response to an opponent’s attack, catching them off-guard and potentially clearing the way for a counter-attack on your next turn. The element of surprise and the ability to act during your opponent’s turn make it a strong card in emergent gameplay scenarios.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Divine Retribution requires the player to discard a card, which could be a tactical setback when your hand is already dwindling. Having less cards to choose from limits strategic options and might prevent you from holding onto key pieces for your late-game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands two white mana in its casting cost, which might not be feasible for multi-colored or heavily color-skewed decks. This limits its synergy in decks that aren’t primarily white and can lead to situations where it sits unplayed in your hand, unable to be cast due to a lack of the right mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an overall mana cost that’s on the higher side, Divine Retribution might not be the first choice for players looking to optimize their mana curve. In metagames where efficiency and speed are paramount, the mana required to cast this spell might be better allocated to faster, more impactful cards.

Reasons to Include Divine Retribution in Your Collection

Versatility: Divine Retribution offers a level of flexibility that can bolster any white deck’s arsenal, serving as both a defensive mechanism and a tool for removing threats on the board.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to deal damage to attacking creatures can be combined with cards that allow you to redirect or reuse spell effects, making it a key piece in intricate control strategies.

Meta-Relevance: With a game environment that favors combative playstyles, Divine Retribution remains a pertinent choice for disrupting opponent’s aggressive tactics and protecting your life total.

How to beat

Divine Retribution is an intriguing card that can sway the momentum in a match, offering a precise strike against attacking creatures. It’s akin to cards like Doom Blade or Path to Exile when considering its capacity to remove threats. Yet what sets Divine Retribution apart is its specificity and instant-speed action, allowing for reactive plays during combat.

Combat tricks such as Giant Growth can be pivotal in countering the effects of Divine Retribution, beefing up creatures to survive its damage. To outmaneuver this card, it’s essential to maintain card advantage and a diverse board state, diluting the impact of targeted removal. Tactics involving hexproof can also render Divine Retribution ineffective, protecting key creatures from its grasp. Cards like Blossoming Defense not only make targeted creatures unassailable but can also provide a crucial power boost against removal spells.

Navigating around Divine Retribution requires strategic advance and the deployment of robust defenses. Keeping pressure with numerous creatures lessens the setback of losing any single one to it. When creatures carry protection or your arsenal includes spells that grant indestructibility, Divine Retribution’s potency diminishes, securing your foothold on the battlefield.

Cards like Divine Retribution

Divine Retribution brings its unique flavor to the realm of instant spells in MTG. It bears some resemblance to cards like Condemn, both allowing players to address attacking creatures efficiently. However, Divine Retribution offers precise control, targeting only one attacker, unlike Day of Judgment which sweeps the board clean without discretion. The individual targeting allows for reactive plays without upsetting your battleground.

Additionally, we can look at Swords to Plowshares, a staple for its low-cost, efficient exile effect with the downside of granting the opponent life points. Divine Retribution, while not exiling, bypasses the life gain concession, potentially a crucial difference in tight matches. Then there’s Settle the Wreckage which escalates the removal strategy by exiling all attacking creatures, a broader and more drastic measure compared to the single-target approach of Divine Retribution.

Each of these spells carries strengths in specific scenarios. However, Divine Retribution’s value lies in its tactical flexibility, allowing players to disrupt opponent strategy with a focused and timely removal, preserving the combat dynamics and maintaining pressure on the opponent.

Swords to Plowshares - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Divine Retribution by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Divine Retribution MTG card by a specific set like Mirage, 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 Divine Retribution and other MTG cards: