Despondency MTG Card


Despondency - Urza's Saga
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant
Released1998-10-12
Set symbol
Set nameUrza's Saga
Set codeUSG
Number129
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byD. Alexander Gregory

Key Takeaways

  1. Despondency provides card advantage through repeatable triggers and enchantment-related effects.
  2. The necessity of discarding for Despondency can limit strategic options in tight situations.
  3. Despite its unique bounce-back ability, alternatives may sometimes offer more cost-efficient impacts.

Text of card

Enchanted creature gets -2/-0. When Despondency is put into a graveyard from play, return Despondency to owner's hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Despondency grants recurring value by entering and leaving the battlefield multiple times, which provides deck thinning and repeatable triggers for enter-the-battlefield or enchantment-related effects.

Resource Acceleration: This enchantment can enable faster development of your board state by untapping enchanted land through other synergistic interactions, effectively turning your land into a more productive resource.

Instant Speed: Although Despondency itself is not an instant, its low casting cost complements a strategy that aims to keep mana available for instant-speed responses, seamlessly integrating with a reactive playstyle.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Despondency requires you to discard a card which might put you at a disadvantage, especially if your hand is already scarce in options. This can hinder your ability to react to your opponent’s moves or diminish your overall strategic plays.

Specific Mana Cost: Despondency’s casting cost includes black mana, making it less flexible for decks that don’t run on a black mana base. This can limit the versatility of the card and potentially restrict it to specific archetypes only.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Though its mana cost might not seem too steep, when compared to other enchantments or spells within the same mana range, Despondency might not provide as much value or impact on the game. Players might opt for alternatives that offer a more significant effect for the same or lower mana investment.


Reasons to Include Despondency in Your Collection

Versatility: Despondency is a subtle yet flexible enchantment that can be slipped into a variety of blue and black decks. Its ability to return to a player’s hand when the enchanted creature dies makes it an excellent tool for controlling the board and maintaining card advantage.

Combo Potential: This card shines when paired with creatures that have enter-the-battlefield effects or sacrifice synergies. It enables recurring triggers and can be a cornerstone in decks that capitalize on such interactions.

Meta-Relevance: As the game shifts and new strategies emerge, Despondency maintains its significance. It’s particularly useful in metas saturated with creature-based decks, providing a recurring method to keep opposing forces at bay while setting up for a decisive strike.


How to Beat Despondency

Despondency is a quirky aura card in Magic: The Gathering that can bog down your game plan by reducing a creature’s power and untap abilities. Encountering this can be a setback, especially if it’s attached to one of your key creatures. However, there are smart counters to consider in such situations. Cards that serve as catch-all solutions like Disenchant or Naturalize are great options, as they allow you to target and destroy enchantments directly, freeing your creature from the grip of Despondency. Direct creature protection spells like Apostle’s Blessing or Ranger’s Guile can also be useful as preemptive measures to sidestep such debilitating auras, keeping your creatures untapped and ready for combat or defense.

You may also opt for enchantment-centric decks that include cards like Tranquility or Back to Nature not only to deal with Despondency but a wide array of enchantments that might threaten your gameplay. It’s crucial to understand that while Despondency can be a thorn in your side, with an arsenal of versatile removal or protection spells, you can easily turn the tides in your favor. Adaptability and prediction are your best allies in Magic: The Gathering, ready your deck to conquer modifiers like Despondency, and maintain the flow of your strategic game.


Cards like Despondency

Despondency, a unique aura in Magic: The Gathering, shares similarities with enchantments focused on weakening opponent creatures. Comparable to cards like Dead Weight, Despondency provides a noticeable detriment to the ensnared creature but with an added bounce back mechanic. Unlike Dead Weight’s permanent -2/-2 debuff, Despondency allows for a more flexible strategy, weakening the creature by -2/-2 until the enchanted creature dies, returning the aura to its owner’s hand.

An enchantment like Weight of Conscience also poses an interesting comparison. While providing a lock-down effect rather than a power and toughness reduction, it does offer a recurring control element, much like Despondency’s return mechanic. However, it lacks the immediate board impact of reducing a creature’s combat effectiveness. Claustrophobia serves a related purpose, permanently disabling a creature, but once again does not offer the same repetitive use that Despondency does, highlighting the strategic utility Despondency can provide in a match.

Delving into these comparisons, it’s evident Despondency carves out a niche within MTG’s array of creature debuff cards, offering both recurring utility and battlefield influence.

Dead Weight - MTG Card versions
Weight of Conscience - MTG Card versions
Claustrophobia - MTG Card versions
Dead Weight - Innistrad (ISD)
Weight of Conscience - Morningtide (MOR)
Claustrophobia - Innistrad (ISD)

Cards similar to Despondency by color, type and mana cost

Bad Moon - MTG Card versions
Fear - MTG Card versions
Warp Artifact - MTG Card versions
Deathgrip - MTG Card versions
Animate Dead - MTG Card versions
Blight - MTG Card versions
Seizures - MTG Card versions
Leshrac's Sigil - MTG Card versions
Lim-Dûl's Hex - MTG Card versions
Dance of the Dead - MTG Card versions
Enfeeblement - MTG Card versions
Oath of Ghouls - MTG Card versions
Yawgmoth's Edict - MTG Card versions
Dying Wail - MTG Card versions
Insubordination - MTG Card versions
Mourning - MTG Card versions
Chains of Mephistopheles - MTG Card versions
Tribute to Horobi // Echo of Death's Wail - MTG Card versions
Brain Maggot - MTG Card versions
Aphemia, the Cacophony - MTG Card versions
Bad Moon - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Fear - Tenth Edition (10E)
Warp Artifact - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Deathgrip - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Animate Dead - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Blight - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Seizures - Ice Age (ICE)
Leshrac's Sigil - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Lim-Dûl's Hex - Ice Age (ICE)
Dance of the Dead - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Enfeeblement - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Oath of Ghouls - Exodus (EXO)
Yawgmoth's Edict - Urza's Saga (USG)
Dying Wail - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Insubordination - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Mourning - Invasion (INV)
Chains of Mephistopheles - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Tribute to Horobi // Echo of Death's Wail - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)
Brain Maggot - Historic Anthology 2 (HA2)
Aphemia, the Cacophony - Theros Beyond Death Promos (PTHB)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Despondency MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga, 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 Despondency and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Despondency has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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