Exile into Darkness MTG Card


Exile into Darkness - Saviors of Kamigawa
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Released2005-06-03
Set symbol
Set nameSaviors of Kamigawa
Set codeSOK
Number67
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byPete Venters

Key Takeaways

  1. Exile into Darkness can significantly disrupt your opponent’s board strategy by tactically eliminating threats.
  2. Its instant speed allows for flexible and reactionary gameplay, altering the course of a duel when cast.
  3. Despite its strengths, the card’s discard requirement and specific mana cost can impact hand and deck fluidity.

Text of card

Target player sacrifices a creature with converted mana cost 3 or less. At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have more cards in hand than each opponent, you may return Exile into Darkness from your graveyard to your hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Exile into Darkness provides a tactical edge by removing key threats from your opponent’s board. This action can often translate into a significant card advantage, especially when targeting creatures with card draw abilities or those that generate value for your opponent over time.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing traditional resource acceleration like adding mana, the removal of an opposing creature can indirectly accelerate your resources. By dealing with an opponent’s threat, you can maintain board presence and momentum, allowing for more efficient deployment of your own resources in subsequent turns.

Instant Speed: The power of acting at instant speed cannot be overstated. Exile into Darkness can be cast in response to an opponent’s actions, which can disrupt their plans and leave them at a disadvantage. This flexibility to react to threats as they arise, even during your opponent’s turn, is a strategic boon in any duel.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Exile into Darkness imposes a discard condition on its caster. This can strip a player of valuable hand advantage, which could be particularly detrimental in the late game when every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: The spell demands a precise mana configuration to be cast, requiring both black mana and colorless mana. This can challenge deck versatility and may not align well with multi-color deck strategies that don’t have a consistent black mana source.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sporting a relatively steep mana cost for its effect, Exile into Darkness may not be the most mana-efficient removal option available. Many alternatives with lower costs exist, offering similar or even superior utility without the extra mana burden.


Reasons to Include Exile into Darkness in Your Collection

Versatility: Exile into Darkness can serve multiple roles within various deck archetypes. Its ability to remove creatures from the game makes it an asset in both controlling and aggressive strategies that need to clear the way for their game plan.

Combo Potential: This card has inherent synergy with strategies that capitalize on exile effects. It can be leveraged alongside cards that benefit from opponents’ exiled cards or to enable escape mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: The evolving metagame often sees the rise of creature-centric decks, making removal spells essential. Exile into Darkness remains relevant as it can permanently deal with problematic creatures, avoiding graveyard recursion and other comeback mechanics.


How to Beat

Exile into Darkness is a notable card that brings a unique strategy to the table in Magic: The Gathering. It embodies a mix of removal and tempo play, forcing an opponent to sacrifice a creature each turn until they pay the cumulative upkeep cost. With such a disruptive ability, countering this card can be essential to maintaining board presence and momentum in the game.

To effectively counteract Exile into Darkness, consider utilizing low-cost creatures or tokens that you can afford to sacrifice, thereby preserving your more valuable creatures for later combat. Alternatively, focus on instant-speed removal or bounce spells to respond to its initial casting, such as Disenchant or Blink of an Eye. These spells can help you remove Exile into Darkness from the battlefield before its cumulative upkeep becomes a threat.

Furthermore, leveraging abilities that grant hexproof or protection to your creatures can shield them from being targeted by Exile into Darkness, enabling you to bypass its effects entirely. By integrating these strategies, you can negate the card’s impact and maintain the upper hand. As with any MTG strategy, adapting to the evolving game state is crucial in ensuring victory against the unique challenges posed by cards like Exile into Darkness.


Cards like Exile into Darkness

Exile into Darkness offers a specific blend of utility and removal for MTG players. It’s akin to other removal spells such as Doom Blade, which also efficiently disposes of creatures. Doom Blade, however, can’t remove indestructible creatures, a feat Exile into Darkness can easily handle by forcing the sacrifice. Comparatively, Exile into Darkness requires a certain build-up with its cumulative upkeep cost, adding a layer of strategy.

Another card worth considering is Diabolic Edict, which mandates an opponent to sacrifice a creature for the swift price of two mana. Unlike Exile into Darkness, there’s no delayed action or cumulative upkeep involved. On a slightly different track stands Geth’s Verdict, delivering a similar immediate effect but with the added benefit of causing the opponent to lose one life, albeit for one additional black mana.

Each of these alternatives offers their strategical nuances, and while Exile into Darkness may not be as instant in its effect, its potential to handle untargetable creatures can be invaluable in the right scenario. This intricate balance between cost, timing, and effect is what draws players to consider Exile into Darkness as a noteworthy option within the MTG removal spell roster.

Doom Blade - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Edict - MTG Card versions
Geth's Verdict - MTG Card versions
Doom Blade - Magic 2010 (M10)
Diabolic Edict - Tempest (TMP)
Geth's Verdict - New Phyrexia (NPH)

Cards similar to Exile into Darkness by color, type and mana cost

Reign of Terror - MTG Card versions
Soul Shred - MTG Card versions
Living Death - MTG Card versions
Beacon of Unrest - MTG Card versions
Final Punishment - MTG Card versions
Soul Feast - MTG Card versions
Sever Soul - MTG Card versions
Patriarch's Bidding - MTG Card versions
Aether Snap - MTG Card versions
Dance of Shadows - MTG Card versions
Brainspoil - MTG Card versions
Head Games - MTG Card versions
Promise of Power - MTG Card versions
Rise from the Grave - MTG Card versions
Incremental Blight - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Plague - MTG Card versions
Spread the Sickness - MTG Card versions
Monomania - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Revelation - MTG Card versions
Crux of Fate - MTG Card versions
Reign of Terror - Mirage (MIR)
Soul Shred - Portal (POR)
Living Death - The List (PLST)
Beacon of Unrest - Warhammer 40,000 Commander (40K)
Final Punishment - Scourge (SCG)
Soul Feast - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Sever Soul - Hachette UK (PHUK)
Patriarch's Bidding - Modern Horizons 2 Promos (PMH2)
Aether Snap - Commander 2014 (C14)
Dance of Shadows - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Brainspoil - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Head Games - Tenth Edition (10E)
Promise of Power - Commander 2014 (C14)
Rise from the Grave - Zendikar Rising Commander (ZNC)
Incremental Blight - Archenemy (ARC)
Dakmor Plague - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Spread the Sickness - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Monomania - Magic 2012 (M12)
Diabolic Revelation - Magic 2013 (M13)
Crux of Fate - Commander 2017 (C17)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Exile into Darkness MTG card by a specific set like Saviors of Kamigawa, 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 Exile into Darkness and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Exile into Darkness has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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