Death Watch MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	1997-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Visions
Set code	VIS
Number	57
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Brian Horton

Key Takeaways

Death Watch can turn a creature’s end into major card advantage, crucial for winning the resource game.
As an instant, it offers tactical flexibility to respond swiftly to threats and control the game.
Despite its power, the card requires careful hand management and specific mana to cast effectively.

Text of card

If enchanted creature is put into any graveyard, that creature's controller loses an amount of life equal to its power and you gain an amount of life equal to its toughness.

"Watch death wait / Wait, death, watch / Steal breath swiftly / but steal life slowly." —Suq'Ata dirge

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Death Watch card is instrumental in turning the tide of the game by generating substantial card advantage. Set up a situation where your opponent loses an important creature and you’re rewarded with gritty card draw, potentially pulling you ahead in resource competition.

Resource Acceleration: Through its dynamic ability, Death Watch contributes to resource acceleration by potentially converting creatures’ demise into valuable mana. This growth can be a decisive factor in outpacing your opponents and establishing board dominance.

Instant Speed: Death Watch operates at instant speed, offering the flexibility to respond to an opponent’s threats at a moment’s notice. This adaptive tactic can surprise adversaries and shift the momentum of the game solidly into your hands when executed with precision.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Death Watch necessitates pitching another card from your hand, which could hinder your card advantage and affect your game plan, particularly if you’re already facing hand disruption or struggling to maintain card flow.

Specific Mana Cost: With a need for precise black mana to be cast, Death Watch becomes less versatile and harder to accommodate in multicolored or splash-heavy decks that may have inconsistent mana bases.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The card demands a notable amount of mana investment upfront, which may not align with the tempo of faster, more aggressive decks that prefer lower-cost spells to maintain board presence and momentum.

Reasons to Include Death Watch in Your Collection

Versatility: Death Watch offers a nuanced edge for those who strategize around life totals and creature control. With its ability to affect the board regardless of creature size, it has a place in decks that focus on both creature removal and life management.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize with tactics that capitalize on creature deaths or life loss, serving as a key component in setting off chain reactions that can turn the tide of the game.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where creatures are a cornerstone of winning strategies, having Death Watch can be a clever inclusion, providing extra leverage against powerful threats and ensuring you stay one step ahead in the evolving landscape of the game.

How to beat

Death Watch presents an interesting challenge in MTG, offering a strategic advantage by providing a path to remove an opponent’s creature. When compared to other enchantment removal options, its ability to penalize the creature’s controller upon its death by losing an amount of life equal to its power can be a pivotal turning point. It’s crucial to devise a strategy to mitigate its potential blowback.

It may be tempting to rely on creature buffs to overpower the affected creature, but this could backfire due to Death Watch’s life loss clause. Instead, consider incorporating sacrifice outlets or cards that neutralize enchantments before they become detrimental. This could include options like Disenchant or Thrashing Brontodon, which aren’t impacted by life loss and provide a means of control against such threatening enchantments.

Ultimately, a well-prepared deck that includes enchantment removal or sacrifice mechanisms can efficiently handle the conditional threat posed by Death Watch. This foresight ensures that the card’s presence doesn’t lead to an unwelcome surprise, preserving player life totals and maintaining the tempo of your strategic plays throughout the game.

Cards like Death Watch

Death Watch from Magic: The Gathering finds its niche among enchant creature spells. This card bears resemblance to other cards that also revolve around the demise of creatures to gain an advantage, like Malakir Cullblade. However, Death Watch grants life points equal to the power of the targeted creature when it dies, unlike the Cullblade that grows stronger each time an opponent’s creature perishes.

Another comparable card is Dark Prophecy, which draws you a card when a creature you control dies. Though the card draws are a tempting offer, the cost of one life per draw starkly contrasts Death Watch’s life gain. Lastly, we can look at cards like Grave Pact that demand a more strategic board presence. While Grave Pact forces opponents to sacrifice a creature, akin to the final result of Death Watch, it doesn’t directly contribute to your life total, showcasing how an enchantment like Death Watch can shape player strategy in creature-centric decks.

Ultimately, in a game where life totals can be as precarious as the creatures on the battlefield, Death Watch offers a compelling combination of opponent hindrance and life gain, positioning it uniquely amongst its peers in Magic: The Gathering.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Death Watch MTG card by a specific set like Visions, 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 Death Watch and other MTG cards: